Maybe

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 27th January 2010

Characters: Alydelle, Leisenn
Description: Alydelle finds somebody talking to her baby.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 7, day 10 of Turn 5

"Well," said Leisenn when she found the babe in a cradle in one of the rooms set aside for children and their mothers. She had been speaking to the wives and womenfolk while the majority of the Hall's dolphineers were taking advantage of the predicted perfect day to be on the water.

But now she was done; most of the women had gathered up their children and gone, and the few that were left were on the other side of the large room, laughing and chatting and seemingly not in any rush to get to their own quarters. Their children were ranged around the room, some reading, some playing alone or in groups. And this baby. This very new baby in a cradle in the corner.

It could only be one child and Leisenn peered into the cradle, trying to see a resemblance to either the father or mother.

Alydelle slipped into the room without a sound. Classes were over for the day. That didn't mean her work was done, however. While Alydelle had specialised instruction during her pregnancy, she still had catching up to do. But...she just wanted to check on Eylai. The child was going to grow up without her for the most part, but Alydelle couldn't help it. Every so often she had to check in on the child who had grown inside her womb. She had never realised she would care so much for the child, especially considering how the baby came about.

The young apprentice didn't stop when she saw a form over the cradle. There was always someone with the children. She did, however, freeze when she came closer and realised it wasn't one of the workers over the babe, but Master Leisenn. Her eyes drew wide. What was she doing there?

Leisenn lightly touched a tiny hand that was outside the light coverlet, and unlike its mate, not curled but splayed wide. "Good hands for a dolphineer," she murmured with a smile.

Alydelle glanced back at the door. Should she retreat? She wasn't sure if she was supposed to even visit the baby now that she had fostered. Eylai yawned at the touch upon her hand. Her eyes blinked open, then shut again. She was too tired to take much notice of the woman hovering over her. Alydelle decided to make a retreat and turned to head back toward the door. She'd visit Eylai later.

"Where are you running off to?" Leisenn asked the apprentice when the girl's movement caught her attention.

Alydelle froze and winced, then slowly turned back around. "Oh um. Nowhere." So much for going unnoticed. The girl flushed and looked down at the floor where she shuffled her feet.

"Aren't you going to come and see her?" Leisenn moved aside. "I've just been telling her she's going to be a dolphineer."

"You were?" Alydelle hadn't really been listening to what the Dolphineer had been telling the child. She halted her retreat and resumed the trek back to the cradle. The young woman gazed down at the child who didn't stir as her audience doubled. "You...think so?"

"Why not? She'll grow up here and her hands are nice and big. Such a help to have nice big hands in the water." The Hallmaster glanced down at her own wrinkled and weathered hands and remembered her own desire that they were bigger and stronger so that she wasn't at a disadvantage when compared to the men in the craft.

"Oh." Alydelle hadn't thought of that. Would her daughter go into the craft as well? That future was so far away, it was hard for her to imagine. "Maybe." The child stirred but didn't awaken and Alydelle reached out to caress one of the hands. Big, perhaps for a baby, but tiny compared to her own.

"Too early, you think? You have no idea how fast time will go now you're a mother. Don't waste it, Alydelle. Being a dolphineer is important - nobody would argue that point with me - but being your child's mother, even when your child is fostered, is a fleeting thing."

Alydelle wasn't sure about that. She hardly saw the child, just stolen moments when she had time, which wasn't much. She took note of how quickly the child grew. Perhaps Master Leisenn was right. It was still hard to imagine. "I guess." The girl let her hand slip away from the baby, then she turned, back to the child. "I gotta get back."

Leisenn nodded. "All right. But make sure you come and see her every day. And if any of the masters or journey-folk say anything about that, you tell them it's on my orders."

She couldn't graft her experience and regrets onto the younger woman but there were a few things she could do. She would speak to the Master of Apprentices about it, as well, so that he knew her opinion on the matter.

"Okay." The girl offered a fleeting smile. She started to go, but Alydelle only took one step before she turned back around. "Thank you Master Leisenn." Then the girl fairly fled, leaving Master and child behind.

Last updated on the January 31st 2010

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