A delicate bloom
Timestamp: 46th Day of Fall, 515 AV
9th Bell, Morning
Seirei carefully stripped Lukar out of his swaddling clothes. Then she dipped a cloth into a bowl of water. She had heated some water up earlier, then poured it into the bowl to cool down to an acceptable temperature while she changed and fed the twins. After squeezing the cloth to get the excess water out, she began bathing her son with the now slightly warm water.
Starting with the tips of his toes, Seirei slowly worked her way up. Lukar squealed in delight, and babbled at her as she bathed him. It was obvious to the young mother that he was enjoying the experience as much as she was. It was a bonding experience as much as it was a task to clean her son.
"Ma! Ma ma! Ba, na, wa, ka, ma!"
"Yes, I am your mother, little one. And you are the cutest little boy in the world! Yes, you are."
Finally, she got to his face. She dipped the cloth into the water once more, and squeezed out the excess. Lukar chortled, and babbled excitedly as Seirei gently wiped his face with the damp cloth. When she was finished, she dried him off with another cloth, then carefully wrapped him up in his swaddling clothes.
Then it was Lira's turn. By then, the water had cooled, and Lira fussed as Seirei bathed her, not liking the feel of the cool water on her skin. Most of the time, she did not have time to heat the water twice, and allow it to cool enough that she could use it. So she took turns with which child got the first bath. It was the only truly fair thing she could do. That way, each of her children could get the warm water some of the time. It hadn't mattered quite as much during the heat of the summer. Back then, the cool water had come as a pleasant relief to the twins. But now that the weather was getting cooler, the twins were more sensitive to the cooler water. Seirei wasn't certain what she would do when winter came.
When Seirei was finished, she watched her children play for a while, lost in thought. In less than a year, they would have a younger brother or sister. Would Lukar and Lira like their younger sibling? Or would they resent him or her? Would she be able to love the new child as much as she loved the twins? Or would she resent it for the act of violence that began its life? As bad as being raped by Lian had been, in some ways, being violated by the group of adolescents had been worse. There had been a deliberate cruelty in that attack. Where Lian's had been more of a causal cruelty as he treated her like the brood mare he saw her as. Was it better or worse that she didn't even know which of her attackers was the father of her unborn child?
Seirei forced her dark thoughts to the back of her mind. Those fears would have to be dealt with later. But there was a more immediate concern. Naiya and Shahar had done so much for her already. A new child would be even more of a burden. What if they started to feel that she was a source of bad luck, the same way the caravan she'd grown up with had?
Lukar yawned, and Seirei went through the motions of settling the twins down for their nap. Once they were sleeping soundly, Seirei left the tent in search of her friends.
9th Bell, Morning
Seirei carefully stripped Lukar out of his swaddling clothes. Then she dipped a cloth into a bowl of water. She had heated some water up earlier, then poured it into the bowl to cool down to an acceptable temperature while she changed and fed the twins. After squeezing the cloth to get the excess water out, she began bathing her son with the now slightly warm water.
Starting with the tips of his toes, Seirei slowly worked her way up. Lukar squealed in delight, and babbled at her as she bathed him. It was obvious to the young mother that he was enjoying the experience as much as she was. It was a bonding experience as much as it was a task to clean her son.
"Ma! Ma ma! Ba, na, wa, ka, ma!"
"Yes, I am your mother, little one. And you are the cutest little boy in the world! Yes, you are."
Finally, she got to his face. She dipped the cloth into the water once more, and squeezed out the excess. Lukar chortled, and babbled excitedly as Seirei gently wiped his face with the damp cloth. When she was finished, she dried him off with another cloth, then carefully wrapped him up in his swaddling clothes.
Then it was Lira's turn. By then, the water had cooled, and Lira fussed as Seirei bathed her, not liking the feel of the cool water on her skin. Most of the time, she did not have time to heat the water twice, and allow it to cool enough that she could use it. So she took turns with which child got the first bath. It was the only truly fair thing she could do. That way, each of her children could get the warm water some of the time. It hadn't mattered quite as much during the heat of the summer. Back then, the cool water had come as a pleasant relief to the twins. But now that the weather was getting cooler, the twins were more sensitive to the cooler water. Seirei wasn't certain what she would do when winter came.
When Seirei was finished, she watched her children play for a while, lost in thought. In less than a year, they would have a younger brother or sister. Would Lukar and Lira like their younger sibling? Or would they resent him or her? Would she be able to love the new child as much as she loved the twins? Or would she resent it for the act of violence that began its life? As bad as being raped by Lian had been, in some ways, being violated by the group of adolescents had been worse. There had been a deliberate cruelty in that attack. Where Lian's had been more of a causal cruelty as he treated her like the brood mare he saw her as. Was it better or worse that she didn't even know which of her attackers was the father of her unborn child?
Seirei forced her dark thoughts to the back of her mind. Those fears would have to be dealt with later. But there was a more immediate concern. Naiya and Shahar had done so much for her already. A new child would be even more of a burden. What if they started to feel that she was a source of bad luck, the same way the caravan she'd grown up with had?
Lukar yawned, and Seirei went through the motions of settling the twins down for their nap. Once they were sleeping soundly, Seirei left the tent in search of her friends.