Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1322

1322 - Kids Will Be Kids

In the early hours of the first day of the year August came knocking on the Chapmans' door. Byrhtnoth rushed down the ladder from his room, a rock in his stomach as early visits like these never meant anything good, but as he opened the door to see his son in law with a beaming smile on his face his worries melted away.

"Byrhtnoth! Linyeve just gave birth to a baby girl!" the new father announced. "She is doing just fine but I rushed over to have you be the first to know. Please, come to our home when you can; Liny is excited to introduce you to little January."

"... January?" was all Byrhtnoth could utter back, the pride and joy of becoming a grandfather once again washing over him.

"Yes, January," chuckled August before explaining, "We thought it would be fitting as she was born on the first day of the year and Linyeve has always enjoyed how I was called after a month in the year... it just fit."

Byrhtnoth extended his arms towards the young man and enveloped him in a tight hug. The feelings had settled and he was content with the news so he began giving him a manly pat on the back and extending his congratulations to August. He was eager to see his daughter and so he asked August to wait while he informed his children that he would disappear from the home for a few hours and off they went.

The men travelled on horseback to the Dodson cottage and tied their horses to the small stable that inhabited their land. The sky was still quite dark as it was the very early hours of the day but it didn't matter to Byrhtnoth. As soon as the horses snorted upon their arrival Linyeve peered outside and burst through the door. Her face had the biggest smile plastered on her face and she called out to her father. She embraced him tightly and whispered to him, "I'm a mother now... I can't believe it."

"You can continue you heartfelt moment inside, it's best to get you away from the frost, Liny!" beckoned August as he guided them in through the front door.

It was actually the first time Byrhtnoth had visited August Dodson's home and he was pleasantly surprised. The main room was quaint and cozy yet large enough to house a significantly sized family. He took a moment to imagine how August and his siblings would have ran around near the fire and soon it would be August's and Linyeve's children that would be sharing this space. The bedrooms were separated by a wooden wall yet little baby January's crib was placed close to the hearth as it was the depths of winter. A midwife rocked the small crib and waved him a small hello and he was happy to know that Linyeve didn't go through labor alone. The home smelled of crisp wood burning at the fireplace and a hint of thyme, and he realised why once he saw a branch of it drying near the stone hearth.

"I'm sure you want to meet your new granddaughter," stated Linyeve as she clasped her hands with excitement. Her father nodded with enthusiasm and she went to fetch her newborn, thanking the midwife for minding her while they exchanged their welcomes.

Linyeve clasped her baby daughter gently and whispered loving affirmations to her before turning around and presenting her to Byrhtnoth. She truly handled her like a new mother, every movement calculated and sprinkled with fear as she handled this fragile and important little person to her. 

Her father leaned over and looked at his granddaughter, so small and beautiful. Her skin was fair yet had a golden glow just like August's yet her small and dainty lips reminded him of Linyeve's when she was born. She was an absolute angel and he lightly gasped when January opened her eyes to gaze upon him. Linyeve offered for her father to hold her and he accepted it immediately.

He held her small body and watched her lips curl into a smile. He tickled her lightly and even heard a cute giggle, waking up even further. He raised her gently above him and suddenly the room was filled with the joys of a baby's laugh. The parents stood aside and watched with content and August sighed, thinking of how wonderful it would have been for his parents to share the same joy that Byrhtnoth was experiencing if they were still alive.

It wasn't a long playtime as January was still very small and needed lots of rest after only being born in the last few hours but Byrhtnoth passed her back to August and thanked them both for inviting him over so early. The young father was assisted by their midwife to place the baby back into the crib and while they watched Linyeve spoke with Byrhtnoth.

"My life has truly changed for good," confided Linyeve as she glanced over to her husband.

"And it will only keep changing as your family grows, my love," agreed Byrhtnoth. "You do plan on having more children, yes?"

"Oh, definitely," said Linyeve. She never wanted to be left childless in this world, especially after seeing how many losses her parents faced with her siblings she would rather have too many children than have none. "We won't force another child into this world just yet, we want to settle into parenthood with January first, but there will be more in the next decade, father."

"I'm delighted to hear," smiled Byrhtnoth. January began to gargle a cry and the midwife informed them that January must be hungry and Byrhtnoth took this as the perfect moment to bid them all a farewell. He hugged his daughter tightly and waved to the rest of the people indoors goodbye and went outside.

He untied Gloria from the stables and saddled her up, taking one last glance at the Dodson bungalow as he heard January's cries subdue. He galloped on home and was met with two sleepy and hungry children of his own to which he got straight to making breakfast for.

Over the breakfast table he told them all about their sister's new addition to the family and Osuald and Lavina were fascinated. They had many questions about how this came to be and Lavina chimed in with her own knowledge,

"Liny told me that it was The Watcher that graced them with January, that They thought the two of them were ready for a baby." Osuald threw his spoon into his breakfast soup and retorted,

"That's just an excuse, they didn't want to tell you the truth because you're still a baby."

Byrhtnoth raised a brow and asked, "Oh really? Then how did Linyeve and August come to having January, my boy?"

Osuald crossed his arms as he spoke, "Everyone knows that the boy needs to give a girl a seed to have a baby!" The other family members stopped moving their utensils and side-eyed the smart boy with a skeptical glance.

"And... where did you hear this explanation?" asked Byrhtnoth, trying his best not to laugh.

"At the Mahlsberg festival ground, the older children told me." He smiled smugly before Lavina shook her head,

"No... I still think it was The Watcher that brought January to Linyeve."

Spring had sprung through Praaven as the winter months quickly came to an end and the children were delighted to stretch their legs outside again. The rain helped the growth of their crops early in the year as Byrhtnoth would be doing less work with watering them and they seemed to be growing stronger ever year.

The older horses began to need some extra care as they didn't much want to gallop across the field anymore. Osuald stayed enthusiastic around horses and loved to groom them and begin to learn how to clean their hooves. Gloria was still to remain as his trusted steed when he was to grow a little older but he had a soft spot for Beauty and Greyson.

And yet, even with her older body, Beauty still nudged Byrhtnoth to go for rides with him. Every year he would trot slower down the dusty paths but she neighed with glee when he would saddle her. Their surroundings came to life and they admired the lush green grass and busy streets when Byrhtnoth would deliver his quarterly produce to the Praaven castle. 

On one such day he was delighted to spot Linyeve among the crowd of people leading into the city walls. He called out her name and she looked over her shoulder before waving Beauty down and watching her father come to a halt on the stone road. They exchanged pleasantries and caught up with how spring was treating them.

Linyeve was honest that the drainage of the soil on their farm had gotten worse over the winter and work had to be done to guarantee crops for the year. In Byrhtnoth's pity he took a satchel off of Beauty's saddle and handed it to her,

"Treat this as payback to when you brought me those delicacies from the castle many years back." What a throwback to Linyeve, she clasped her hand on her chest and smiled with nostalgia and promised to make one of their family recipes with the vegetables and fish he gifted her.

Byrhtnoth had to ask about January and Linyeve's face dropped. She confided that her daughter had been ill on and off, fighting off countless fevers, but she was a fighter. She was still such a young baby and she worried what all of this stress on her body would do to her in the long run. Linyeve admitted that she was on her way to consult with an apothecary in the city, asking which unheard of or exotic herbs she could afford would help little January out. Byrhtnoth wished his best to his daughter and eventually had to bid her farewell.

He rode to the castle, met with the king's hand, and travelled on out of the city walls, all while growing a concern for his granddaughter. Life has never been fair and he knew that, the world they lived in was tough and cruel and he wished there would be no disease or war that people had to go through. 

He stopped a moment near the river bank, close to where the fresh water met the sea, and got off of Beauty's back. He felt an overwhelm of negative emotions as he remembered the few children he had that passed from ailments, both young and not so old, and felt his heart sink. He looked to the lapping water, the sunlight dancing on the surface, and took a minute to pray to The Watcher that Linyeve wouldn't have to go through her own grief like he did; shield her from death and suffering and let her prosper.

Beauty snorted into his ear and snapped him out of the small rut he was getting himself into. Byrhtnoth pat her on the nose and remembered he decided to spare an apple from the delivery he made to the castle and thought it was the right time to feed his steed. He fetched it out from his pocket and fed Beauty. Once she finished tickling his hands with her lips she shook her mane and nodded with delight. He saddled up once again and made his way home.

With the delightful weather the children were once again at it with their hobbies and small money making. Osuald went back to the riverbank where he and Lavina swam near last summer and threw his line out to see if the fish here were good. He had started going fishing alone, and sometimes with his father, but Lavina had decided to dedicate herself more to her baking than standing around near the water.

After about two hours of patient waiting with no biting on the fishing line he finally saw the cork bob. He reeled it in and to his unlucky surprise he caught the smallest minnow he had ever seen! He scowled at it and threw it back into the water out of disappointment. He decided to consult with his father for the best places to fish instead of guessing for himself.

It was during one of these fishing days that a new fear spawned for Osuald after a strange encounter. He came running home, out of breath and unable to form a word, and Byrhtnoth kneeled down to his son's eye level to calm him down and hear what had happened. 

Osuald stumbled over his words at first, voice and hands shaking, but eventually spat out a story about a... wolf-man? The evening had grown to dark faster than he had expected and started walking at a faster pace. Just as he fully crossed the bridge to his home he saw a pair of eyes in the distance. Osuald had been warned about wolves and other animals that could do him harm but he never imagined that he would come face to face with one. But it was no wolf or animal he had been told about, it was a man... a man with glowing orange eyes.

The raggedy, crouched man skulked his way, a tattery and dirty garment draped over his hairy body, and he snarled lowly in Osuald's direction. The young boy had stopped in his tracks out of fear and curiosity, his eyes darting at the strange humanoid's appearance. The man-wolf flexed his long clawed fingers and bared his fangs until Osuald startled him with a sudden scream and the humanoid ran off into the brush to the wayside. Osuald took this as the chance to run down the road that would take him straight home.

Byrhtnoth was skeptical after the entire story was told yet he remembered how he saw a unicorn once and he didn't believe his daughter about it either, who was the first who saw the magical creature. There had always been rumours of mystical and unknown creatures that came out at night so perhaps a humanoid wolf wasn't fully out of the ordinary, but regardless Byrhtnoth had to give his son an answer and so he spun the narrative into a lesson,

"Perhaps you shouldn't stay out this late again, my boy," lightly scolded Byrhtnoth. "Whatever you saw was scary, and scary things tend to come out at night, so let this be your lesson to come home before sundown."

Osuald looked down into the flames in brief guilt as he warmed his hands near the hearth before resorting to being a child again, "can I go fishing with you from now on?"

"As long as you help me out on the farm in the mornings, I'm all yours." Osuald nodded and smiled at the prospect. Later after dinner Osuald and Lavina were playing at the dollhouse as a little wind down before bed, and Osuald began to create a make believe story of the half-man half-wolf he saw that night. Lavina thought it was a little weird and annoying but decided to pry for information,

"Wait, the man-wolf-thing wore old ripped clothes? Were they light in colour?"

"Er... yes, they actually were... why?" responded Osuald, dropping his hands gripping the dolls into his lap.

"I think I know the man you're talking about, I've seen him at the Praaven town square several times before... he would look at me funny." The siblings sat in uncomfortable silence as the information sank in but Lavina continued,

"I-I've heard people say he was unhoused, he didn't have a place to go to sleep at night... maybe that would make sense if he was a wolf-man." The children processed this information as one of Osuald's dolls became the wolf-man they discussed and they fantasised about how they would slay such a beast... if they were holy knights, that is.

Not long after Osuald's encounter Lavina had her own story to tell, less scary but it was still a curious event. Over dinner, sometime in May, Lavina shared with her family about her success at the Praaven town square with her baking stall. It was a particularly busy Sunday as many knights rode through the town and decided to be chivalrous and spend some coin for a delicacy. And even when the soldiers weren't around other delightful Praavenites would socialise with her.

She even got the pleasure of seeing August again! He stopped by and bought several little muffins and asked how they were all doing at home. He told her about how January had been doing well now that Linyeve had found some herbs that would strengthen her but it was a hard fought battle. Byrhtnoth expelled a sigh of relief when Lavina told him this, but her story continued to get more interesting.

As she sold her last slice of strawberry loaf she dusted her hands from the crumbs and glanced around the square. Her eyes landed on a woman with stark white hair and watched her swirl her hands around in front of a person who was slightly hunched over in secrecy. She saw an apple conjure out of thin air and into the white haired lady's hands!

Lavina gasped but pretended she didn't see a thing... it was like magic! She described this experience with stars in her eyes and Byrhtnoth couldn't believe he was going through a tattle-tale phase all over again merely ten years later. He so desperately wanted to believe his daughter's story but... a unicorn, a wolf-man and now magic?! 

Byrhtnoth had also experienced what happened when people feared magic, witch hunts weren't common but occasionally the church would experience some ungodly miracle and decide that some members of society should be punished. He was just a child when it happened last and there hasn't been anything since but could it be that magic was real?

Summer was prosperous yet rainy and Byrhtnoth was reminded of how the last famine started. He prayed to The Watcher almost daily for the warmth to stay and for the rain not to flood his crops and his prayers were answered.

Their yield was immensely high this year and he made sure to thank his children for their assistance on the farm as without them they wouldn't have made such a tremendous profit. With the lack of funerals and tragedies to spend money on Byrhtnoth made sure to begin to set aside coin for Lavina's dowry in the next few years. He couldn't believe Osuald's tenth birthday was next year and he was ready to secure his children's future by working very hard.

Once the rain had a moment of calm Byrhtnoth used a scythe to cut some local long grass down and dry it as feed for their horses. They chewed it with delight yet still tended to nudge anyone who fed them for a carrot or apple and it was difficult not to indulge them. 

Locals of Lughaven experienced a strange phenomenon as autumn rolled in, the church's tower got struck by lightning and caught fire. The fire went out on its own but the tower was only fully reconstructed as the first autumn leaves began to fall. Fortunately the graveyard was left untouched.

CW: infant death, burial.

Once the rebuilding of the church finished the Chapmans had the misfortune of viewing the new tower in person as grief had befallen the family once more. January failed to live through another illness and passed from a fever in her sleep. Linyeve spoke of how within a day all of the herbs and remedies that once helped her child stopped working and this was the illness that would end her. They had a very quiet and quaint burial for the little girl and mourned in solitude.

And yet, once again, life gives way. Deep into Linyeve's grief she found herself feeling sick in the mornings and she had missed her monthly bleed, signifying she was with child once more. The parents didn't know how to take this information so soon after the death of their only child but held on hope that that was their one and only death they would experience.

CW over.

While the sun still stayed out relatively late Lavina used her last month of freedom to sell some more baked goods, sticking to the Tovar festival ground and with that often visiting her older sister, checking in on her and delivering her a delicacy or two. She was still very young and naive to fully understand death yet but in her own childish way she knew that Linyeve and August needed some uplifting and so she delivered.

Once the frost began to roll in day by day Osuald had only a few more days of fishing left. He stayed close to home, giving the river bank another chance, while his father and sister stayed home. 

Lavina introduced a new game she learned from some of the children she saw at the various markets called Stone, Paper, Shears. Byrhtnoth remembered a similar game from when he was young but needed a refresher from his daughter to play correctly. This would be established as the game of their winter days soon enough!

With the last harvest out of the way it was time for Byrhtnoth to make his last delivery to the royal family. He brushed Beauty in his stable before their journey and trotted on down one evening and into the night. It was a pleasant journey as the air was brisk yet not too chilling on his fingertips just yet. As he dismounted from Beauty to tie her to a post outside of the castle he spotted a familiar face, Frank!

He was walking with a young little boy in his hands and dressed in fabulous and wealthy looking garb, such a stark difference to how he was when he lived closer to the Chapman home. Byrhtnoth exchanged his greetings with the father of one of his grandchildren and waved hello at the little dark haired boy who turned away shyly.

"Meet Shad, this is my son," shared Frank. Byrhtnoth's eyes widened with surprise... son?! He had heard of his romance with the Queen Dowager through his letter last year but to see their mutual child be so old already was a complete shock to him.

"He looks a lot like you, what a handsome lad!" amused Byrhtnoth, trying to stay friendly in his sudden shock. Suddenly a maid rushed out from the grandiose doors and bowed to Frank before gently taking little Shad from his arms stating that she will get him ready for bed and have him be fed by a wetnurse. Byrhtnoth felt out of his element with these various servants but continued to smile politely.

The two men caught up on the mundane yet important discussions of how people were faring and what they had missed in one another's life. Frank gestured to his friend to come on in and have a warm drink and listen to how he ended up with his current title but Byrhtnoth felt like he had enough news for the day but promised to meet again very soon. Just as the lads shook hands as a goodbye the first snowflakes made themselves present, melting on the stone beneath them.

As Byrhtnoth raced on home he pondered how a lowly man like Frank could score a lady as fine as Queen Dowager Mary-Anne. He had heard of fairytales of disapproving marriages of varying classes but to see it first hand? It felt unreal. 

He entertained himself on the way home if he could seduce a princess into sharing her wealth with him but ultimately dismissed these thoughts. As fun and silly as these fantasies were his heart belonged to one woman only and that woman is six feet below ground, Olyff Chapman. She may be long gone yet she will live in her soulmate's heart for all of eternity.

The Chapmans

1321 - 1323

Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1321

1321 - Warm Like Love

The winter passed on by without a hitch. Everyone on the Chapman farm shared the responsibilities of caring for the animals and keeping the home as clean as possible while staying cheery and warm by the roaring fires. There wasn't any presence of snow this year and so the children had to find their entertainment elsewhere.

It was still unnatural for Byrhtnoth to not have Linyeve be home to celebrate the holidays with the rest of her siblings but he was thankful to still be able to see her when her schedule freed up. She also had less to do on the Dodson farm but shared how she finally met August's remaining family, his sister Chrystal, and they seemed to get along well.

One late winter morning Byrhtnoth sat down to have the rest of the mint pie that he won at the winter festival last year. It was a minty green and it was honestly hard to tell if it was gone off but with one bite he understood it all. He recoiled in disgust and spat it back onto his plate before deciding to compost it on his farm. By the time he was finished with that he met Osuald and Lavina in the kitchen asking what had happened with the pie.

On the outskirts of the keep some villagers noticed a suspicious person creeping over towards the river in the direction of Lughaven. They were lowly peasants and didn't think the guardsmen would believe them if they reported the strange behaviour so one man walked on home while the other kept his distance yet followed his trail. He had a gut feeling that this person was yet to cause mischief.

After their porridge breakfast Byrhtnoth ushered everyone to fulfill their farm duties. Osuald went to feed the chickens and horses while Byrhtnoth cleaned the stable. Although Osuald had been a dear to clean after the horses he wasn't too careful with the pitchfork yet and some old dung had built up in the corners of the stable so his father did a deep clean once a month. 

Lavina stayed true to her gender roles and made sure the beds were all clean and made and she was soon to learn how to wash the linens in the basin outside; Byrhtnoth just felt she deserved a year or two more without extra chores befalling her.

The children had walked on inside by this time and Byrhtnoth went to wash his hands from the dusty and smelly hay. Just as he rounded the corner to the door he spots the hooded stranger with their hand extended to the door's handle.

"HEY!" expelled Byrhtnoth, "STAY AWAY FROM MY HOME!"

The children inside understood their father's urgency in his voice and stayed inside, occasionally peering out of the window to see what was the issue. The thief was daring enough to attempt to rob the Chapmans but decided to double down on their actions as they lunged onto Byrhtnoth and a fight ensued.

The thief was shabby and clearly unprepared as they used their gloved fists to fight, no weapons to use at all. The peasant that had followed the hooded person all the way from the Praaven walls stood watch and cheered on Byrhtnoth, familiar with him through the Tovar markets. It was a somewhat tug of war as they scrapped on the dusty ground but Byrhtnoth won the battle as he bent the thief's arm back and heard a whimper of defeat. 

He tried his best to pull their mask off but they were faster than they were strong and so they disappeared off towards the tree line near the bridge to Lughaven. The watching peasant applauded Byrhtnoth and explained he feared to intercept but offered any aid to him if he needed. Byrhtnoth felt he would have a bruise or two tomorrow but he was glad he left the fight unscathed. Osuald and Lavina ran out and hugged their father tightly and questioned what had happened.

"There are some very bad people out in the world," explained Byrhtnoth as he enveloped them into his arms. "Some fear to live a simple life and earn an honest coin and instead turn to harm others in order to make a profit. The Watcher would be looking down at them with a flaming eye, no good comes from hurting others."

"I'll grow up big and strong to help you if it happens again, father!" said Osuald with pride. Byrhtnoth smiled.

Spring made it's way into the year very smoothly and the work on the farm had begun once more. Byrhtnoth sowed the seeds solo this year but he let his kids watch on the sidelines and learn for the future. Osuald in particular began to ask many questions about everything under the sun and Byrhtnoth was more than happy to explain it all to his one and only son.

One of the biggest joys that Byrhtnoth experienced in life was taking a hot and relaxing bath after an arduous day on his farm. To wash all of the dirt away from his arms and under his fingernails left him fresh and feeling like a brand new man. The warmth of it all felt like an embrace sometimes and he spent a moment to imagine his late wife's loving touch. It had been four years since her passing and he felt like he missed her more and more with every day.

And once again, the nightmares came back. This time around Eddida had made an appearance. Her ghostly form carried the same dark red hue that Olyff did, perhaps it was his mind channelling a reminder that they both died during the famine only a month apart, but it creeped him out nonetheless. The one difference was that she was floating towards the farm during daytime. The sun rose high in his dream yet she was unbothered by it. Just as she reached the farmhouse door and it creaked open he awoke in a sweat once again.

That same night Byrhtnoth was cooking a carrot and onion soup in the cauldron over the kitchen fire. Osuald stood next to his father and continued to be a curious growing boy, asking things such as why food needed to be cooked to be eaten, and so on. Lavina went around the home and double checked if she did her chores for the day and once she was on her way back to the kitchen she stopped in the living area to gaze upon the tapestry near the fire.

She had seen it in the home ever since she was little but she never got to properly appreciate it. She gazed upon the intricate work done by a very skilled weaver hired by King Sidgurd many years ago and studied the faces of her family. She noticed that Osuald and herself were not in the picture and came to the conclusion that this work is from over ten years ago! She didn't recognise two of her siblings but saw the dark haired child that must be Linyeve on the right hand side.

And in the middle was her darling mother. Even in the creative piece she looked tired and worn, her father clasping at her mother's shoulder, holding her. She wondered what she was like, what she was thinking, how did she get to looking so tired... or was it just her perception of her making her look tired?

Her thoughts were stopped short as Byrhtnoth beckoned her to their dinner which was being served on the dining table. As she got her portion Osuald was already indulging in his first spoonful of the hot soup, flinching from the heat.

"Slow down boy," chuckled his father, "the soup won't go anywhere if you don't eat it, give it a moment." Osuald placed his wooden spoon down beside his bowl and gently blew on it, creating thick ripples along its surface.

Lavina copied her brother and waited for the dinner to cool and in the meantime decided to ask her father something. "Father, what was mother like?"

Taken aback by the sudden questioning he paused for a few seconds before answering, "She was a very loving and attentive woman, gone too soon from our family. What makes you ask, my love?"

"I was just looking at the big tapestry near the fire, where she is sitting at the table... who else is beside her?"

Byrhtnoth turned to his left and gazed at the piece through the shoddy window between the two rooms and coming up with his answer, "why that's Pipa, Eddida and Linyeve beside her, and I am standing behind her also." He looked at his children's faces and realised they were far too young to remember any of those names, apart from Linyeve's. "Pipa was our first child and Eddida was our fourth. They passed away during the famine, you both were far too young to remember them."

"Which child are we to you, father?" asked Osuald as he began to count with his fingers.

"You were my eighth," said Byrhtnoth as he placed a hand on Osuald's shoulder, "and you were my ninth, and my last." He reached towards Lavina's hand on the table and smiled, a twinge of mourning sorrow behind his eyes.

"Why does mother look so sad in that tapestry?" Lavina asked quietly. Byrhtnoth swallowed hard before answering.

"Is it really that noticeable?" Lavina nodded with a small frown, her father sighed. "We had lost two of your siblings just before that piece was made, your mother was a shell of herself for a year or so after that. She got better but..."

"What were their names? The ones who died," asked Osuald respectfully.

"Mabel and Eawulf," responded Byrhtnoth confidently. "Mabel was to weak to survive and Eawulf was born asleep... he never woke up after your mother gave birth to him." The room fell silent as they sat with the heavy information but Byrhtnoth knew he had to lighten the mood.

"But look at us now. Remembering our fallen relatives, keeping them in our memories and hearts, and let us speak of them fondly for years to come." His children smiled back if not a little confused by the concept of death and memories, they were both still so young. "Now dig in, the soup is getting cold."

Not a week after their reminiscing and adoration of the family tapestry they receive word from Frank, words delivered by a guardsman from the keep. When Byrhtnoth opened the door initially he feared the worst, it's not everyday that a soldier would come to your door delivering news about a friend, but he huffed a sigh of relief when it was just a delivery of a letter.

As Byrhtnoth doesn't have the ability to read the guard was kind enough to unfold the letter and read it to him. The letter went like,

"Dearest Byrhtnoth,

I hope you and your family are keeping well. I extend my apologies for my absence for the recent months but I have had some life changes happen. My father had finally trained me to become a fully fledged priest and while I waited for him to appoint me as the priest of Lughaven church I found my way to the Praaven walls. I found myself to be the private pastor for the royal family and during my sermons I grew close with Queen Dowager Mary Anne. To cut a long story short we have privately eloped with the grace of King Sidgurd and I proudly can say your granddaughter, Shavonne, will be growing safely behind the castle walls. Perhaps one day you can visit and I will tell you the story in greater depth. For the time being I share a gift with you, a new tapestry I commissioned for your family with my newfound wealth. May it always remind me and you of where we came from and the hardships we dealt with together. I hope to meet you again soon. 

Kindest regards,

Father Frank."

Straight after reading the letter the soldier bent down to pick up and handed a package to Byrhtnoth. He reiterated that the gift was sent from Frank and Byrhtnoth sent his thanks back before the guardsman saluted and travelled back to the keep. Byrhtnoth walked back inside and unpackaged the paper parcel and found a small but sweet tapestry of his immediate family, including August with Linyeve. He decided to hang it in the kitchen as he would get to look at it every day and bring a smile to his face.

And soon enough came the summer months. The farm was rich with crops and when the sporadic rain graced Praaven the Chapmans had a moments rest from the farm's chores. Although the big harvest was due towards the end of autumn they had plenty of cabbage, carrots, onions and more to sell off and so they packed up and visited the annual Praaven keep market. 

The town square was bustling and they were grateful to secure themselves a stall for their produce. They were even lucky enough to set up a small table for Lavina to sell her baked goods also and the day began. King Sidgurd made his rounds early on in the market and was delighted to see Osuald and Lavina growing up so well. He shared with Byrhtnoth that he had become a father to a beautiful baby girl just a year back and that the Queen was pregnant with his next child.

Just as the market was at its peak in busyness Byrhtnoth was trading with many men at his stall but Lavina's business was a little quiet. Osuald was helping his father package their goods so Lavina just stood around and looked at all of the faces passing her by. After a small group filtered through the crowd she noticed a familiar face, her sister Linyeve! She looked much the same but now donned a headcovering that was held by a copper circlet and matched the colour of her everyday gown.

She excused herself from her stall and squeezed through the bustling crowd, keeping her eye on Linyeve in case she disappeared. To her delight Linyeve stayed put as she was chatting with her beloved, August. He must have bought her some flowers from one of the stands as he pulled out a bouquet from behind his back and surprised Linyeve with them. She accepted the white flowers with a lilt in her voice and gave her husband a quick peck on the lips.

As soon as they pulled away Linyeve saw her little sister and exclaimed her name, bending down to give her a hug. Lavina threw her arms around Linyeve and squeezed her tight but felt like something was getting in the way. When they stood back up straight Lavina noticed that her sister had a bump on her belly. Her father had somewhat explained that women can get pregnant but she had to make sure,

"Are you going to have a baby, Linyeve?"

"Yes! Did you notice my baby bump?" she asked as she rubbed her belly.

"Will that mean I will have a baby cousin soon?" asked Lavina with a bright face.

"Indeed, it does. You're such a smart girl!" Linyeve ruffled her younger sister's hair before August asked her for a hug also. He asked if they had a stall nearby and wanted to go and say hello to her father. Linyeve wanted to join also but was stopped in her tracks by another question from Lavina,

"How did you get pregnant, Liny?"

Linyeve pursed her lips as she pondered what to say. Lavina was still very young and she felt that if she told her the fact of the matter she would traumatise the poor girl so she shrugged and said,

"The Watcher gave us a gift! They felt that my love with August was strong and... and it was time for us to have a baby. Yes, that's right!"

Lavina opened her mouth for another question but was quickly ushered by Linyeve to go visit their father's stall.

Byrhtnoth was delighted to see his daughter once again and gasped with glee when he saw her pregnant belly. He reached over the table and gave it a gentle rub, asking when she thought the baby would be born. 

"From what I recall I should be giving birth sometime in January, so in the new year. I'm only a few months into this pregnancy and I can't wait for it to be over already!"

"From what I remember about your mother the last half of the pregnancy is the easiest, if you disregard the big belly and waddling!" joked Byrhtnoth. They spent another moment catching up before whispering something to Osuald and Lavina and they silently got to work.

Lavina then comes out from around the stall and hands Linyeve a large parcel to which the couple are delighted with. "This is just something to help you get by with. A bit of everything from the Chapman farm," explained Byrhtnoth.

"Including my cakes!" chimed in Lavina. Linyeve hugged her sister tightly and it was time to bid one another farewell. 

Their stall was practically cleaned out and only a small burlap sack worth of produce was lugged on home. As the sun still seemed high in the sky when they made their way home Byrhtnoth suggested to Osuald if they wanted to fish at the nearest pond before dinner. Lavina excused herself from the activity and instead stayed home playing with the dollhouse.

The summer air kept the boys warm as they fished at the little pond that Byrhtnoth used to bring Linyeve to. He reminisced out loud about his fishing escapades here with his daughter to Osuald and he loved listening about it. They caught a few trouts and even some crayfish which was quite rare with their equipment!

Byrhtnoth packed their items away and turned to head back home, raving about what a delicious grilled crayfish stew he were to make once they were home. Little did they know there was a horse watching them from a short distance in the shrubbery and it only revealed itself once they left the vicinity. It was the unicorn, the very same one that Byrhtnoth and Linyeve came across many years back.

There was plenty of work to do on the fields this summer. As the sun blistered the plants below they needed to be watered thoroughly, getting the entire family involved in the process. Byrhtnoth handled the weeding and maintenance of the crops so once the watering was out of the way the children handled their other chores around the farm.

The horses were fed, the beds were made, the dishes were washed... what was next? Well, now that Osuald was almost ten years old, he was granted more independence to travel to ponds and markets around Praaven. Lavina was still too young to go on her own but Osuald accompanied her often, as long as she would sometimes accompany him to go fishing!

It became somewhat of a pleasant routine for the father and children, they would all be busy with their work during the day and then gather for dinner at night and share everything they had experienced that day. Byrhtnoth was delighted to hear how well Osuald was taking to fishing, feeling pride to be able to say 'like father like son' and awaited to see what he caught that day. He was also delighted to hear how often Lavina would come back with an empty basket after a day at the local markets, often wishing he could have passed on any recipes Pipa learned when she was her age.

And the quarterly deliveries to the castle were bountiful. Byrhtnoth loved to ride Gloria when he was in a pinch for time but when he travelled to the keep he would always saddle up his trusty steed Beauty. Her mane continued to grey the older she got but she still had a lot of fight in her left and neighed with excitement to casually trot across the lands.

As the season ended and the clouds returned to shield the sun in the sky the children had less stories to tell of their days out. Lavina mentioned how she started seeing more stray dogs running around the markets and how there was an unhoused man that looked at her funny sometimes but other than that she continued to sell her baked goods.

Osuald talked about how he met some kids at the Mahlsberg festival grounds and played a new game called hopscotch where they would draw some squares in the dirt and throw a pebble before hopping across to fetch it. He spoke fondly of seeing other citizens' farms look prosperous with apples and berries gracing their shrubbery. Other than that he fished when he could.

And Byrhtnoth continued to tend the farm and wash their laundry when it piled up. Though he had one charming piece of news when he went to deliver his autumn harvest to the keep: he met Linyeve on the way! She looked as if she was ready to pop yet she still had a few months left ahead of her. 

He had a quick chat with her while he was on horseback and she mentioned she was abstaining from most grueling chores but tried to go for walks for some fresh air and exercise. Tovar was a pleasantly built up community so Byrhtnoth felt ample safety for her to walk the perimeter alone.

Once again the day came for their final harvest for the year. Byrhtnoth appreciated any help he could get from his children but pressured them to not overwork themselves. The pair helped their father out in the morning but once they finished the first quarter of the farm they moaned of their tired hands and their father shooed them away.

Osuald came up with a delightful activity he and his sister could partake in. Many of the townsfolk believed the heat would suddenly disperse and be followed by quick frost so to take advantage of their possible last warm day Osuald invited his sister to go swimming in the river by their home! She giggled at the thought and they set off, telling their father they were to go fishing.

The water was quite rapid and treacherous on their side of the river yet closer to Lughaven there was a portion of water that flowed calmly. They aimed to visit that side and so they crossed the bridge and trudged down the gentle hill to the riverbank. 

It was funny for them to see their home across the way, the stable looking small yet the farmhouse giant. They stripped off their vests, shoes and any extra accessories until they were in their linen tunics and waded their feet in the tinglingly cold water. They splashed around a little, acclimating to the temperature, before Osuald took the plunge first.

Lavina quickly followed until the water reached her neck and she began to float with nothing beneath her. Osuald taught his sister how to swim better, coaching her to wave her arms in a brilliant motion, yet it didn't come as easy for Lavina as it did for her brother. 

He began to pick at her in a brotherly way and when she had enough she splashed at him. He squealed with surprise and began to chase her through the water, splashing her with his arms and legs in various orders. It was an incredibly memorable time for the two of them and when their breath began to become labored they decided to swim back to shore.

They sat on the rocks as they noticed the sun getting closer to the horizon. They knew they had to dry off a bit before making their way home so Osuald came up with another game for them to play while they waited. He asked Lavina to find and pick up some flat rocks and hand them to him when she was done. He explained how their father taught him how to skip rocks sometimes but didn't do it often as it scared the fish.

This game Lavina was better at. They both took turns to see who's rock would skip the farthest and at one point Lavina did better than her brother. She only had five minutes of pride before he had outdone her in, once again, another physical activity. She sulked for a bit before being reminded that they had to go back home and so they threw one last stone and started picking up their clothes.

Lavina called her brother for a second and pushed all of her hurt behind her and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you Osuald for such a fun day," she said with honesty. Osuald was taken aback for a moment before giving in to the familial bond, responding,

"Anytime, sis. You're really good at stone skipping... for a girl!" Lavina pulled away and watched Osuald stick his tongue out at her before chasing him around the river bank and eventually getting dressed. They crossed over the bridge to get back home and they entered the house right on time.

As soon as they stepped foot into the farmhouse their father was just finishing making dinner, greeting them with a "what took you so long?" They made up a story that Lavina fell into the water and they had to wait for her to dry off before coming home and Byrhtnoth seemed happy with the excuse.

The evening devolved back into a long conversation about fishing but Lavina interrupted it to boast about her stone skipping skills that Osuald introduced to her.

The townsfolk predicted right, the lands devolved into frost much quicker than natural and they found themselves spending more time at home. Byrhtnoth thought of his daughter, Linyeve, fondly and prayed for her to The Watcher to have her experience a smooth and comforting pregnancy that will lead into a safe labor when the new year was to begin.

And as he prayed, for Linyeve, for Osuald, for Lavina, and for himself, he realised that his nightmares have ceased. Perhaps The Watcher did hear some of his pleas afterall.

The Chapmans

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