standard disclaimers apply.
~~--~~*~~--~~
Nevdoiel: I'm so glad that you think I kept them in character with the fluffy goodness. I was worried that wouldn't happen....
Nuola2000: You need to get your mind out of the gutter as much as I do. The thought of a naked Boromir is just too tempting. : ) One of the best love scenes, eh? That makes my muse happy. He always bitches that he doesn't get any credit, lol.
Dwendilwen: Yeah, I know you want a thickened plot. Everyone does. Hell, I do too. I mostly wanted this story to be fluffy, and so that's what it is. Although the plot WILL get thrown somewhat serious in about two chapters. : )
Sam: You suck since you can't finish my story. You're gonna miss out. That REALLY sucky thing is that there's only one (perhaps two, but the second one wouldn't surprise you) detail that's keeping you. Maybe I can do an edited version just for you or something. . .
Rosethorn: Yeah, you'll have it by now, but I just sent you the next to last chapter five mins ago. Only one more chapter to go. . .
Emme: Glad it got you to review!
So as of five minutes ago, there is only one more chapter left for me to write of this fic. Of course, you guys still ahve about four or five chaps left to read. I jsut haven't posted them yet because I'm greedy. I enjoy reviews. I'm only posting this one before my ten day deadline because I got over the sixty review mark. Get me seventy five reviews or more this time around and you'll have yourself a new chapter in three days. Happy reading!
~~--~~*~~--~~ Chapter Six: The Coming of Winter ~~--~~*~~--~~
The sounds of birds chirping in the early hours of the morning woke a dozing Talen from his world of dreams. Pulling the warm body next to him closer, he inhaled the scent of skin and buried his face in her shoulder. Mumbling in her sleep, Adele turned onto her side and threw an arm over Talen's side. With his forehead resting comfortably against his wife's, he felt himself drifting back off into slumber.
A faint tapping caused Talen's eyes to fly open and meet Adele's.
"He knows when you are close," she whispered, reaching up to catch her husband's hand and rest it against her stomach.
"Is that so?"
Nodding, Adele took in a deep breath of air and sighed contentedly. Closing her eyes, she let the soft rhythm of Talen's massaging hands pass her into sleep. As she slept, Talen stayed awake and watched her through soft eyes. He let his gaze travel to her closed eyes, to her nose, and to her lips, reaching over to place a kiss there.
Again, the child that grew within his Adele kicked at him, drawing attention. Laughing, Talen patted the spot gently. It wouldn't be too long before they would have the child in their arms. A few weeks at most, but it was hard to tell. She was getting so big, and even the smallest of things caused her pain and fatigue.
Being careful not to wake her, Talen crawled out of bed and threw a shirt, his coat, and the nearest pair of trousers on. Putting on his shoes, he left the room and walked out of the house into the cold darkness and frost on the ground. It would be dawn soon enough and he wanted to be outside to greet the winter sun.
Standing with his hand against a tree, he watched the top of the sun rize above the trees to the east. It cast shadows on the land and warmed Talen's face as he closed his eyes. A feeling of remembrance came over him as he stood in the morning rays, a feeling familiar to him, as if he had greeted the sun every morning of his life.
As the orange orb of light and warmth was fully exposed to the world, and dawn had come and gone, Talen laughed at the irony of the situation. The rising of the sun was like his life in a way. There was darkness before the light. Dusk before the dawn.
And what a glorious dawn.
The sound of footsteps made him turn to face one of the twins, Airsyn, as he came walking to his cousin with a cup of steaming liquid in each hand. Giving one to Talen, Airsyn drank from the other one.
"Not long now," Airsyn said quietly. "I only hope she has the child before the first snow sets in."
Nodding, Talen took a drink of his coffee.
"When do you think the first snow will come?" Talen asked.
Airsyn looked to the north and then smelled the air, answering, "A few weeks at most. I could always smell the snow in the air."
"Have we got enough firewood for the coming weeks?"
"No, we need to go and chop some, but the duty can wait for a week or so. There will be enough until then."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. The horses, though, they should be tended to now," Airsyn said with a gleam in his eye.
It had become custom for Airsyn and Talen to take their horses out for a morning ride at least twice a week. A game had come out of this, as they both tried to outrun the other. Airsyn, being the most skilled with the horse, usually won, but Talen was learning fast.
"Race you to the stable," Talen said, as he got a running start.
Laughing, Adele watched Talen as he ran ahead of their cousin, beating him to the stables. She lingered near the window for a few moments more until she could not see her husband anymore, and then turned, walking into the kitchen.
"You should not walk so much if your back is causing you so much pain," Sesile said from across the table.
"Sitting around is not helping me," Adele protested as she rested a hand on her lower back.
"You would not know, for all you do is stand on your feet. Resting is always the best thing to do when so close to your time."
Adele turned, sighing, as she sat at the table, sipping water from a glass.
"Every day is another trial on my body. I do not know how much longer I can endure this discomfort."
"You should carry twins," Sesile said with a laugh. "If you think carrying only one is so bad."
"One is enough for me," Adele said as she held her hands up in protest.
"This time, it will be. You will have more children. Wait and see."
Smiling, Adele rubbed the top of her stomach where the child was pressing and kicking gently. She had hoped it to be a son, for the world needed more men like her husband, although she knew that Talen wanted a daughter. Whatever the child's sex, he or she would be loved either way, but Adele knew in her heart that she carried a boy.
The door to the back of the house opened and Amiens came in with Aidan, who threw the pieces of wood he carried into the fire. Sitting at the table, the two men drank their coffee and ate their toast.
"How do you feel?" Amiens asked Adele as he watched a grimace take over her face.
"I hurt," she answered.
"Is it your back?"
"Yes, and thankfully that is all," she lied. Her back hurt, yes, but she had woken that morning after Talen had gone, to the feel of a harsh rumbling in her stomach that had caused much discomfort and worry.
"Understandable," he said. "Where is that husband of yours? He has horses to tend to. Airsyn as well."
"They are already at the stable, tending to the animals," Sesile said.
Nodding, Amiens took a bite of his toast.
"Snow is on its way."
"Snow?" Adele asked.
"Aye, and a damn good lot of it by the way the sky to the west looks. The sky may be clear here, but a cloud bank is on its way, and the air is getting colder."
"Airsyn came through this morning and said that it would not snow for weeks!"
"Well, he'll be wrong by tomorrow. Maybe tonight, but I'm not sure."
Amiens stood and finished his coffee, giving the mug to Sesile and kissing her on the cheek before walking out the back door, calling for Aidan to follow him. The two men made their way out to the stable to help Airsyn and Talen with the animals.
Talen was in the middle of feeding his horse when Amiens and Aidan came in.
"And to what do we owe this honor?" he asked with amusement.
"Hold your tongue," Amiens said with a smile playing at his lips. "After we finish with this, we need to start chopping wood and gathering winter supplies for the house. There is a promise of snow in the air."
Airsyn peered over the edge of the loft above and looked down at his father in frustration.
"It will not snow for weeks!"
"Do not contradict me, boy," Amiens growled. "Just finish your work so we can get the rest of our chores done."
Airsyn sighed and tossed a bail of hay off of the loft and onto the floor below, narrowly missing Amiens' head.
~~--~~*~~--~~
The back door opened and slammed loudly as Talen walked in the house holding a few pieces of wood for the fire. A dusting of snow covered his hair and lined his shoulders; his face was red from the wind that howled outside. He set the logs next to the fireplace and checked on the already burning fire before laying out on the floor with his head laying against Adele's leg.
"How much snow is falling?" Adele asked as she ran her fingers through Talen's hair, her fingers becoming wet from the melted snow.
"Amiens was correct in saying that the snow would move in tonight, but there is not much of it. Not yet, anyway," he answered.
"The ground will be covered by the morning," Amiens said from his chair in the corner. "Mark my word about that."
"How long do you think this weather will hold?"
"A few days," Amiens said thoughtfully. "Could be a week, although I never was good at predicting the length of the weather. Just when it would come in."
Looking pleased with himself, Amiens sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, ready for a good nap. Sesile sat in a chair next to him and shook her head at her husband's conceitedness.
"Oh!" Adele exclaimed loudly as she put a hand on her stomach.
Everyone's attention turned to her, and Talen sat up on his elbows to look at her.
"What is it?" he asked.
"He kicks very roughly," she said with a small smile. "It is quite uncomfortable sometimes."
Laughing, Talen laid back down content to nap with his wife nearby and a fire to keep them warm.
~~--~~~*~~--~~
"This is taking too long," Talen said as he paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. "Why is it taking so long?"
"Sit down, boy. Stop asking so many questions. I'm sure everything is going fine," Amiens said as he lit his pipe and took in some of the smoke.
Talen sat down in the nearest chair and put his head in his hands, gripping at his hair as if he were going to pull it out. His body shook with nervousness as he waited for a sign from the bedroom that all was well. Any sign at all.
It had started after midnight as Adele got up to get a drink of water. She had doubled over and fallen to the floor. Talen had heard the fall and was at her side in a second, helping her to stand and sit back on the edge of the bed.
The contractions had started not long after that, and soon Adele was in the throws of labor, leaving Talen helpless.
"I'm going in there," he said as he stood, taking several strides toward the hallway.
Airsyn and Aidan stood, each grabbing one of his arms to push him back to his seat.
"You will stay out here with the rest of us," Aidan said with a glare.
"There is nothing any of us can do," Aidan said. "If Sesile needs you, she'll call."
Talen sighed and nodded at his cousins, willing them to release him. He sat down and turned his head toward the fire, taking in the flames with a detached stare. For hours, it seemed, he sat there staring at the dancing shades of orange and yellow and red.
Several hundred miles away in Emyn Arnen, Faramir, the Steward of Gondor, sat staring into his own fireplace. He had been dreaming the previous night about his brother. It was not the first dream about Boromir. No, there had been many; all of which were leading him to believe that his brother was still alive.
"What are you thinking?" Éowyn said as she came to stand behind her husband.
"I think of my brother," he said as he reached a hand up to grasp his wife's hand, pulling her into his lap.
"Do you still believe that he is alive?"
"Aye, there is not enough evidence to prove that he is dead. My dreams are too real to ignore."
Éowyn kissed Faramir's cheek and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I hope you are right. I would not like to see you disappointed."
Faramir sighed and continued to stare at the flames, watching them as they began to die to a pile of glowing embers.
Talen snapped out of his trance as the door to the bedroom creaked open. Sesile walked out, wiping her hands on a rag. She looked at Talen and motioned for him to follow her. The other watched with worry as he stood and walked.
"She is asking for you," Sesile said as they stood outside of the door. "She wants you to be there."
"Has she given birth yet?" Talen asked hopefully.
"No, but she is close."
"This has been going on all day!" Talen exclaimed. "It's nearly dusk now!"
"These things take time, Talen. Now calm yourself and be strong for her."
Talen nodded and followed Sesile into the bedroom. Nausea washed over him as he stepped in the room. The first thing he smelled was blood, and a lot of it. Adele was sitting up with her head against the headboard of the bed. She was pale and sweating.
"Talen," she said breathlessly.
Walking over to her and sitting on the edge of the bed, Talen took his wife's hand and kissed it.
"I cannot do this for much longer," she said as a tear fell form her eye. "It's too much."
"If I can come back from the dead, then you can bring life into this world. I know you can."
Adele closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as the next contraction hit her fiercely. She gripped Talen's hand tightly, her knuckles turning white as she pushed at Sesile's command.
"I can see the baby's head," Sesile said as Adele slacked off, taking in even, steady breaths. "Another good push and you'll have a child in your arms."
Talen smiled and leaned down, kissing Adele's forehead.
"One more, my love. Only one more."
Adele dug her nials into Talen's hand and pushed with all of her might as colorful spots danced in front of her eyes. She could feel her grasp on consciousness failing as the pain increased, and then came to a descending halt.
A moment of tense silence followed as Adele opened her eyes to look up at Talen's smiling face, and then to Sesile's as she looked to the small child in her hands who began wailing like there was no tomorrow.
"Your son," Sesile said, as she wrapped the babe in a soft blanket that had been knitted for the occassion.
Talen took the child carefully and carried him to Adele, settling him in his mother's waiting arms. Crying, Adele looked down to her child, touching his face and his hands, counting each of the tiny fingers.
"Beautiful," Talen breathed as he leaned down to kiss Adele. "Absolutely beautiful."
"He looks like you," she said with a smile.
"He has your eyes."
Sesile smiled and left the new parents with their child for some time alone. She thought it best to inform the rest of the family on the new occupant of the house. Walking out into the living room, three pairs of expectant eyes met her, and waited on her to speak.
"It's a boy," she proclaimed, a smile pulling at her lips. "A healthy baby boy."
"That's good news," Airsyn said.
"Wonderful," Aidan added.
Amiens simply nodded and went back to smoking his pipe, staring into the dying flames of the fire.
~~--~~*~~--~~
Nevdoiel: I'm so glad that you think I kept them in character with the fluffy goodness. I was worried that wouldn't happen....
Nuola2000: You need to get your mind out of the gutter as much as I do. The thought of a naked Boromir is just too tempting. : ) One of the best love scenes, eh? That makes my muse happy. He always bitches that he doesn't get any credit, lol.
Dwendilwen: Yeah, I know you want a thickened plot. Everyone does. Hell, I do too. I mostly wanted this story to be fluffy, and so that's what it is. Although the plot WILL get thrown somewhat serious in about two chapters. : )
Sam: You suck since you can't finish my story. You're gonna miss out. That REALLY sucky thing is that there's only one (perhaps two, but the second one wouldn't surprise you) detail that's keeping you. Maybe I can do an edited version just for you or something. . .
Rosethorn: Yeah, you'll have it by now, but I just sent you the next to last chapter five mins ago. Only one more chapter to go. . .
Emme: Glad it got you to review!
So as of five minutes ago, there is only one more chapter left for me to write of this fic. Of course, you guys still ahve about four or five chaps left to read. I jsut haven't posted them yet because I'm greedy. I enjoy reviews. I'm only posting this one before my ten day deadline because I got over the sixty review mark. Get me seventy five reviews or more this time around and you'll have yourself a new chapter in three days. Happy reading!
~~--~~*~~--~~ Chapter Six: The Coming of Winter ~~--~~*~~--~~
The sounds of birds chirping in the early hours of the morning woke a dozing Talen from his world of dreams. Pulling the warm body next to him closer, he inhaled the scent of skin and buried his face in her shoulder. Mumbling in her sleep, Adele turned onto her side and threw an arm over Talen's side. With his forehead resting comfortably against his wife's, he felt himself drifting back off into slumber.
A faint tapping caused Talen's eyes to fly open and meet Adele's.
"He knows when you are close," she whispered, reaching up to catch her husband's hand and rest it against her stomach.
"Is that so?"
Nodding, Adele took in a deep breath of air and sighed contentedly. Closing her eyes, she let the soft rhythm of Talen's massaging hands pass her into sleep. As she slept, Talen stayed awake and watched her through soft eyes. He let his gaze travel to her closed eyes, to her nose, and to her lips, reaching over to place a kiss there.
Again, the child that grew within his Adele kicked at him, drawing attention. Laughing, Talen patted the spot gently. It wouldn't be too long before they would have the child in their arms. A few weeks at most, but it was hard to tell. She was getting so big, and even the smallest of things caused her pain and fatigue.
Being careful not to wake her, Talen crawled out of bed and threw a shirt, his coat, and the nearest pair of trousers on. Putting on his shoes, he left the room and walked out of the house into the cold darkness and frost on the ground. It would be dawn soon enough and he wanted to be outside to greet the winter sun.
Standing with his hand against a tree, he watched the top of the sun rize above the trees to the east. It cast shadows on the land and warmed Talen's face as he closed his eyes. A feeling of remembrance came over him as he stood in the morning rays, a feeling familiar to him, as if he had greeted the sun every morning of his life.
As the orange orb of light and warmth was fully exposed to the world, and dawn had come and gone, Talen laughed at the irony of the situation. The rising of the sun was like his life in a way. There was darkness before the light. Dusk before the dawn.
And what a glorious dawn.
The sound of footsteps made him turn to face one of the twins, Airsyn, as he came walking to his cousin with a cup of steaming liquid in each hand. Giving one to Talen, Airsyn drank from the other one.
"Not long now," Airsyn said quietly. "I only hope she has the child before the first snow sets in."
Nodding, Talen took a drink of his coffee.
"When do you think the first snow will come?" Talen asked.
Airsyn looked to the north and then smelled the air, answering, "A few weeks at most. I could always smell the snow in the air."
"Have we got enough firewood for the coming weeks?"
"No, we need to go and chop some, but the duty can wait for a week or so. There will be enough until then."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. The horses, though, they should be tended to now," Airsyn said with a gleam in his eye.
It had become custom for Airsyn and Talen to take their horses out for a morning ride at least twice a week. A game had come out of this, as they both tried to outrun the other. Airsyn, being the most skilled with the horse, usually won, but Talen was learning fast.
"Race you to the stable," Talen said, as he got a running start.
Laughing, Adele watched Talen as he ran ahead of their cousin, beating him to the stables. She lingered near the window for a few moments more until she could not see her husband anymore, and then turned, walking into the kitchen.
"You should not walk so much if your back is causing you so much pain," Sesile said from across the table.
"Sitting around is not helping me," Adele protested as she rested a hand on her lower back.
"You would not know, for all you do is stand on your feet. Resting is always the best thing to do when so close to your time."
Adele turned, sighing, as she sat at the table, sipping water from a glass.
"Every day is another trial on my body. I do not know how much longer I can endure this discomfort."
"You should carry twins," Sesile said with a laugh. "If you think carrying only one is so bad."
"One is enough for me," Adele said as she held her hands up in protest.
"This time, it will be. You will have more children. Wait and see."
Smiling, Adele rubbed the top of her stomach where the child was pressing and kicking gently. She had hoped it to be a son, for the world needed more men like her husband, although she knew that Talen wanted a daughter. Whatever the child's sex, he or she would be loved either way, but Adele knew in her heart that she carried a boy.
The door to the back of the house opened and Amiens came in with Aidan, who threw the pieces of wood he carried into the fire. Sitting at the table, the two men drank their coffee and ate their toast.
"How do you feel?" Amiens asked Adele as he watched a grimace take over her face.
"I hurt," she answered.
"Is it your back?"
"Yes, and thankfully that is all," she lied. Her back hurt, yes, but she had woken that morning after Talen had gone, to the feel of a harsh rumbling in her stomach that had caused much discomfort and worry.
"Understandable," he said. "Where is that husband of yours? He has horses to tend to. Airsyn as well."
"They are already at the stable, tending to the animals," Sesile said.
Nodding, Amiens took a bite of his toast.
"Snow is on its way."
"Snow?" Adele asked.
"Aye, and a damn good lot of it by the way the sky to the west looks. The sky may be clear here, but a cloud bank is on its way, and the air is getting colder."
"Airsyn came through this morning and said that it would not snow for weeks!"
"Well, he'll be wrong by tomorrow. Maybe tonight, but I'm not sure."
Amiens stood and finished his coffee, giving the mug to Sesile and kissing her on the cheek before walking out the back door, calling for Aidan to follow him. The two men made their way out to the stable to help Airsyn and Talen with the animals.
Talen was in the middle of feeding his horse when Amiens and Aidan came in.
"And to what do we owe this honor?" he asked with amusement.
"Hold your tongue," Amiens said with a smile playing at his lips. "After we finish with this, we need to start chopping wood and gathering winter supplies for the house. There is a promise of snow in the air."
Airsyn peered over the edge of the loft above and looked down at his father in frustration.
"It will not snow for weeks!"
"Do not contradict me, boy," Amiens growled. "Just finish your work so we can get the rest of our chores done."
Airsyn sighed and tossed a bail of hay off of the loft and onto the floor below, narrowly missing Amiens' head.
~~--~~*~~--~~
The back door opened and slammed loudly as Talen walked in the house holding a few pieces of wood for the fire. A dusting of snow covered his hair and lined his shoulders; his face was red from the wind that howled outside. He set the logs next to the fireplace and checked on the already burning fire before laying out on the floor with his head laying against Adele's leg.
"How much snow is falling?" Adele asked as she ran her fingers through Talen's hair, her fingers becoming wet from the melted snow.
"Amiens was correct in saying that the snow would move in tonight, but there is not much of it. Not yet, anyway," he answered.
"The ground will be covered by the morning," Amiens said from his chair in the corner. "Mark my word about that."
"How long do you think this weather will hold?"
"A few days," Amiens said thoughtfully. "Could be a week, although I never was good at predicting the length of the weather. Just when it would come in."
Looking pleased with himself, Amiens sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, ready for a good nap. Sesile sat in a chair next to him and shook her head at her husband's conceitedness.
"Oh!" Adele exclaimed loudly as she put a hand on her stomach.
Everyone's attention turned to her, and Talen sat up on his elbows to look at her.
"What is it?" he asked.
"He kicks very roughly," she said with a small smile. "It is quite uncomfortable sometimes."
Laughing, Talen laid back down content to nap with his wife nearby and a fire to keep them warm.
~~--~~~*~~--~~
"This is taking too long," Talen said as he paced back and forth in front of the fireplace. "Why is it taking so long?"
"Sit down, boy. Stop asking so many questions. I'm sure everything is going fine," Amiens said as he lit his pipe and took in some of the smoke.
Talen sat down in the nearest chair and put his head in his hands, gripping at his hair as if he were going to pull it out. His body shook with nervousness as he waited for a sign from the bedroom that all was well. Any sign at all.
It had started after midnight as Adele got up to get a drink of water. She had doubled over and fallen to the floor. Talen had heard the fall and was at her side in a second, helping her to stand and sit back on the edge of the bed.
The contractions had started not long after that, and soon Adele was in the throws of labor, leaving Talen helpless.
"I'm going in there," he said as he stood, taking several strides toward the hallway.
Airsyn and Aidan stood, each grabbing one of his arms to push him back to his seat.
"You will stay out here with the rest of us," Aidan said with a glare.
"There is nothing any of us can do," Aidan said. "If Sesile needs you, she'll call."
Talen sighed and nodded at his cousins, willing them to release him. He sat down and turned his head toward the fire, taking in the flames with a detached stare. For hours, it seemed, he sat there staring at the dancing shades of orange and yellow and red.
Several hundred miles away in Emyn Arnen, Faramir, the Steward of Gondor, sat staring into his own fireplace. He had been dreaming the previous night about his brother. It was not the first dream about Boromir. No, there had been many; all of which were leading him to believe that his brother was still alive.
"What are you thinking?" Éowyn said as she came to stand behind her husband.
"I think of my brother," he said as he reached a hand up to grasp his wife's hand, pulling her into his lap.
"Do you still believe that he is alive?"
"Aye, there is not enough evidence to prove that he is dead. My dreams are too real to ignore."
Éowyn kissed Faramir's cheek and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I hope you are right. I would not like to see you disappointed."
Faramir sighed and continued to stare at the flames, watching them as they began to die to a pile of glowing embers.
Talen snapped out of his trance as the door to the bedroom creaked open. Sesile walked out, wiping her hands on a rag. She looked at Talen and motioned for him to follow her. The other watched with worry as he stood and walked.
"She is asking for you," Sesile said as they stood outside of the door. "She wants you to be there."
"Has she given birth yet?" Talen asked hopefully.
"No, but she is close."
"This has been going on all day!" Talen exclaimed. "It's nearly dusk now!"
"These things take time, Talen. Now calm yourself and be strong for her."
Talen nodded and followed Sesile into the bedroom. Nausea washed over him as he stepped in the room. The first thing he smelled was blood, and a lot of it. Adele was sitting up with her head against the headboard of the bed. She was pale and sweating.
"Talen," she said breathlessly.
Walking over to her and sitting on the edge of the bed, Talen took his wife's hand and kissed it.
"I cannot do this for much longer," she said as a tear fell form her eye. "It's too much."
"If I can come back from the dead, then you can bring life into this world. I know you can."
Adele closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as the next contraction hit her fiercely. She gripped Talen's hand tightly, her knuckles turning white as she pushed at Sesile's command.
"I can see the baby's head," Sesile said as Adele slacked off, taking in even, steady breaths. "Another good push and you'll have a child in your arms."
Talen smiled and leaned down, kissing Adele's forehead.
"One more, my love. Only one more."
Adele dug her nials into Talen's hand and pushed with all of her might as colorful spots danced in front of her eyes. She could feel her grasp on consciousness failing as the pain increased, and then came to a descending halt.
A moment of tense silence followed as Adele opened her eyes to look up at Talen's smiling face, and then to Sesile's as she looked to the small child in her hands who began wailing like there was no tomorrow.
"Your son," Sesile said, as she wrapped the babe in a soft blanket that had been knitted for the occassion.
Talen took the child carefully and carried him to Adele, settling him in his mother's waiting arms. Crying, Adele looked down to her child, touching his face and his hands, counting each of the tiny fingers.
"Beautiful," Talen breathed as he leaned down to kiss Adele. "Absolutely beautiful."
"He looks like you," she said with a smile.
"He has your eyes."
Sesile smiled and left the new parents with their child for some time alone. She thought it best to inform the rest of the family on the new occupant of the house. Walking out into the living room, three pairs of expectant eyes met her, and waited on her to speak.
"It's a boy," she proclaimed, a smile pulling at her lips. "A healthy baby boy."
"That's good news," Airsyn said.
"Wonderful," Aidan added.
Amiens simply nodded and went back to smoking his pipe, staring into the dying flames of the fire.