Were They Right? (Vanator, Kashik)

by **Khiara** on June 4th, 2011, 1:49 pm

5th day of Summer, morning.

Khiara smiled to herself as she lay in the shared bed of her husband and his First Wife. The exhausted couple were still fast asleep, Kashik nuzzled closely in the golden arm's of Vanantor. As they slept, the small infant born to the family stirred softly. Without hesitation, the young vantha had quickly moved to bring the tiny baby into the bed with her, holding it close against her warmth. It didn't take long for tiny hands to ball around a small face, mouth seeking something Khiara couldn't offer. Chuckling softly, the brunette patted a rounded bottom and looked over the babe with vibrant violet eyes. It was still early, and hunger wasn't quite strong enough to be a main priority. With a slow fading, the infant lulled back to sleep against the woman.

Stroking a soft cheek with the back of her finger, Khiara lay on her side and propped her head against her arm. Her smile faded a little as she thought about her own future desires. The young brunette wanted a baby, with Vanator and Kashik...soon. And whilst she hadn't been praying for one, the girl had to wonder why she hadn't yet fallen pregnant. It wasn't as though she and Vanator had restrained from joining, yet she remained inconcieved. In Avanthal, it was said a woman unwed by her age was an Icemaiden. Unmarried and barren. Was it true, is that what she had become?

Frowning, the thought began to eat at Khiara, and her eyes shifted to a more golden hue. What if she was truly barren, what then? The idea made the girl feel as though she was falling off the face of the earth. Cuddling the infant closer to herself, the vantha closed her eyes. There were things of importance she needed to do first anyway. The girl was not yet fully Drykas - even after all this time with the people she considered family. Vanator would not make a fuss of it, but Khiara knew she would feel shame if she didn't complete the joining.

Opening her eyes again, Khiara smiled. That was it. First, she would bind with a strider. Become a full drykas woman. Then, she would worry about babies. Glancing down at the sleeping babe, Khiara hummed a soft lullaby under her breath in the language of her people.

"Sleep sleep snow bird,
Tire tire wagtail.
Sleep when I put you to sleep,
Tire when I tire you.
Goddess make the child sleep,
Make the little one lie down.
Close now little eyes,
Bring sweet sleep till morning."

Lullaby Here :

by **Vanator** on June 7th, 2011, 7:05 pm

Vanator stirred, gently awakened by the lilting voice of Khiara's lullaby. He did not move, not wishing to disturb Kashik, who lay on his chest, her mane of dark curly hair draped across the two of them like a blanket. Van watched with satisfaction as her dark bronze-skinned torso moved with each deep breath, her whole body in turn lifting gently with every breath he took. She had risen in the middle of the night to feed the child, a pattern that had taxed even his lovely, and strong-willed, wife. Van ran his hand down Kashik's back in a soft caress before laying it across her shoulders.

His head turned to look at Khiara as she sang to the baby. His smile broadened as he beamed at her. Stretching out a hand to run the tips of his fingers down the infant's arm, Vanator could not think of any place he would rather be at the moment. Except, perhaps, if there were a child of Khiara's in their warm bed as well. Khi had been a godsend, having loved Kash's baby as if it were her own, caring for it and helping Kashik with enthusiasm and obvious love. But his grin faded slightly as he caught the wisp of gold still lingering in her eyes, and he knew something had been bothering her.

They had discussed having children, and they were eager to have one of their own. Khiara was concerned, he knew, that there was a reason she had not conceived, something wrong with her. Vanator believed it was only a matter of time before she too would bear him a child, but his confidence did not always comfort his vanthan wife.

"Good morning my darling." Vanator whispered to the child, then lifted his gaze again to Khi. "And good morning by beautiful violet-eyed wife." His smile returned in full force. "You know I love to hear you sing in Vani." He stretched to reach for Khiara's face, brushing her olive cheek with his hand.

Van's eyes narrowed as he studied Khiara's young face. "You have a determined look in your eyes, what have you set your mind to Snowflake?" The drykas reached for her hand, drawing it to him and pressing the back of it to his lips.

by **Khiara** on June 7th, 2011, 9:06 pm

The young vanthan wife looked up at her husband with a soft smile as he looked at them, her lullaby still sung in a soft whisper. The babe between them breathed gently as sleep filled little minds with shapeless dreams. As he bid them good morning Khiara beamed at him and let her song trail off. He always read her, like an open book. The girl knew in part it was her eyes - a blessing of the Goddess and a curse all at once - but she hoped it didn't betray her too much. It was to beautiful a morning to marr with sadness.

Watching as he lifted her hand to his lips, Khiara felt the same sense of deep love and adoration she felt for the man as the first time they had kissed. Vanator's affection warmed her core. Looking down at the tiny child pressed against her body, the vantha smiled softly, before turning her eyes to the man.

"I have been thinking, about everything. I love you, Kashik, this beautiful gift and Endrykas. I know Vsenri is more to me than just a horse...but there are things I need to do. Things that need to be done to make my life here with you complete, before anything else." Khiara avoided saying anything about her thoughts on babies and conception.

"I want to bond, with a Strider. I want to be Drykas." Her determined smile faded only slightly as her thoughts wandered. She was reminded of how long she'd been away from home, and how big a decision this was. There was a slight pang of homesickness. To even let her mother and father know she was alive, at least, would be good. And to let them know she was happy. Finally.