OOM: All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness? -Part Two

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu intended to dance in the sky with Skellig the very next day, but events have conspired to prevent that from occurring. A raid on the village by former soldiers meant many wounded to heal and much damage to fix. Akatan's sister, Neferet, has a definite crush, an infatuation, with Skellig. She hasn't done anything but look and exchange some friendly words, but it still makes her brother FURIOUS.

For all that Euripedes was from a different time and place, a line he had Medea speak in the play of the same name still rings true: "I would rather stand three times in the line of battle than once bear a child." Even with Kreyu's magic, with Taweret's skill, childbirth is incredibly dangerous. There are reasons why Taweret's goddess image of She Who Is Great has elements of the hippo, the lion, and the crocodile, a fearsome appearance to drive off the many threats facing a woman giving birth. The second birth in a week began this morning and was still going on when the sun began to set. Not a good sign.

Skellig, trying to burn off nervous energy while Kreyu was working, happened across a few of the village men drinking. They said things about Kreyu they should not have said. That he was FEEDING on Kreyu, drinking her blood. There...may have been a fight. At least they don't think he's a demon anymore, you can't give a demon a black eye in a brawl with your fists!

It is truly night now, and Skellig can hear Kreyu's tired footsteps on the road...

(OOC: Warning for explicit adult content starting around tag 194.)

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[27_53]

"And I would fly with you," he says, lifting his mug once more, a faint smirk to his expression. "The thought has also kept me company, during quiet moments of the day."

Skellig draws the plate closer to her, puts food in front of her - he has already eaten himself, lightly, but he will still join her to break bread no matter the hour.

"Once we have both rested." He looks at her, looks her over - he can see the fatigue in her features, the exhaustion in her expression. He sighs quietly, tearing a piece of flatbread with his hands. "I gather today was...difficult. I would hear of it, if you would wish to speak."

[brave_kreyu]

She smiles briefly before she starts to eat.

"Difficult is one word for it. Heqet and her child both nearly perished." She eats a little of the bread. "She labored and labored, but the babe would not come forth. Taweret realized the babe was in the wrong position to be born, backwards, but she could not get him turned the right way."

Kreyu drinks. "I had to change the shape of my limbs, change my joints, while they were inside of Heqet, to get him positioned the right way, unwrap the birth cord from around his neck."

[27_53]

Considering the image she has put into his mind, Skellig is mildly grateful that he was not asked to assist - though he would have, if called upon, there are just some instances where he would be of little use - but he keeps that thought to himself.

"It is good that you are the one who Taweret has chosen to mentor," he says honestly. "I know that not all can know of your abilities, and I doubt in the moment Heqet likely even noticed. But without your presence, the outcome would have likely been much different."

For one or both of them.
(And for Kreyu, and Taweret - and himself - if there had been death.)

[brave_kreyu]

"Taweret told me after Heqet was asleep that they would both have died without my help," Kreyu says, voice quiet. "So many women die, either during birth or shortly thereafter."

[27_53]

Something in her words triggers a different image to flash through his mind, a split second of a memory - his hands, gnarled fingers grasping carefully an infant, too small and so very fragile, her heartbeat not right - that vanishes as quickly as it came, lost to the haze as he is still unable to focus.

"You will change that," he offers, reaching a hand over to cover one of hers.

[brave_kreyu]

"I hope so," she says. She's glad of his hand over hers, of his company. She laughs weakly. "I feel like I could sleep sitting up right here."

[27_53]

"I will not have you do that," he says firmly (yet teasing) as he lifts her hand briefly to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "Eat a bit more, and I will ensure the fire will last."

And then he rises from the chair, leaving her to do just that - add a small amount of fuel to the coals. He also takes a moment to prepare a fresh rag and basin of water, should she wish to wipe the dust from the road and the day from her skin, setting it on the far side of the table. And he busies himself with the bed, making sure it is tidy and ready for them to sleep.

(He fully intends on both of them simply sleeping, also. She is exhausted, and he is simply tired from the day.)

Once he's satisfied, he returns to the table - to finish off his beer.

[brave_kreyu]

She does manage to eat a bit more.

"Thank you, love," she says. She takes off her kilt, starts wiping away the dust and the day from her skin.

She only just finishes that before another wave of exhaustion hits her. Even standing up again from the chair where she had sat down to clean her legs off feels like a herculean effort.

She wobbles a little as she forces herself to stand.

[27_53]

The sound Skellig makes is something of a tsk as she wobbles, and he is at her side perhaps a touch faster than a human would be, guiding one arm around her back beneath her arms, and another under her knees as he lifts her from the ground.

"I would have helped you to wash," he chides lightly, though there's no real 'heat' behind his words as he easily carries her to the bed, placing her on the mattress carefully.

[brave_kreyu]

"Thought I'd be fine," Kreyu murmurs. She doesn't protest his actions though.

"Just want to curl up with you and sleep," she tells him. She'll be out like a light as soon as he's in bed and she's wrapped herself around him sufficiently.

[27_53]

"I will join you," he promises - pressing a quick kiss to her temple, before he sheds his kilt, folding it semi-neatly and tossing it near her own. The amulet is fetched, and he brings it to bed with him, tucking it within reach in case it is needed.

All of this takes only a minute or two, before he is in the bed beside her, allowing her to curl her body around his.

"Perhaps we will get the chance to sleep in, tomorrow." It is a hopeful suggestion - for as much as he does relish the idea of flying with her, he knows they both truly need rest, and lots of it.

[brave_kreyu]

"That would be lovely," she murmurs against his skin.

They both sleep late, not waking until late afternoon. They finish what's left of last night's dinner for a meal, and Kreyu goes to check in on Taweret and Heqet.

He could work on his 'karma puddle' across the road, or do some things around the house. They could always use more water, for instance.

[27_53]

The worst heat of the day has passed - and they are lucky, as some scattered high clouds work to break the never-ending blaze of the sun's rays (perhaps even a tantalizing hint of rain, though he doubts it) as he ventures outside.

His first efforts are spent working on improving his space across the road - new lines are chalked on the walls, on the floor, a 'map' of sorts growing on one surface, images of a river on another. It is tiring, a bit but eventually he thinks he feels as if he has done as much as he can, so he takes an hour to replenish his rest in their bed across the road.

And then, it is time for water. Amulet firmly in place, jugs carried to the place where he has to fetch it - and there are others here already, he notices as he approaches.

[brave_kreyu]

Neferet, Akatan's youngest sister, is among those gathered. She's shy, but it is blatantly obvious to Skellig that she has a crush on him, or perhaps an infatuation with him?

Because he's someone new, someone exotic? Because she 'knows' she can't have him? Because it makes her brother furious? Because she heard THOSE noises that first night, and she's so very curious? It's hard to say.

"Hello, Skellig," she calls. When he gets close enough for her to see his black eye, she looks both surprised and concerned. "Oh, you're hurt!" She claps a hand over her mouth, too late to prevent the words from escaping.

[27_53]

Inwardly, Skellig slightly berates himself for not better checking (via a quick 'listen', but he's trying not to 'cheat' today) just exactly who was at the gathering place for water - if he had known Neferet was here, or Akatan, he would have busied himself with other things.

But, he also has not fine-tuned his senses to anyone other than Kreyu at this point.

"Just a bit of foolishness," he offers, nonchalantly with a bit of a shrug and a polite smile - a sort of what can you do about it expression on his features. "Hello, Neferet."

He is seriously 'outnumbered' as far as a gender count goes, but it is no secret among the villagers that Heqet's labor was intensive and difficult, so it makes sense that Taweret and Kreyu are tending to her this afternoon, and to his mind it is just natural that he would gather water for them.

[brave_kreyu]

"Foolishness that drank too much last night?" she asks as she starts to draw up water. "I've seen three other men with bruises on top of an aching head from drink today."

[27_53]

If his answer is a little smug, and a little coy - well, it just is.

"That is one way to describe the foolishness I encountered, yes." Skellig will wait his turn among those who are mingling about, but continue the conversation with her alone (for now). "They wished to speak ill of a friend, and their judgement was...clouded as to when they should have returned home to rest, versus pick fights."

[brave_kreyu]

She laughs softly. "Perhaps they will be wiser, in the future. It makes me glad that Akatan does not drink so much, I would be patching him up all the time."

[27_53]

"If one is not careful, it can definitely lead to...undesired consequences."

His tone is not prying as he speaks, merely observational.

"Your brother, Akatan - he seems to care deeply for your wellbeing. It is a good thing to have one watch over you so closely."

[brave_kreyu]

"He does," she replies. "We are very close, he and I." She sighs. "I just wish he would be a bit less overbearing about everything."

She rolls her eyes. "The last few moons especially, he's been...difficult." A few moons ago was when Kreyu kissed Akatan, as Skellig might remember her telling him.

[27_53]

"I do not have brothers," he offers with a hint of sympathy. "But I have encountered many, and I think they are all...that way."

Once she has filled one her jugs of water, Skellig automatically - thinking nothing of it - steps forward to lift it (it is heavy, after all) and replace it with another one of hers which is empty.

"Difficult...how so?"

[brave_kreyu]

"You may be right about brothers."

She flushes, pleased at his help.

She lowers her voice. "Moody, irritable, wanting to control everything, everyone. He's used to everything going how he wants, and when it doesn't..." she trails off.

[27_53]

Akatan's list of 'symptoms' are added to a running list that Skellig is keeping tidy in his brain (as tidy as his brain ever is, anyhow) and it matches with what he knows about the timing of him making a move for Kreyu's attentions.

Someone is Frustrated that they did not land the beautiful woman.
And now that he has shown up...

"He is prone to anger," Skellig answers quietly. "You are perhaps right, in that it is wise he does not drink as much as other men of the village."

[brave_kreyu]

She nods, understanding at what he isn't saying clear in her eyes. "He hates you," she says, voice even quieter. "As I've never seen him hate anyone before. He thinks you a demon, and I shan't repeat what he's said about you and Kreyu."

Her water jars are almost full.

[27_53]

"I am no demon," he mutters, voice equally as quiet - though he is careful as to not lean any closer to her in this space, as he is certain that the others will already talk, and word will get back to (and might already have reached) Akatan about them 'conversing' at the well. "I am merely an old friend of Kreyu's, who has found himself here upon my travels."

He pauses, to collect her second jar for her.

"And I have heard what he has said - at least, enough of it. It is lies, and nonsense." A glance. "But you should not worry of my safety, with him. I can hold my own."