Goat Ewe (January 3010) - [Ceolmund]
Oct 24, 2017 14:33:25 GMT -5
Post by Runa on Oct 24, 2017 14:33:25 GMT -5
“Ceol,” Runa gasped, the sound mixed with delight and despair. Truthfully, the thought of keeping the precious little child had crossed her mind many times before this night, before she even knew she was to be a wife. There had been an unspoken, instant bond between the two of them, and Runa was one of the few people in the city, other than the soldiers, who knew that when the farmers and breeders out in the Mark were set upon by orcs, the likelihood any were left alive were so incredibly small.
Still, for Paega, she had prayed that the family had defied the odds. Every day that passed, though, made it seem more and more unlikely that news of Paega’s family would turn up anything positive. “I was going to keep her,” she said quietly. “If no news came of her family. Before I had husband. I had spoken to Mama about it, and Papa. They had said they would love to have her. I didn’t want to ask you—not when we’re so new to us, to this…” She smiled and eagerly pressed her lips to his, gripping her fingers tight through his hair. “I…I hope you find them,” she added thoughtfully. “But if you can’t I think she will be very happy here.”
“Perhaps when I am up for the walk, we should go to the market, and look for little doll for her. Think how pleased she would be. We should see if we could find one with curly little ringlets like her. I do not have any little children's things here to keep her company, though Jodis would play with her too I am certain. Hailve could help watch her while we are working.”
Runa’s heart was humming as he spoke. Her hands began to roam, light fingers tracing the contour of his arms, then down his chest. “You will be a great father,” she whispered to him delightedly, her hands reaching for him eagerly, her lips beginning to blissfully shower his jaw with attention. He had always been so gentle, so thoughtful, so kind. Already he held more care for this little girl that was not of his blood than some received from their own parents.
Perhaps Elin was why he was like this. Maybe Elin was the nightmare that had set him to forging fires and turned her son into the greatest beacon of Edoras.
Ceolmund, though, seemed caught up by a memory, and Runa’s eager kisses did not immediately draw him this time. Slowly, Runa slowed her pursuit of him, and as he began to speak, she listened, the joy in her chest giving way to ire, and sorrow.
“I was still crying when we got home; and the boys in the street saw me. They already thought poorly on me; they had seen me cry before... then Mother told them I was crying over a silly doll for babies... that's when they... well. You saw what they were like, even years later, after I met you and Beortric.”
Yes, she had. Boys with hearts like iron, and no hope of becoming half the man Ceolmund was even at that age. She had taken care of them once using naught but a wooden sword. She frowned, though the motion was not for Ceolmund. “They are lucky that you did not have my temper,” she told him lowly. “You were tall enough even then to take them all at once, if you’d wanted.” She paused. “They could not even stop me!”
“You were always ten times the man they could ever hope to become,” Runa added seriously. “You did not deserve the way they treated you.” That was why she had come to his defense in the first place; Ceolmund was a giant, and so incredibly strong. But never once had she seen him harm someone for threatening him. Even with the Eored, he only fought to save the people behind him. “And that witch does not deserve to call you son.”
He mentioned that likely his grandmother had kept the button. Perhaps she could find it. Perhaps she could sew him a stuffed horse and have it wait for him upon their bed when he returned from his next ride. She would need to remember to look.
“I suppose you're my little doll now. And not ever so defenseless. Nobody will ever take you from me, now that I have you. I do not wish to hear the word 'divorce' for the rest of my days. I will never say it to you again, and I will never let another suggest it.”
He kissed her, tightened the blanket about her shoulders and pressed her nearer him. He looked at her, so lovingly, so assuring, his hand gently cupped about her chin. Runa smiled, the expression almost dreamy, her eyes watering and dancing in the firelight. “I wish I had known how bad it was, Ceol,” she said. “I wish I had found you sooner. You deserved so much better than what I saw, and I did not see enough.” She paused, lifting a hand to grip at his wrist. “I love you, Ceolmund. I will make sure things get better.”
Still, for Paega, she had prayed that the family had defied the odds. Every day that passed, though, made it seem more and more unlikely that news of Paega’s family would turn up anything positive. “I was going to keep her,” she said quietly. “If no news came of her family. Before I had husband. I had spoken to Mama about it, and Papa. They had said they would love to have her. I didn’t want to ask you—not when we’re so new to us, to this…” She smiled and eagerly pressed her lips to his, gripping her fingers tight through his hair. “I…I hope you find them,” she added thoughtfully. “But if you can’t I think she will be very happy here.”
“Perhaps when I am up for the walk, we should go to the market, and look for little doll for her. Think how pleased she would be. We should see if we could find one with curly little ringlets like her. I do not have any little children's things here to keep her company, though Jodis would play with her too I am certain. Hailve could help watch her while we are working.”
Runa’s heart was humming as he spoke. Her hands began to roam, light fingers tracing the contour of his arms, then down his chest. “You will be a great father,” she whispered to him delightedly, her hands reaching for him eagerly, her lips beginning to blissfully shower his jaw with attention. He had always been so gentle, so thoughtful, so kind. Already he held more care for this little girl that was not of his blood than some received from their own parents.
Perhaps Elin was why he was like this. Maybe Elin was the nightmare that had set him to forging fires and turned her son into the greatest beacon of Edoras.
Ceolmund, though, seemed caught up by a memory, and Runa’s eager kisses did not immediately draw him this time. Slowly, Runa slowed her pursuit of him, and as he began to speak, she listened, the joy in her chest giving way to ire, and sorrow.
“I was still crying when we got home; and the boys in the street saw me. They already thought poorly on me; they had seen me cry before... then Mother told them I was crying over a silly doll for babies... that's when they... well. You saw what they were like, even years later, after I met you and Beortric.”
Yes, she had. Boys with hearts like iron, and no hope of becoming half the man Ceolmund was even at that age. She had taken care of them once using naught but a wooden sword. She frowned, though the motion was not for Ceolmund. “They are lucky that you did not have my temper,” she told him lowly. “You were tall enough even then to take them all at once, if you’d wanted.” She paused. “They could not even stop me!”
“You were always ten times the man they could ever hope to become,” Runa added seriously. “You did not deserve the way they treated you.” That was why she had come to his defense in the first place; Ceolmund was a giant, and so incredibly strong. But never once had she seen him harm someone for threatening him. Even with the Eored, he only fought to save the people behind him. “And that witch does not deserve to call you son.”
He mentioned that likely his grandmother had kept the button. Perhaps she could find it. Perhaps she could sew him a stuffed horse and have it wait for him upon their bed when he returned from his next ride. She would need to remember to look.
“I suppose you're my little doll now. And not ever so defenseless. Nobody will ever take you from me, now that I have you. I do not wish to hear the word 'divorce' for the rest of my days. I will never say it to you again, and I will never let another suggest it.”
He kissed her, tightened the blanket about her shoulders and pressed her nearer him. He looked at her, so lovingly, so assuring, his hand gently cupped about her chin. Runa smiled, the expression almost dreamy, her eyes watering and dancing in the firelight. “I wish I had known how bad it was, Ceol,” she said. “I wish I had found you sooner. You deserved so much better than what I saw, and I did not see enough.” She paused, lifting a hand to grip at his wrist. “I love you, Ceolmund. I will make sure things get better.”