[Nexus] HT's plots

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

"It is. We hadn't realized word was out yet. It's truly a joyous day." Ardrim sounds sincere, but internally he' frustrated. How many more had seen her? And more importantly, how many saw that she was pregnant? "She's resting right now from her journey."

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey

"How is she? What happened to her? Why didn't you send for me at once?" Gamaliel asks. "Why did you leave me to find out from my servant?"

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

"We wanted to give her some time to rest first, Brother. You're right, however, we should have told you at least." Ardrim has to accept that there's no hiding anything from Gamaliel. "She's... well. She was captured by slavers, but appears to be doing well now." He looks conflicted for a moment before saying. "What I'm going to tell you next needs to be kept secret. For her sake more than anyone's. Can you promise me it won't leave this house?"

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey

"Slavers? Good gods!" Gamaliel goes pale. Well, paler than usual. He's a scholar, so is naturally rather pale. "Yes, of course. I give you my word," he promises as once.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

"Renetta is pregnant. The child of one of those... monsters." He says, appropriately somber and with just a touch of disgust directed toward the slavers.

Lydia, meanwhile, lets her distress show clear on her face at hearing this again. Just to think that her daughter was abused in that way.

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey

Gamaliel lowers his head, tears filling his eyes. It's some time before he can bring himself to speak, and then it's just to murmur. "Poor Rettie. Oh my poor Rettie."

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Ardrim nods slowly. "It is indeed tragic, but she's with us again, and that's what's important. I just fear how people will look at her while she's carrying that child. I wish we didn't have to, but it's best if we keep things quiet for the time being." He sighs and rubs his eyes. "I only hope that she will be able to move on after this."

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey

Gamaliel misses the implications right away, too grieved and infuriated to catch that his brother just admitted that he intends to keep Renetta isolated for months. "And what was done to the men who abused her?"

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

"Renetta has told us they have been brought to justice." He replies.

"I hope they were executed." Lydia adds bitterly. "Imprisonment is too good for their like."

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey

"I imagine she wants to be rid of the... results." Gamaliel says, squeezing the bridge of his nose. "There are... ways, depending on how long it's been. It can be quite painful though."


Choice for Ghar to make:

Spoiler

Show

1. What Gamaliel is suggesting is highly frowned upon, if not outright illegal. Given their lifespan, elven fertility must be quite low, or they'd outnumber every other species.

2. Elves mastered birth control a long time ago in their history, and they consider ending an unplanned pregnancy as a necessary way to reduce their numbers.

3. Some other cultural attitude about it.

Given the elven sense of superiority and specialness, my bets are on door number one, as I have a hard time imagining them not choosing to outbreed humans if they could, so my gut instinct goes with 1. But obviously it's Ghar's choice.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Option 1 is a go.

Ardrim nods. "It's an option certainly. It might be the best cho-"

Lydia blinks. "You tw-" She looks at Samual who is waiting nearby dutifully for any orders. "Samual, inform the cook that he needs to prepar tomorrow morning's meal an hour earier, would you." Samual bows and leaves.

She turns on the two men, clearly not happy. "You can't possibly be suggesting what I think you are."

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey

"If it helps her forget - if it makes it easier for her to finally have the ordeal over with, so she can start to move on with her life - " Gamaliel is overcome again, as he thinks of his precious, beautiful, innocent niece being abused - and then punished by having to carry a child that she could never love, who would never be anything more than a reminder of horror.

((naptime))

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey - Renetta's Room

The Wolfen holds her close and strokes her cheek gently. "Sleep, and then we'll be gone from here tomorrow." He says, giving her a gentle nuzzle. He didn't like having to leave her family, but if she was already this torn up about things, its needed. No family reunion should end like this.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

"He's right, Lydia. This is the best option before us." Ardrim says.

Lydia shakes her head. "I won't have any part of this. If you have any sense, you won't either." And with that she leaves the room.

---

1
Renetta nods. "Yeah... I wish I got the chance to see my uncle." No doubt he would have treated her very different than her parents. As unfortunate as that is.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey - Renetta's Room

Waterstrider wraps his left arm under her head and pulls it close to him gently to help support her head against his chest. His good paw runs over her side slowly, moving over her pregnant stomach in an attempt to get her to feel good and to relax. "Do you want to stop by his place as we leave?" He asks, taking a deep breath of her scent to see if she's okay physically.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey - Renetta's Room]

Renetta seems fine physically. Exhausted, but even that is mostly mentally and emotionally. The elf sighs and smiles faintly at his gentle touch. "Maybe, just for a bit. I'd like to see him once before we leave."

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Waterstrider smiles at her gently and leans down to nuzzle her forehead. "Then sleep. We'll see him tomorrow." He promises quietly.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey - Renetta's Room]

Renetta murmurs something along the lines of 'Okay' and closes her eyes. It won't be too long before she's fast asleep.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey - Renetta's Room

The Wolfen knows it'd be best for him to stay awake, in case someone walks in, but he's tired and emotionally exhausted. He quickly follows Renetta's example and falls asleep in what is likely the softest bed he's ever been on.

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey - Main Room

"Where is the Wolfen? He was the one who rescued her?" Gamaliel asks, after a long silence.

[Gullara]

[Mother Soon's Journey - Main Room]

Ardrim sighs and rubs his eyes. Too many troubles in one day. "He left not long ago. He was also a victim of the slavers. I imagine he has his own people to return to." He answers.

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey - Main Room

Gamaliel nods, and eventually nods off in the chair. He isn't about to go home until he sees Rettie, but emotional exhaustion takes its toll.

(time skip to morning?)

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

Relatively early the next morning, Ardrim and Lydia are up and about. The former is going to check if his brother is still asleep while the latter is instructing Samuel to get a tray of food and bring it up to Renetta's room soon.

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey - Downstairs

Gamaliel is a light sleeper. He'll awaken as soon as the household is moving, groaning in pain from his leg. "Is she awake? Can I see her?"

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

"We were just about to take her meal up to her. You can see her." And then, a bit later, presumably they'll be headed to Renetta's room.

They stop outside the room and knock. "Renetta, are you awake?" After pausing a moment longer, they enter the now mysteriously unlocked room.

Neither of the parents are happy with what they find. "Renetta! What is going on here?" While Lydia is merely shocked, Ardrim shows his anger quite clearly.

"Father!" Renetta starts awake, and would bolt up if not for the wolfen's arms around her. Instead she sits up with a tad more difficulty, giving Waterstrider's a shake as she does so. She knew it was coming, but it didn't make her any calmer now.

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey

Behind the shocked parents is Gamaliel, leaning on his staff. He is also shocked at seeing her in bed with a Wolfen, and shocked at seeing how far along her pregnancy is. But both of those are lessened by his joy at simply seeing her alive.

"Rettie!" His eyes well up with tears again, as he steps into the room.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

Waterstrider sits up when Renetta does, blinking away the sleepiness and giving the air a small sniff as he waits for his vision to clear. Renetta's Mother, father, and another relative were all there. Maybe that Uncle she had talked about. He keeps a paw on Renetta's shoulder to keep her steady and to reassure her. "I said I'd stay by her side." Waterstrider says, looking at Ardrim.

[Gullara]

[Mother-Soon's Journey]

"Uncle Gamaliel?" Renetta says, a smile spreading across her face when she sees him. That smile quickly fades, however.

"Get out of my daughter's bed this instant." Ardrim says through gritted teeth. He's about two seconds from calling the guards on him. It's a wonder he hasn't done so already.

"Father..." Renetta trails off, looking desperate.

[happyturtle]

Mother Soon's Journey

Gamaliel gives Ardrim a Look. He does not approve of tempers being lost in front of his niece, especially in her fragile condition. Of course, she shouldn't have a savage in her bed, but obviously she had come to feel dependent on the Wolfen. That dependence would need to be dealt with carefully.

"Ardrim, calm yourself. Rettie's been through too much already." He steps forward to give her a hug. Of course, he'll need to sit down soon. Those stairs weren't easy on him.

[UncleWolf]

Mother-Soon's Journey

"I am in it, because she wished for me to be." The Wolfen states gently before giving a somewhat grateful look to Renetta's Uncle. "But there is no cause to call guards. I am not here, to cause violence."