Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1310

1310 - Growing Older

CW: mentions of child death, accident, mourning

A recurring nightmare swept through the sleeping minds of the Chapman family: their beloved Beauty, the family steed, harming and trampling their poor little Teffan. Each family member experienced this nightmare differently, some witnessing it more dramatically in their slumber than others, but nonetheless they all violently awoke when it crossed their unconscious mind.

Byrhtnoth was always the one that believed it was just a dream for a moment until the grief settled back in his chest and his eyes welled with salty tears. He was slower to start his mornings days before Teffan's funeral as he found it difficult to keep himself together like he always did. Guilt and shame followed him like a dark cloud, how could he be so careless to put his youngest daughter on a horse during a thunderstorm?

Pipa also felt greatly at fault for suggesting the childish activity. Her father had said they were all far too young to sit on Beauty's back but she insisted and look where it ended. Sometimes when she would close her eyes or stare into the dark when she couldn't sleep she could still see Teffan's twisted lifeless body before her, haunting and unnatural. She would have to rigorously shake her head to melt those images away and it felt like every day was tougher than the next.

CW: funeral, burial, religious ceremony

Regardless, the burial had to be done. It always took a week or two to prepare a funeral in Praaven, with the transportation of the body and paying a price for some land for a grave and any extra necessities. Perhaps nobles would find this process smoother and quicker but the Chapmans still wore the peasant status and endured the wait.

Olyff took on the role of securing a place for her youngest daughter to rest, finding time to meet with Lughaven church's priest and Pipa's close friend's father, Father Bruceus. She felt somewhat embarrassed to have to come to him with such grave news but he was always very understanding and gentle with each death he handled. And soon the day finally came.

The sun shone between the few clouds in the sky, hanging low above the Praaven mountains as it was still winter. This was the second or third year in a row that the land wasn't sprinkled with snow for a week or two and it felt uncharacteristic. 

They all traveled together to the Lughaven village and found themselves at the graveyard's gate. Olyff had kept it together all this time but she knew she would unravel on the day of the burial and had been wiping away stray tears on their walk there. But once they stepped closer to their family plot she could have sworn she spotted the pale ghost of her late daughter, Cyneswith. Through her eyes blurred with tears she witnessed her walk on the crisp grass but just as she wiped her eyes dry there was nothing to see.

Father Bruceus greeted the mourning family and began a short and sweet ceremony. He said a few words that Olyff had picked out and added on a few verses that spoke of The Watcher. He recited a passage that spoke of The Watcher's power, the will of playing god but at other times letting the wheel of fortune spin out of control, and tied it back to little Teffan who sat in a shabby coffin.

"We pray to believe that The Watcher never had ill intentions for a young soul like Teffan," his voice reverberated across the solitary graveyard, "and so we embrace what the wheel of fortune brings us, whether it is a moment of bliss or a moment of grief, this is the way of life."

He bowed and let the family grieve in privacy. Although Olyff had been wiping tears away through the entire ceremony Pipa was the first to explode in sobs. The parents followed and so did Eddida, with Linyeve being the outlier. She cried too but felt more right being a comforter to her sisters, just as she did the night Teffan died.

Byrhtnoth held Olyff tight and silently prayed to The Watcher through his sobs,

Forgive me for my foolishness, he thought, please forgive my lack of foresight for this tragedy. Please, oh please, don't let Teffan's soul suffer from my mistakes.

"She died because of me," wept Pipa sharply, "she suffered because of my stupid idea!" 

Linyeve grabbed her by the arms and Pipa looked at her with red eyes. "Don't you say that," said Linyeve sternly, "like mam said, accidents happen, you didn't try to kill her."

"It doesn't change the fact that she is dead!" Pipa covered her tear streaked face once more before Linyeve shook her, trying to break her thought cycle.

"Nothing will change the fact that she is dead! She will stay dead no matter what you say, so stop blaming yourself!"

What she said was coldly blunt but a part of Pipa needed to hear that. Her crying breaths stuttered less and she embraced her sister into a hug. Linyeve looked over at Eddida who watched their argument from the side and motioned to her to join their hug, which she did.

As they did with their other deceased children, they picked some flowers and placed them on their resting places. Their hearts may have been filled with grief of Teffan's passing but standing at the graves of the three other passed family members unlocked grief they all thought was long gone. The parents especially felt a mix of longing for each child they lost but stood and thanked The Watcher for letting them keep three children alive thus far. 

CW over.

Once their eyes dried off and they said their goodbyes to little Teffan they trudged on home. The walk was silent for a while, only the sound of crunching gravel and occasional wind disturbing the evergreen trees along the road surrounding them, until Linyeve piped up to ask,

"What's for dinner tonight, mother?"

"Fish stew," answered Olyff with a sigh. She didn't show it to the others but a slight smile crossed her lips, she was just reminded of how life continues despite all the hardships.

The rainy spring months had arrived once again and another milestone was celebrated inside the Chapman farmhouse. Pipa was to turn ten years old! Olyff scraped up all of the leftover flour they had in their reserves and mixed it with honey, eggs and milk to fashion up a cake to celebrate.

The small family surrounded Pipa and waited as she made her wish before blowing out her birthday candles. She was beginning to endure her puberty years and a growth spurt had her almost reach the same height as her mother! Because of this Olyff felt it appropriate to gift her some new clothes, a cream linen tunic with a freshly white apron, she had loved to bake afterall.

The family gathered to share the cake and Olyff quickly pointed out, "I think I may have added a few too many eggs..." Pipa nodded and shared an understanding smile with her mother.

Pipa's hair was still wavy but she was enjoying growing it out and letting it loose while she can. Her mother always told her that when she was to marry she would have to wear a coif or a bonnet out of respect to her husband, expressing her married status, but Pipa always hit back to why she didn't cover her hair herself. Olyff had to explain time and time again that she never experienced an official marriage with Byrhtnoth, that their nuptials were rushed due to her dying parents and her husband never pressured her to wear anything.

"I hope I get an understanding and laid back husband like that some day," muttered Pipa.

With less children to worry about at home Olyff felt it was the right time to ask her eldest daughter to start helping her with the farm. She began to teach her the right ways to sow seeds and how to tend for the growing plants and Pipa was a natural at it. The two girls had gentle hands that easily glided through the soil and handled each crop with delicate care and it was great for the Chapmans to be able to grow more produce as they could guarantee each plant was taken care of.

The late-spring and early-summer fog didn't stop the two from heading outside and tending the farm, even if some mornings they couldn't see their hand in front of their face. They took time to converse those mornings to make sure they were still together and hard at work.

During those foggy mornings Eddida would wolf down her breakfasts and run back to her room to paint. With Teffan's passing the second bed in the room was put to storage and instead they placed her easel facing her bed. When the weather cleared up she loved to look through the window on her right and paint what landscapes she saw before her.

And Linyeve continued to fish, sometimes with Byrhtnoth and sometimes alone. She was growing more and more independent and became bold enough to venture farther and farther from her usual fishing location, some days travelling long enough to reach the fair grounds of a neighbouring village called Mahlsberg. She was excited to see new and fresh faces she hadn't seen in Lughaven or Tovar and she felt that the fish she caught at the pond near the village center were far more exotic!

CW: slight mention of grieving, description of death

Summer had fully rolled in and each member of the Chapman family was busy. There were crops to maintain, chores to complete, farm animals to care for and fish to catch and sell. Not a single person was left with empty hands and they all worked under the warm sun. Pipa was especially helpful on the farm as she was mature enough to start handling trickier responsibilities on the farm, such as milking the cow.

Yet the grief and loss of Teffan still hadn't washed away. Pipa suffered the most as she felt deeply and truly traumatised from the accident, the snapping of Teffan's neck still reverberating in her mind. She feared getting close to Beauty, feeling there was a certain risk of getting kicked or injured by her.

CW over.

Byrhtnoth noticed her fears and hesitations and when the chores weren't as heavily demanding some days he aimed to help Pipa with her developed fear. It was the peak of summer and he chose moments where there wasn't a cloud in the sky to bring Beauty out of her stable. Beauty was a mature horse now and getting calmer with age so he knew that she would be gentle with his daughter.

When Pipa came face to face with Beauty she stepped back a little, fear rising in her chest, but Byrhtnoth gently took her hand and guided her to their horse. Beauty huffed a few times and whipped her tail as they approached but looked at them with calm, gentle, brown eyes. Pipa's eyes widened and her heart began to race, thoughts of Teffan's accident trying to pierce through her consciousness. Before she could touch Beauty she pulled her arm away and ran back into the home, this was going to be more difficult than Byrhtnoth expected.

His next idea was to get one of Pipa's siblings to express how safe Beauty is while Pipa was around. As Linyeve accompanied him on fishing trips occasionally he invited her to their "therapy" session with Pipa and they met at the stable on a sunny day once more. Pipa stood at a distance once again but watched with intent as their father let Linyeve feed Beauty. She giggled from the tickling feeling of Beauty's lips on her small hand as she accepted half of a carrot.

"Pipa!" called Linyeve with a chuckle, "come feed the second half to Beauty!" 

Byrhtnoth took Pipa's hand once again and guided her to the horse, one step at a time. Beauty licked her lips as she finished chomping on her carrot and moved her gaze to the approaching father and daughter. Pipa deeply wanted to be more comfortable around horses, especially their family horse, but her trauma deemed to be stronger than her wants at times.

She successfully stood close to Beauty and Linyeve handed her the second half of the carrot. Beauty was instantly curious and started moving her nose towards Pipa's hand. She sweetly rubbed her lips on her open hand and snatched up the last bit of the carrot before Pipa could react and Linyeve smiled with joy.

"You did it," said her father gently, "you fed old Beauty and lived to tell the tale." Pipa smiled at this interaction and found the courage to pet the horse as she swallowed her treat.

CW: mourning at a graveyard

In between all of Pipa's slow achievements with the horse tending she didn't neglect her duties of helping her mother on the farm. One dry summer day Olyff took the effort of fetching some water from the village well and on her journey there she stopped by at the Lughaven graveyard.

Teffan's grave had full grown over and some daisies and clovers sprouted in between the blades of grass also. Olyff placed some freshly bloomed wildflowers down and had a private cry for all of her fallen children. 

The multiple years of grief had not been easy on her and her hair continued to grey further but it wasn't a stress for Olyff. Whether it was the beaming sun this summer or the deep grief, or a bit of both, Olyff had developed several more wrinkles than most women her age. For all that she has been through she was grateful to just still be alive. 

CW over.

Pipa continued to make efforts to work through her fears by feeding and brushing Beauty, especially when Byrhtnoth would be leaving or returning from his longer fishing trips during the warm summer months. They even tried to have a moment to calm Beauty down when it rained one of the weeks in August.

Just as the autumn leaves began to fall from the trees and Olyff was gathering all of the ripe fruits and vegetables on the farm Byrhtnoth insisted that Pipa was old enough to start learning to ride a horse. He spent a week rigorously teaching his daughter to be comfortable and calm on Beauty's back as he knew someday she would be riding a much younger steed, whether it was on their own farm or on her future husband's.

The day she successfully rode a circle around the farm all by herself the family shared a delicious stew together and she was met with praises from every member of the family. She was honestly and truly the one who suffered the greatest from Teffan's fall, with the rest of the family mostly grieving for their loss rather than birthing a fear of horses, so everyone was more than proud to see her overcome her unique grief.

"You're growing up to be a fine young woman," said Olyff with awe as Pipa smiled at her with her mouth full of potatoes and fish. "Whoever ends up being your lifelong partner when you're older will be very much lucky."

That evening Pipa went to wash the dishes after their family dinner and saw little Frank walking down the hill to the Chapman farmstead. She was surprised to see him and asked what he was doing here.

"I haven't seen you at the Tovar market in several months now," he explained, "I wanted to see how you have been keeping."

Pipa sighed. "It's been tricky, to say the least. I don't know if your father shared the news but my youngest sister had passed... and because of that I've been very afraid of horses. But I'm getting past that fear now and I began to learn how to ride them!"

"That's brilliant! Congratulations!" Frank threw himself at Pipa into a hug and she was met with the reality of their height difference. Even though they were only a year apart in age it was clear that Frank had not experienced his growth spurt like Pipa did this year and so the hug was a little awkward.

He stood and chatted with her about their happenings while she washed the dirty dishes and once she was finished and the sun was setting fast he said his goodbyes and ran on home before his father noticed his absence.

The winter months crept in and Byrhtnoth nailed the boards back on to the windows to keep the frost out. The snow finally began to stick to the ground this year and it felt like the brilliant heatwave they had experienced for the last few years had finally come to an end.

Olyff felt more achey after this year's harvest, especially with how the amount of produce had doubled with Pipa's contribution to the farm. Late one evening Byrhtnoth caught his wife groaning to herself as she rubbed one of her shoulders and he approached behind her to aid her discomfort.

He took his strong hands and placed them on each of her shoulders and massaged her muscles with his thumbs. She dropped her arms to her sides and shifted with the rhythm of his movements and sighed comfortably. He continued to move his hands down her back and help her relax and at some point moving some of her hair to the side and begin to kiss her neck.

This act of romance got Olyff's mind spinning for a moment. Although they didn't spend much time engaging in baby making straight after Teffan's passing they haven't been neglecting it in the autumn months, yet Olyff was clearly without child all these months later. And as she thought further she noticed she was highly unsuccessful as they had started trying to conceive again early of last year!

CW: miscarriage, infertility

Although her husband's attention and kisses felt amazing she felt her heart sink for a moment... had she become infertile? Her monthly bleed was still present so it hadn't been an early menopause so what could have stopped her from bearing a child again? She suddenly remembered the night she had lost her only son and the bloodbath that was her bed the night he was born... could it have been that something was damaged inside of her that she hadn't noticed all this time?

CW over.

Her husband's hands began to wander away from her back and now across her body as he spun her to face him. She tried to erase her thoughtful and slightly worried expression and instead match his longing gaze. Olyff pulled him in for a kiss before he could, trying to drown out any worries that had flooded her mind, and instead enjoy the activities the night would offer regardless of the results it would give them in the morning.

Authors Note: Pipa's birthday is actually at the end of the year but for some reason I messed up the days and celebrated her birthday early in the year :S Inaccuracies that can't be changed!

The Chapmans

Recap - 1311

Decade Recap - 1300s

My, my, does time fly by! The first 10 years of the Chapman family have been typed up and experienced and a lot has happened. Time to do a quick recap of what we witnessed this decade:

CW for references of infant death, funerals and mourning in several years.

1300

Our young and freshly married Gen 1 heirs, Olyff and Byrhtnoth, began their life on the small inherited Chapman farm without a coin in their pocket but with lots of hope in their hearts. They got straight to work on their crops and settling into their quaint stone bungalow and Olyff fell pregnant quickly! They struggled to earn enough money to afford a bathtub and so we saw Olyff hilariously give birth to her first daughter in a stinky appearance. They named their first daughter Pipa.

1301

This year saw the new parents be hit with the reality of how needy babies are, with Pipa waking them from slumber early in the morning. The farm chores were squeezed in between all of the fishing and baby minding and Olyff found herself with child once more! Just as the year was ending she went into labor and gave birth on the first day of the next year.

1302

The Chapmans immediately welcomed their second daughter into their family and named her Cyneswith, after Olyff's late mother. Their first daughter, Pipa, was growing fast and well, crawling around the farm and discovering the world around her at her own pace. Byrhtnoth committed to providing for his ever growing family especially once Olyff was pregnant with their third child! But tragedy struck the Chapmans for the first time this year as Cyneswith failed to live past her first year, dying from malnourishment.

1303

As our land of Praaven was swallowed by the winter frost, and the parents navigated the grief of losing an infant, Olyff found herself in labor. The birth was a success and they named their third daughter Linyeve. The handcrafted basins and baths that Byrhtnoth made began to spring leaks and Olyff continued to be an attentive mother and caring housewife, even as she was pregnant once again with their fourth child. (How they were this successful is beyond me, and I'm the one who watched it unfold!) They saved up enough coin to afford an extension to their home and made it so the parent's slept upstairs. As the frost set in at the end of the year once again Olyff welcomed baby Eddida into their bungalow and kept her warm.

1304

The Chapmans settled into the bustling and busy life of a growing family and on Byrhtnoth's fishing trips he learned of a new way to preserve fish to keep over the long winter months. The children grew fast and healthy and the home was only filled with positivity as Olyff bore child yet again! As Olyff harvested their crops that year she learned to make a soft cheese from their cow's milk and fed her little girls warm dairy porridge. One day when the snow settled on the farm's ground Olyff went out to make a snow angel and her water broke! She welcomed their fifth daughter and named her Teffan.

1305

As their daughters all grew older and were more active than ever Byrhtnoth tried his best to balance his fishing trips with caring for his daughters while Olyff continued to care for the farm animals and their stone cottage. Olyff's pregnancy was smooth and quick and she felt like she began to gain experience with how often she brought children into the world! She gave birth to her sixth daughter, Mabel, just as the first snow settled across the land. There was also a big celebration in the home as Pipa turned five years old! They celebrated with a delicious honey cake and made her feel loved.

1306

This was definitely the most difficult year the Chapmans faced this decade. What was initially a welcoming and memorable first half of the year became a nightmare for the entire home in the last six months of 1306. Just before they began their construction of a major extension and rebuilding of their home Olyff gave birth to a baby boy called Eawulf who was born asleep. Not long after the construction was complete they also lost their infant girl Mabel as Olyff was too deep in grief to notice her health decline. The chapter featured extensive and descriptive happenings alongside the falling out and reconciling of Byrhtnoth and Olyff.

1307

The year began with the Chapman's first burial, as they moved the bodies of their three deceased children to a plot of land at the Lughaven graveyard. A serene funeral was held and the parents, along with Pipa, learned to make peace with what they had witnessed and continue living for each other. They settled into their new farm house for the remainder of the year and Pipa began to take an interest in baking and selling her goodies at local markets. At the annual Praaven keep market Byrhtnoth was recognised by the King and solidified a deal to deliver their finest fish and farm produce quarterly, bringing in a handsome amount of coin!

1308

Linyeve celebrated her fifth birthday surrounded by her family and received the wonderful gift of a fishing rod from her father! She quickly accompanied him on local fishing trips and learned the skill well. It was this summer that Linyeve encountered a unicorn for the first time but nobody in her family believed her. Pipa also met the King and Queen of Praaven but her parents were skeptical of her tale too. One thing that was true for Pipa was that she met a boy called Frank who was the son of the priest from Lughaven church. The end of the year saw Eddida comfortably grow to five years old also and they celebrated with another honey cake and another unique gift, a handcrafted easel.

1309

After a long period of grieving Olyff and Byrhtnoth felt it right to try for a child again! Their three oldest daughters all engaged deeply in their respective hobbies and continued to contribute to the home labor through housework and minding each other. During the summer Olyff marked her 30th birthday and her daughters worked together to make her a honey cake, as she made one for each of them! Pipa continued to be friends with Frank and Olyff learned more about his father, considering Frank as a future suitor for her daughter. It had been a while since tragedy brushed the Chapman home and it was back once again when Teffan had an unfortunate fall off of the family horse. The year, and decade, ended with the family going back into mourning and getting ready to bury another young family member.

Conclusion:

The Chapmans faced a multitude of highs and lows this decade, with the highs being welcoming seven children into their home but the lows being four of these children passing away one way or another. Here is the breakdown of each member of the family and their status:

Olyff Chapman - 1279 to Present - alive, 30 years old

Byrhtnoth Chapman - 1281 to Present - alive, 28 years old

Pipa Chapman - 1300 to Present - alive, 9 years old

Cyneswith Chapman - 1302 to 1302 - died from malnourishment at 10 months old

Linyeve Chapman - 1303 to Present - alive, 6 years old

Eddida Chapman - 1303 to Present - alive, 6 years old

Teffan Chapman - 1304 to 1309 - died from falling from a horse at 4 years old

Mabel Chapman - 1305 to 1306 - died from malnourishment at 1 years old

Eawulf Chapman - 1306 - stillborn

The Chapmans

1309 - 1310

Ultimate Decades Challenge - 1309

1309 - Shall we try again?

The dreary winter months dragged on as the Chapmans waited for spring to start again. Due to the warmer summer they were met with thick fog sitting across the land and little frost along the waters but it was still much too cold to try and venture outside.

The leftover cake from Eddida's fifth birthday at the end of 1308 served as a delicious treat for the family to share as they tried to entertain themselves by the fire; singing songs, telling folktales and letting the children get creative with some interesting games to pass the time.

Speaking of creative, Eddida was loving her easel she received as a birthday gift. Not many folk of the same class as them had a contraption like an easel to paint with but not many families also had the skills to create natural paints, so the Chapmans were unique as always.

She took time painting big yellow flowers on grey skies, excited to get out of the farmhouse again in a few months. She also tried to paint their farm from memory as her parents didn't let her go outside for even a second, always reminded that she could catch a deathly cold and be the next to perish.

Although the reserves were dwindling over the winter Pipa wanted to please her siblings and parents and made small batches of stone baked cookies and oat cakes every few weeks. Linyeve had no interest in learning to bake so it was Eddida who helped out when she didn't have a brush in hand.

And Byrhtnoth and Olyff... well, they found creative ways to stay nice and warm this winter! The pair both agreed that they were moving past their grieving period and they would be interested in welcoming a new member to the family. Olyff felt out of sorts with almost all of her daughters growing past the age of five, missing their messy, dependent years, and Byrhtnoth felt pressured to raise a son as the years went on.

With these busy activities came the rainy spring months. The warm streak in the weather continued on and some days the rain was soothing on their skin as it showered across the green fields. Pipa was cheeky enough to risk a play in the deep puddles near the river just a few metres away from their home once she finished her chores, even if it got a mild scolding from her strict mother.

It was interesting for her and her parents to see how tall she was getting, she was the eldest daughter afterall. She was double Teffan's height around this time and she kind of loved looming over her youngest sister, often chasing her around the home pretending to be a big bad wolf that will get her!

Even if Teffan was the smallest out of all of her siblings she was still beginning to outgrow her cot and so the parents had a bit of remodeling to do in the home. They moved the cribs out into a shed down the hill from their home and Byrhtnoth fashioned up a few simple beds big enough for his children to grow into. There were two placed where Pipa and Linyeve slept upstairs and two downstairs for Eddida and Teffan.

The chores were never-ending across the farm and only doubled as the weather improved. Chickens and cows had to be fed, stables and dishes cleaned, crops to be weeded and watered, everyone did their part. 

But in between all of that the Chapmans still found time to engage in their monetary activities such as fishing and bartering at the market. Pipa got right back into her baking business with Olyff accompanying her as much as she could, yet she felt confident enough that Pipa could support herself fully now that she was 8 years old. She was a little taller than most children too so strangers would think she was older, which was a benefit.

Byrhtnoth started his fishing expeditions once more, with shorter trips accompanied by Linyeve in the first half of the year. Whether it was the warm weather or pure luck there were far more sightings of wild horses at their fishing spots than ever before. Most horses were skittish and fled as soon as the father-daughter duo established themselves on the water banks but some stayed and curiously watched the humans at play.

It was on one of these rainy fishing trips that Linyeve tugged at her father's sleeve suddenly and pointed across the pond... the unicorn returned. 

"I told you I wasn't lying," spoke Linyeve in a hushed tone, "I thought I would never see him again."

Byrhtnoth stood frozen in disbelief. It sure had a sparkling horn protruding from its skull but... perhaps it was some sort of illusion or deformity? He had travelled across Praaven, and even into foreign lands, but he had never seen such a stallion before him. He set the rod down and quietly approached it.

The unicorn huffed at him and nodded towards Linyeve. She took the lead and walked to it quicker than her father, the horse accepting her presence. She gently rubbed its nose and it tickled her palm in greeting, she giggled.

"It's friendly dad," she beckoned to her father, "come and stroke it."

He was hesitant but something allured him to walk to the magical creature. It nudged its head into Byrhnoth's hand and he felt its silky soft mane. He exhaled with ease and they both shared this moment with the fantastical creature. A moment of skepticism crept into his mind again and he stared at its horn but he didn't have much time to glare as the unicorn backed away slightly and shook its head.

The bright rainbow that Linyeve saw before conjured out of the horse's horn but this time as brilliant rays. They zoomed over to Byrhnoth and he felt them warm him from the inside out as they pierced through him. He felt calm and at ease, smiling at the unicorn.

"Did you just bless me?" he questioned. The unicorn gave him a nod.

"By the Watcher... we have been blessed on this fine day!" As he exclaimed the unicorn neighed and rode off into the darkening horizon and the remaining two stood in astonishment.

"What did it do to you, dad?" asked Linyeve as she inspected her father closely.

"I'm not exactly sure," said Byrhtnoth truthfully, "but I feel like I have never been happier."

They felt like this was an appropriate time to finish their fishing session and they trudged on home rambling the whole journey back about what they had just experienced. Byrhtnoth couldn't help but feel as if it was some divine sign from the Watcher and tried to convince his wife the same.

She was expectedly skeptical and felt like the two were pulling her leg with this story again. There was still no proof for her to believe so, even if her husband had the proof of 'feeling good'. She did however accept this 'feeling good' tale in the bedroom that night and felt like her husband hadn't been this gleeful in several years.

Summer rolled in and July was almost fully rain free. The shrubs lining the paths were in full bloom and the farm had the most amount of work to be done in a very long time. It was in these busy moments that Byrhtnoth shared with their children that their mother was soon to be thirty years old!

"She has taught you to bake the honey cake she has made for everyone's birthday all these years," he explained, "can you girls try to make one while she's out in the field?"

They all jumped with excitement and agreed to surprise their mother. Pipa took the lead as she had the most experience with baking over a roaring fire and her sisters helped with the ingredients, stirring and decorating. Once the sky began to turn an orange colour they knew their mother would go for a quick bath to wash off the dirt from the farm and then get ready to make dinner.

Byrhtnoth watched for his wife to be doing her usual routine and in the end joined his daughters to surprise Olyff in the kitchen. She walked in to her family shouting "happy thirtieth birthday!" and she startled from their celebrations before laughing with joy at the display.

"We wanted to make you a cake for your big birthday just like how you did it with us!" explained Pipa with the biggest grin on her face. Olyff tried to hide her happy, prideful tears and instead pulled all of her daughters in for a tight hug. Byrhtnoth took the time to light the candles on the cake in the meantime and once Olyff was upright he joked,

"We don't have the coin to get you thirty whole candles so I hope three will suffice."

She gave him a loud kiss on his bearded cheek as a thank you before Linyeve shouted, "make a wish!"

Olyff hovered over the cake and settled on the best wish she could think of: to have a healthy family. She took a big deep breath and exhaled with all her might as her family cheered on the side and celebrated her life. 

Everybody received a slice of the cake and munched on it around the dinner table. "You know, I think you baked this cake better than I could ever have," complimented Olyff and all her girls smiled with fulfillment, they loved being praised by their mother and they loved to see her happy.

In the same week Olyff accompanied Pipa to the Tovar market at the village festival grounds. It was at a cross roads that they crossed paths with Frank and his priest father, Father Bruceus. They exchanged their greetings and stopped to chat for a moment.

Pipa boasted that it was her mother's birthday just a few days ago and the father congratulated her commenting that she looked very young and well for her age. They both shared that they were making their way to the market and walked together, Olyff being satisfied that they have a chaperone this time around.

Frank was a very active child and invited Pipa to play chase as they made their way down to Tovar. She really enjoyed spending time with him and talking about their various interests. One thing that excited Pipa about Frank was that he knew how to read, in both English and Latin! 

"My father often makes me read the bible which is entirely in Latin," he explained, "but he says I am far too young to read 'gorey' stories about knights at war."

He leaned into Pipa's ear before saying his next statement, "I know he has a book about knights that I try to sneak and read sometimes!" He continued whispering about the gruesome details that this Latin book portrayed and Pipa had to stop him at some point as she felt sick to her stomach a little. The two giggled before launching straight back into a game of chase all the way to the festival grounds.

As Eddida was one of the only sisters that showed continuous interest in Pipa's baking she decided to join her and her father in the annual Praaven keep market at the end of summer. The two girls set up a small table right beside their father's and tended their baked goods together, trying to use their infantile charm on all the traders and nobles that graced the main market square.

Pipa had to teach Eddida how to politely and properly greet the King and Queen who spent only ten whole minutes checking on their kingdom's produce this year. Byrhtnoth glanced at his daughters to see if they were doing everything right and saw he had nothing to worry about. He was thankful he still had an honourable connection with the royal family and they continued to follow their agreement of quarterly produce deliveries to the castle keep.

Now that the crops were all harvested and winter was creeping up fast there was one last event to happen at the Tovar festival grounds: the harvest market! There the Chapmans sold a portion of their yield, their catch and Pipa's baked goods along with taking time to participate in some festive activities such as apple bobbing. The day had been warm and was truly the last day of the year that the sun shone this bright before it was swallowed by grey clouds.

The entire family joined the occasion and Byrhtnoth used their family horse as a pack mule that day, slinging sacks and parcels full of their wares onto Beauty's back. They all travelled home once the festivities were over and because the rain started to flood over the grounds.

Once home Olyff packed all of their left over harvest back into the reserves in the kitchen and outdoor shed. The children were still playful and asked Byrhtnoth if they could take a ride on Beauty. He let them know that they were all still too small and the rain was only getting heavier but Pipa insisted,

"Only for a few seconds, pleaaaase?"

He couldn't resist his daughter's pleas and he lifted Pipa onto Beauty's back. The horse stayed calm and occasionally looked back to see who sat on her next. Byrhtnoth let his children all have a turn, going from eldest to youngest, and Olyff could hear their delighted giggles from across the farm.

CW: horse accident, child death, grieving.

But the rain continued to pour down with all its might and in rolled the storm clouds. As soon as Teffan was placed on the horse's back by her father a roll of thunder and a bright lightning strike spiked onto the mountain that overlooked the Chapman farm. Teffan's giggles were suddenly drowned out by Beauty's startled screams.

She began to move and kick in fear and Byrhtnoth didn't have enough time to swipe his daughter from the horse's back before tragedy struck. The other girls took several steps back as they watched a gruesome scene open up before their very eyes. Beauty rose onto its hind legs and gave a loud neigh, toppling Teffan straight off its back. She tumbled as she cried in horror before falling to the ground below her with a snap, falling unfortunately on her neck.

Her twisted body lay on the wet mud and the Chapman farm stood in horrific silence. The rain pitter pattered along the cold ground and they all stared at their fallen family member. Pipa was the first to scream as she couldn't look away and this scream started Byrhtnoth back into protection, crouching down in front of his children and shielding them from the scene.

"Go inside, QUICK!" he demanded, and Linyeve pulled her sisters back home, Pipa not turning her gaze away from Teffan for a second. 

Olyff had come running to the scene now, investigating the noise, and she stood at a distance before it finally set in that a tragedy had happened once again. She broke into a full sprint and kneeled in the soaking mud right next to her youngest daughter. She was afraid to touch her, Teffan's neck at a wicked angle, but one thing for sure was that she was not breathing and she was no longer alive.

Byrhtnoth crouched beside her and tried to reason with his wife,

"It was so sudden, love. I put all of our girls onto Beauty's back for a few seconds, I could have never predicted that there would be thunder that would spook her so. Oh goodness me, oh no, no no... how could The Watcher allow this?!" He raised his head to the sky and his tears blended with the rain that fell on his face. He felt in his heart as if he had just killed his daughter himself, guilt, shame and regret washing over his body.

Beauty stood nearby and huffed from stress, pacing left and right in discomfort. Olyff felt like she had to be the stronger one this time around and she ran to the stable to not only open the door for the horse but to also get a burlap cloth for Teffan. She rushed back and lay it down on top of her daughter and commanded to her husband,

"Bring her to the shed, we need to get her out of this frightful rain." Her husband looked at her with horror yet understanding before wrapping his youngest in the burlap. With every lifted weight he heard more cracking come from the small body in his arms and he recoiled with shame for every sound he heard.

Olyff ushered Beauty back into her stable and locked her door, keeping her in from any other thundering noises from the storm. She quickly met her husband in the shed and helped him find a place where they could rest her, wiping her down from the moisture outside. They lay her in an empty crate filled with dry straw and held one another as they let reality set in. 

They had to return home as they heard the desperate, grieving cries coming from their remaining children inside. The parents found them huddled near the fire in the living area as they all cried. Pipa was the most distraught, her face red with grief and nose snottier than they had ever seen. Eddida cried too but with confusion and response to Pipa's grief. Linyeve's chin trembled but she continued to rub Pipa's back in an attempt to calm her down. The parents sat down on the floor beside their children, soaking the dusty ground beneath them as the wetness from the rain dripped from their hair and clothes.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," began Olyff, looking at each child as she said that. "Nobody should watch someone die like that."

"So she's really dead?" asked Eddida in a small trembling voice, Olyff nodded. Byrhtnoth put a hand on his face as he tried to compose himself, he could not traumatise his children further with his sobs, taking deep breaths to stay calm.

"In this life accidents happen," continued Olyff with a heavy tone, "and nobody is immune to these accidents." 

Her voice began to tremble, "we have lost yet another little girl... it seems The Watcher had other plans for her..." her voice trailed off as she watched her remaining daughters hang on her every word.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed as she pulled them all in for a hug. They sat huddled together by the fire, all contributing to their anguished cries. Tears dripped from their faces and onto their rain soaked clothes but nobody could care for the little things right now, they were launched back into grieving.

Once everyone felt that their eyes were dry of tears Olyff took initiative to warm some water for everyone to bathe their sorrows away, and the mud that splattered on them during Teffan's fall. Olyff helped Pipa clean up first before bathing Linyeve and Eddida in one go. Byrhtnoth tucked the children to bed while Olyff was the last to clean herself and it was bedtime for everyone.

It was difficult to sleep that night with how heavy sorrow weighed in everyone's chest. Eddida looked over to the empty bed that sat near hers and she couldn't look at it if she had to sleep, turning towards the wall and pretending that what happened tonight was just a dream. 

As soon as the house was silent with dreams Pipa's morbid curiosity got to the better of her. She peered outside and noticed that the rain had mostly stopped and she decided to check in on Teffan. She felt wrong to have just left her little body in a cold shed but she wasn't going to touch her, she just needed one last glance of visual proof that she was really gone.

She sneaked past her sleeping sisters and past the creaky front door and wandered to the shed behind their home. The air was still and she got a shiver as soon as she stepped inside. She saw Teffan's dark hair peering out of a crate and she slowly walked over to see her lifeless body. 

Pipa held her breath just as Teffan did hers, not a single sign of life presented in her youngest sister's face. Pipa kneeled over the body and prayed for a moment, prayed that whatever The Watcher had done she hoped they were ashamed and appalled, that she wanted no more of these tragedies to brush her family, for them to celebrate life and not mourn another death.

CW over.

The Chapmans

1308 - Recap