"The Worries of a Father-To-Be"

Log Date:
	8/17/02

Log Cast:
	Coralfire, Vardeus

Log Intro:
	At last, the Vraeyans and their human and elfin compatriots have
come to the lands outside Wen-a-Neyo, the village inhabited by the tribe who
call themselves the Olbar. Vardeus has bidden his crew to settle down and
wait patiently while Xhosa and Coralfire and Shelbor decide the best way to
go in and alert their people that visitors have come... and for all that the
former crew of the _Windrider_ have followed their Captain's command readily
enough, the wait has meant time in which Tiana has been able to draw closer
and closer to delivering the baby she carries within her. And time in which
her anxious husband can grow more and more fretful about it, as well.
Fortunately for Vardeus, he is not without means to vent his worries, even
when his currently far more temperamental than usual beloved has banished him 
from her sight....

----------
Vraeyan Camp(#1655AJae)
This is a sizeable camp of approximately two dozen humans -- impossible to 
  miss from afar, regardless of one's race. There are simply too many of the 
  Tall Ones, and they are too noisy as well, to make stealth much of an 
  option. Obvious, too, are the impromptu shelters and cookfires they have 
  created for themselves in this camping place, and the smells of burned wood 
  and sod and cooked food, along with the general aroma of humankind, override 
  any subtler scents in the area. More astute observers, however, might note 
  that the camp is not occupied by humans alone -- for there are the scents of 
  elves here as well, and their smaller footprints intermingle with the bigger 
  ones of the humans on the ground in and around the campsite. For that 
  matter... perhaps most amazingly... the elves in the camp seem to be 
  dwelling here as equals to the Tall Ones, and not as prisoners.
Contents:
Coralfire
Hide Tent(#990JU)
Salmakis
Shelbor's tent
Coralfire's Tent(#1669AJe)
Yellow
Raven's Tent(#6222Je)

Coralfire is seated by the cookfire, an arrow in hand as she looks over each 
  in turn. She's just making sure they're ready for the next time she goes 
  hunting. A soft melody is being hummed, as she works by herself, no sign of 
  either Torgan or Shelbor to distract her at all.

It's become a new pastime in the Vraeyan Camp as of late: watching the Captain 
  fret. Vardeus Alirreus is a man who has faced down sea monsters and 
  three-headed dogs, raging ocean storms and the threat of starvation, the 
  discovery of an entirely new kind of people and the wondrous gifts that they 
  possess, and the likely permanent exile from his homeland, and faced it all 
  down with confidence and verve. But present him with a hugely pregnant wife 
  who -- or so the word has it -- is about to bear him their firstborn child 
  any day now, and the man is a nervous wreck. Oh, it hasn't prevented him 
  from doing about his daily duties, but it's obvious in the distracted way he 
  carries himself and the uncharacteristic jumpiness that has possessed him. 
  That he is not lingering fretfully around Tiana this very moment is mostly a 
  testament to one simple thing: hunger. He comes skulking sheepishly to the 
  cookfire now, looking about to see if anyone has a meal in progress, and he 
  musters up an embarrassed smile for Coralfire as he draws near. "((Ho there, 
  Coralfire...))"

Coralfire glances over at the Captain, and a slightly amused smile shows on 
  her face. She's just as glad that it's not her as she is curious about this. 
  Okay, there was Dharce, but at that point in time, Coral hadn't given any 
  thoughts that she might one day have one of her own. She's still not sure 
  she likes the idea, but she's watching much more carefully what Tiana is 
  going through. Priorities, after all. "((Hello, Vardeus. There's some stew 
  in the pot.))" She hesitates a moment and then decides to let you get some 
  food before she brings up any further topics. She looks down the shaft of 
  the arrow, and then sighs. Crooked. That's just too bad.

"((Gods, and it's glad I am of it, too, I'm famished,))" the Captain admits, 
  falling on some of the stacked wooden bowls near the cookfire and ladling 
  himself up a share. Even as he does he can be seen to cast a nervous look 
  back over one broad shoulder towards the little tent he shares with Tiana, 
  and anxious worry is written into every plane and line of his bearded face.

Coralfire smiles softly as she sees that glance back. "((Don't worry. You'll 
  know when something happens. We all knew when Dharce was ready, didn't 
  we?))" And no, Coral isn't entirely happy about that either. It's the only 
  thing she remembers about it all, being woken up from a sound sleep by some 
  loud noise or other. "((I was over at the)) <Olbar> ((village not so long 
  ago. I saw my sister, while I was there.))"

Vardeus starts visibly, very near tipping his bowl, before bodily jerking his 
  attention back over to Coralfire. For a fraction of an instant he stares at 
  her blankly, as if not entirely certain what she's talking about; then, 
  comprehension dawns. Right. The humans he and his are all here to see to 
  begin with. "((I'm nae worried!))" he blurts, attempting to look as 
  nonchalant as possible; he can't quite pull it off though. Not with his eyes 
  as liquidly anxious as Yellow's when he has his attention on someone's meal, 
  and his accent coming on with the thickness he never can hide when he's 
  agitated. The Captain sits heavily down nearby, holding his bowl with one 
  hand and rubbing the other fretfully across his eyes. "((Went clean out o' 
  me head, it did. Your sister, she's well? An' th' village as well? No 
  problems wi' th' monsters?))"

Coralfire smiles. She might not know what to do with a suitor, but a worried 
  friend? That's completely different. She lets the topic drop for now, seeing 
  if you can be distracted at all. "((Aye, she's fine. They all are. I don't 
  think they even saw any monsters.))" More good reason for relocating, hmm? 
  "((though there is a tan cat around here.))"

"((A cat? Havenae seen 'un...))" Vardeus rubs his eyes again, then looks 
  vaguely about as if expecting a cat to materialize out of nowhere. But then 
  a sheepish small grin curls his mouth within his beard, and he goes on, 
  "((Cannae recollect th' last time I saw a cat. Must be what had Yellow in 
  'is dither, aye? Your folk, they ken we're all here then?))" His restless 
  gaze settles on his stew, and the sight of it quite obviously clicks within 
  his awareness: oh yes. Food. Almost forgot! Hungrily, he sets to eating.

Coralfire chuckles slightly. "((You don't want to see the tancat, Vardeus. 
  It's probably bigger than Yellow.))" Coralfire says, just a little drily. 
  "((It's a predator, and dangerous. And they do know. I told Jacynthe, and 
  I'm sure she will have told the rest of the village. Though - ))" She 
  hesitates, "((Jacynthe didn't retract her rule about no elves in the 
  village. Which is probably good, because there are some of my relatives who 
  would try to kill them, I think.))"

The Captain pauses, spoon halfway up, and blinks. Oh. "((Ach, well... 
  dangerous? Should we be after huntin' it?))" His brow crinkles up darkly, 
  and he not only shoots another of those worried glances in the direction of 
  his tent, he also starts to unthinkingly rise as if possessed by the need to 
  go and personally handle anything even remotely threatening that might come 
  anywhere near the camp.

Coralfire chuckles a bit. "((No, probably not. Make sure everyone knows it's 
  there, and I'll go hunt down some of the herbs we'll need if it manages to 
  scratch anyone.))" Like it did Shelbor. But she doesn't say that, cause 
  well, Shelbor would be so embarrassed. Though Yellow's condition is quite 
  obvious. "((We'll likely need them for Yellow, if nothing else. It won't 
  come near the camp site, but nobody should go hunting alone any more. Stay 
  in pairs, just in case.))" Or so she advises. And that's likely what the 
  Olbar are doing. "((It will get bored and move on eventually, so long as the 
  pickings aren't too easy for it.))"

Yellow's condition might be obvious to everybody in the camp, but apparently 
  it has managed to escape the Captain entirely -- not that this is 
  surprising, what with the way the man has been hovering about his wife and 
  second. He sits down again, and his current preoccupation bursts out once 
  more as he blurts in plaintive tones, "((Th' bairns... Dharce's got 'em 
  tucked safe awa'? Wee morsels they'd be, f'r a huntin' cat...))"

Coralfire blinks. "((To be honest, I've not checked. But I imagine she does. 
  I've been warning the scouts and hunters as I see them. And those bairns 
  aren't ever far from their mother.))" See, it's not so bad, really, and at 
  least you're sort of worrying about something else for a change. 
  "((Jacynthe will likely come by to chat with you. I was telling her a bit 
  about all of you, and how you're all such good people.))" Well, more or 
  less. There's some she's not so sure about, but that holds true for her 
  own family.

A bit of relief eases Vardeus' expression, as the notion that the camp is 
  taking care of business sinks in. "((Comin'... here,))" he echoes 
  thoughtfully, holding the bowl again in a manner that strongly hints he's 
  forgotten about it. "((Ach... when? It's welcome she is, o' course... an' 
  she's chief o' your people, aye? Skyfather...))" He glances down at his 
  rumpled vest, brow furrowing again, and then rubs his knuckles across his 
  beard while he mutters half to himself, "((Maybe I should shave... aye... 
  she may nae throw another pot at me, if I'm after shavin'...))"

Coralfire laughs outright at that. "((Weren't you going to eat? You should do 
  that first.))" she reminds you, unable to stay serious. After all, this is a 
  side to you she's never seen. Are all men like this when their wives are 
  about to give birth? Hrm, it might be interesting to see how ... Oh no, 
  she's not going there. And even if she does, you don't need to know about 
  it. "((Jacynthe won't be here within the next while, I don't think. You're 
  safe to eat. Besides, she has bairns of her own, and a husband, she'll 
  understand.))"

Yet again Vardeus starts, and his cheeks darken beneath his tan. "((Ach, 
  aye... Skyfather, maybe she's right, it's a dither I'm in an' nae 
  mistake,))" he confesses, looking over ruefully at his companion. In between 
  reapplying himself to the stew and gulping down hasty swallows of the stuff, 
  he adds dolefully, "((I'venae been hoverin', 'ave I? Tiana said I was 
  hoverin', an' if I didnae gae awa' an' shave off th' pelt on me chin she'd 
  yank it out a hair't a tayme!))"

Coralfire has to work to figure out that thick accent. High Ones, but it's a 
  lyrical tone to your voice when you get all in a dither. "((I've not been 
  here, for the most part, but I think it's likely true that you've been 
  hovering. And I suppose that shaving is up to you. Does it matter so 
  much?))" How the heck would she know, hmm? Poor girl just thinks you look 
  gruffer with the beard. A little wilder. Oh. "((Well, maybe you should shave 
  before you meet Jacynthe.))"

Aye, the Vraeyan way of talking has a lilt in it... but not all of the crew 
  have it so apparently as the Captain, especially in a state like the one 
  he's in now. "((Tiana likes me better wi'out th' beard, y'ken?))" And 
  apparently, until that baby pops out of the Second, what Tiana wants, Tiana 
  gets. Especially if failure to acquire what she wants results in hurled 
  pottery. But Vardeus considers, and then finally says in a tiny, almost 
  childlike voice, "((I dinnae ken what's come over me. It's fain I was, wi' 
  Dharce in 'er fam'ly way, an' back home when Mum had th' rest of us.))"

Torgan has that lilt, though perhaps not so badly as the captain. Oh sure, ask 
  Coralfire. Like she has any clue. But she's not a stupid woman, for all that 
  she's innocent in strange ways. "((I think maybe you care differently for 
  Tiana then for Dharce? And after all, Dharce's bairn is not yours.))" Though 
  what that means so far as you're concerned, she's not at all sure. "((What 
  is it you're worried about? Will it help to talk about it?))" Hey, so long 
  as she's not involved, it all makes perfect sense!

He's downed the stew, more or less, barely pausing to breathe in between 
  swallows; apparently, the Captain was hungrier than he was letting on, even 
  to himself. Dropping the bowl distractedly, he turns a bit to face Coralfire 
  better, seizing upon the concerned interest in her words and beginning to 
  bob his shaggy head vigorously at her suggestion. "((Aye, aye, tha' could be 
  it... I mean, a man c'n see a bairn an' nae fret, but if it's 'is _own_ 
  bairn... I... I...))" He gestures restlessly into the air with both hands, 
  in that way of his that makes him seem as though he's trying to grab hold of 
  the words he wants. "((I think o' me own bairn, a wee boy, o-o-or maybe a 
  girl, aye? I think o' me own bairn an' me head just... just kinda locks 
  up!))" Now both of those hands come up to shove through his hair, first one, 
  then the other, turning the sun-streaked mass of waves even more disheveled 
  than it'd already been.

Ahhh, such a good looking man, Vardeus is. Too bad it's mostly wasted on 
  Coralfire. At the moment. "((You'll get used to it. Though I'm sure that 
  little bairn will have you wrapped around his or her little finger.))" she 
  teases. Actually, she can't help but compare. Torgan to Shelbor. And the 
  both to Vardeus. Cause well, they are the role models she has. Her uncle 
  Aaron, might have been one, but she's not at the village, and he's not a 
  large presence there. "((It seems like a very scary thing to me too, 
  though.))"

Any thoughts of the appeal of the tousled state of his hair and garb 
  completely outside his current ability to reckon, Vardeus crinkles up his 
  brow again and fidgets unconsciously with the wooden amulet he's taken to 
  wearing, ever since Leafshimmer shaped it for him out of what was left of 
  his ship's hull. "((Scared,))" he repeats, musingly... and then he dips his 
  head a bit and almost peeks back up at Coralfire, looking like a much 
  smaller boy who's having to confess a transgression to his mother. "((I-I-I 
  guess I'm a wee bit scared, aye!))"

Coralfire blinks. You know, she wasn't really expecting you to say that. 
  "((Oh, I - I'm sure you'll be better at it than I'd ever be.))" Never mind 
  that Coral is getting a little bit old to be having children. Torgan and 
  Shelbor better get themselves in gear if they want children out of this one. 
  "((I think you have reason, but you face so many other things - my sister, 
  the monsters, and it doesn't seem to have quite the same effect on you. But 
  I think it will be okay. Just like Dharce's bairns.))"

"((I've allus been a sailor, an' Captain f'r much o' that,))" Vardeus says 
  then, managing a crooked grin. "((Never been a da!))" But then the grin 
  fades down, and he appends earnestly, "((Dog monsters wi' t'ree heads dinnae 
  scare me sae much as...))" Now, Vardeus draws in a breath, holds it... and 
  lets it out again, gustily, struggling to relax. "((As... tryin' t' tell 
  if... if me crew'll be safe here. There'll be maer bairns t' come. Vraeyan 
  bairns, an' us nae able t' take 'em t' see where we've come from...))"
And with that, he just trails off, worry surging up again. A dither, indeed. 
 The Captain's every emotion is written plain upon his visage, testimony of 
  what impending fatherhood has wrought.

Coralfire moves now, a hand moving towards your arm. "((There are bairns born 
  here, I know there are. My sister has some. And we were born here. It's not 
  your home. But it will be home for the bairns.))" Not that that will likely 
  help, but it's all she can think. And as for the monsters, that's something 
  she's not sure about either. "((Everywhere has its own dangers. It's not so 
  bad here, is it?))"

Vardeus does not shake off the offered hand, but the smile he gives Coralfire 
  is a broody one, now. "((Nae sae bad,))" he agrees truthfully, "((but nae 
  home. Me crew needs a home, if there's 'un t' be hid. Not just th' bairns. 
  All of 'em.))"

Coralfire nods her head. "((We all need a home. Maybe your crew will find a 
  home with the Olbar. I seem to have.))" She sighs, and then gets up, 
  grabbing your bowl and refilling it for you. "((Here, I don't think you're 
  finished yet. ))" she says, as she passes it over to you. "((And you can 
  bring some to Tiana when you go to shave. That will keep her from getting 
  angry, maybe?))"

His look might be clearly translated as 'wait a minute -- I can have MORE?' 
  And then, all at once, Vardeus bursts into a deep rumbling chuckle. 
  "((Ach... I'd better have summat maer, aye? Man needs 'is strength, if 'e's 
  t' duck when 'is wife throws pots at 'im.))"

Coralfire smiles at that. Well, of course you can have more. Though Coral 
  actually doesn't admit to doing the cooking. She's been doing well enough 
  letting Shelbor, but since he's got a sore hand, she took over, sneakily, 
  while nobody was looking. Shhh ... "((I should think so. Though I can't help 
  but think that Tiana has good reason if she is throwing things at you.))"

The alacrity with which he takes the second helping shows that his appetite 
  has barely been dented -- but still, Vardeus looks up at Coralfire now with 
  a broader albeit still rueful grin. "((I guess I've been after a bit o' 
  hoverin',))" he allows.

Coralfire chuckles at that admission. "((Just a little,)) she says, as she 
  settles down again, picking up her next arrow. "((But I'm sure Tiana will 
  forgive you. Do you think the elves will be upset about not being allowed in 
  the Olbar village?))"

A shake of his head to that, while Vardeus starts in on this second round of 
  stew. "((No...))" And now, his accent seems to be ebbing down a little; 
  perhaps the Captain is beginning to relax at least for the time being? 
  "((Raven an' Quietharm ken, they're best after keepin' their heads down. An' 
  Quietharm'll look after young Kelp. We'll nae lie, if any ask, aye, elves 
  ha' helped us, an' travelled wi' us. But I dinnae want t' start a battle. 
  We've had enough o' that, we have.))"

Well, that would be a good thing, right? If the captain relaxes a bit? Coral 
  will be glad she's helped. She glances around and then has to ask, because 
  she's not seen him since she got back. "((Vardeus? Is Torgan off 
  somewhere?))" Well, she knows where Shelbor is. He's nursing a wounded hand, 
  he is.

To this, the Captain blinks and peers over at Coralfire for a moment -- before 
  comprehension dawns once again. Right, indeed. "((He wasnae in me tent,))" 
  he drawls, "((which is a wise way t' be f'r any man, f'r th' now. Other'n' 
  that, I've nae seen 'im, but unless he's got th' watch he cannae have gone 
  far.))"

Coralfire's cheeks are a little bit pink, but not really anything 
  extraordinary. "((I see. Thank you. I just haven't seen him since I got 
  back.))" And it's strange, but she does sort of wish she had. She glances 
  down, and then she shrugs, trying to shake it off. "((D'you want more of the 
  stew? There's lots made.))"

[Vardeus does... for indeed, a man needs his strength to be able to duck when
 his pregnant wife is making a habit of throwing pottery at him. And he'll
 need that strength all the more, very soon...! End log.]