Gideon frowned at his mother's choice of song. He agreed with the Sage it sounded like a declaration of doom. He knew his mother did not mean the choice that way. He plucked out the tune, humming it as he did so. The sheet music was set before him, the dim light of a candle shining off the reflector behind it.
"...I am glad the second song is mine..." HE said, changing to strum the tune.
He tested out his voice, strumming the tune with it. He listened, as he had been trained. IT took him one time to understand the choice. There was doom, yes, but a mutual one if the war started.
Pen was in the healing halls, making sure Ciri and Avallac'h had what they needed for the night. Ciri was sitting by the hearth, drawing with the poker in the ashes. Avallac'h still slept.
"...I could not sleep further..." She said when Pen set the tray down.
"Nor should you try...you are not Elven." Pen said. "I brought a bit of food, and something to occupy you..." She handed her a book. "Read to him...I think he'll like this one, so will you."
Ciri took the book from her, Looking at the cover, much read and it appeared loved.
"One of your own books..."
"That obvious..." She said. "Yes, I read it to my sons when they were young, and I've read it to the Twins...Written by a storyteller for his children..."
Ciri opened the book, the words were in Cintran.
"A translation spell, so you can read it better..."
"Thank you...Will you be back later tonight?"
"Perhaps, but we have guests that will take much of my attention and Patience...and having neither is not good in a healing room."
Pen bowed and slowly closed the door after her.
Pen did not want to think about what she'd sensed from Ciri until she was in her study. She thought of summoning Crevan and giving him an ear full about the editing he'd done about his past. She thought better of it when she realized Ciri did not know yet.
"...No, I never asked where or when Ciri's son was born..." She said. "He only offered where Their daughter was born."
She was going to strangle him at some point out of frustration. She reached down to open a drawer and pull out a dust-covered bottle. It had been in there for a long time. She set the glass down after she'd cleaned it.
"...This is the last of it..."
"Wine from a vineyard that has long since vanished, you were holding out..." Nuada said, entering.
"This came From Tuossan, Lochain put it in the cellars and kept this bottle here...most of it went to banquet tables and private deals. This is the last bottle..."
"What are we celebrating?"
"Not celebrating..." She said. "A gift...one I should smash over the Sage's head..."
"Ah, that explains why Aethen dragged him off when he tried to get in to see you."
"...part of it, both are blind..."
"How long after I left did you know that you were going to have Tam, hum." He said. "I remember wink hauling me back around Imbolc...I left you at Samhain..."
"...true, but for her it's dangerous...She is still a Witcher...though she has none of their resistances...If she did..."
"Let's not think of that, only now you are going to tell a clueless Witcher and Sage that they're going to be parents..."
She laughed, she could easily envision Crevan's face going from anger, to disbelief to joy in the space of a few moments as his composer broke.
"I'd love to see Geralt's face when she comes with her baby..." She said. "And Yennifer's...he said she was nothing to mess with when it came to Ciri..." She set the bottle down. "I will have the midwife confirm the findings, I do not wish to have false hope..."
"...You still going to smash that bottle over his head?"
"Maybe, but it will be empty at the time." She said.
She rose, it was time to be prodded and polished again.