Prologue
919 Words
PrologueCarthinal sat working at the table in the rooms that he and Yssa shared in the Mage Tower of Hambara. He had moved in after their wedding, but they both knew they would have to move out soon after their child was born. It was due in a couple of sixdays and they had decided that they would have to find a house in the city as soon as the birth occurred. He glanced over at his wife who was sitting before the fire and sewing a blanket for the child's crib. It was a cool day at the end of autumn, and so they had decided to light a fire. The Winter Solstice was in four sixdays and they were hoping to join in with the celebrations, assuming the birth of their child allowed it.
He was working on a translation from Elvish to Grosmerian, set for him by Yssa. He wanted to be able to help her in her work of translating the ancient spell-books that he, Basalt and Randa had found in a secret room in the Duke's Palace. Although he was a half-elf, his parents had died while he was still very young, and he had not learned much of the language of his father.
Yssa, a beautiful golden-blonde elf, insisted that he learn to speak modern Elvish first, not only for the translations, but also so that they could speak Elvish to their child. Neither of them wished for the infant to grow up with no knowledge of its mother's tongue, so he worked on at his task.
He and Yssa had married that summer after Carthinal returned from his quest to find Sauvern's Sword for Duke Rollo. She had become pregnant after they had had a brief affair before Carthinal left. He did not love her, although he felt friendship and respect for her, but he had felt obliged to marry her to give their child a name. Elven children born out of wedlock were given a hard time.
Carthinal looked up as he heard Yssa give a sharp intake of breath.
'What is it?' he asked.
'I think the baby's coming,' replied his wife.
The half-elf looked anxious. 'Are you sure?' he asked. 'What do I do?'
'Nothing at the moment. Just wait.'
'Should I send for the midwife?'
'Not yet. The pains are still quite spaced out and not very strong. I think I'll walk around for a bit.'
Eventually, after what seemed like days, but was only hours, she said, 'Find Tomac and tell him to go and get Harretta. I think it's nearly the time for her to come.'
Carthinal flew down the stairs to the library where he found the young apprentice. Tomac had been one of his fellow apprentices before the death of their master, Mabryl, and before Carthinal's success in passing the tests that all mages were required to take before becoming admitted to the full fellowship of the Tower. He quickly told the young man to go for the midwife, Harretta.
Tomac, brushing back the lock of black hair that insisted on falling over his eyes, leaped up and ran to the door of the Tower, without thinking to pick up a cloak in spite of the cold.
Carthinal returned to the rooms he shared with Yssa where he paced over to the window on the opposite side of the room and sat on the window seat looking down over the town. He sat there for a long time thinking.
Harretta had arrived some hours earlier and taken Yssa into the bedroom, leaving Carthinal in the living room with his thoughts. There were still some lights in windows although it was the eighteenth hour of the day, but as he watched, they were gradually extinguished. He paced the room for a while before sitting down on one of the two sofas in front of the fire.
Then there came the sound of birds twittering. Carthinal woke up with a start. He must have fallen asleep. He was stiff with sleeping in an awkward position and he stood up and stretched. He rolled his shoulders. It was the first hour of the day and he walked to the window. Dawn was just breaking over in the east. He glanced at the bedroom door. It was shut tight. He listened. He thought he could hear Yssa's panting breath. How long was this going to take?
There was a knock on the door. It opened and admitted Emmienne, the other apprentice that Yssa had taken on from Mabryl. She was carrying a tray, which she set down on the table.
'I thought you'd like something to eat, Carthinal,' she said, smiling at the young man.
'Thank you, Emm,' replied the half-elf distantly, 'That was very thoughtful of you.'
The girl smiled again and was gone before they could say anything more.
Suddenly there was the cry of a baby. Carthinal's eyes went wide with wonder and a grin broke out on his face. Then the door of the bedroom opened and Harretta came out.
'You can go in and see your wife now,' she told Carthinal. 'She's very tired, so don't stay too long. It was not an easy birth, but everything is fine now.'
Carthinal entered the room slowly and looked at Yssa. She was lying propped up on pillows with her beautiful golden hair damp with sweat. Her nightgown was white and had obviously been changed. In her arms she was holding a small bundle. Carthinal crept slowly through the door feeling like a little boy again.
Yssa smiled. 'Come and meet your daughter, Carthinal,' she said softly.
Part 1
Grnff
- Writer
