25th Zi'da, 717
It had been twenty trials since their bonds and marks, Immortal granted means of contact and magical means of communication, had all stopped working. He wouldn't have gone without those in place, Faith knew and, frankly, she would have wanted him to stay in that circumstance too. For the first five trials, they'd written to each other, missed each other, worried about each other but then, the fifth trial of Zi'da happened and all communication stopped working. Faith had been frantic, not knowing what to do or where to turn and since then, she had tried everything she could think of, pursued every avenue.
But, after the first few trials, where Katie had drugged her tea, Faith had started a habit.
She wrote to him.
Not on the echo scrolls, there was no point because they just reminded her that they weren't working. No, these were letters. Letters where she talked to him, told him what she'd tried to do, what she'd found. Where she was in her investigation and how she was going to find him. Full of facts, those letters, each one of them. Facts, pragmatic statements and moments of desperation all assigned to parchment, for him. The one she wrote, currently, had just mentioned how it was twenty trials, but that it could be twenty arcs and she knew that they would not stop looking for each other.
She had written about how much the baby had grown, Bun, as Faith called the bump, was doing well and Galena was happy with both of their development. Faith was looking at that part of the parchment and she sighed, then crossed that last bit out.
But, after the first few trials, where Katie had drugged her tea, Faith had started a habit.
She wrote to him.
Not on the echo scrolls, there was no point because they just reminded her that they weren't working. No, these were letters. Letters where she talked to him, told him what she'd tried to do, what she'd found. Where she was in her investigation and how she was going to find him. Full of facts, those letters, each one of them. Facts, pragmatic statements and moments of desperation all assigned to parchment, for him. The one she wrote, currently, had just mentioned how it was twenty trials, but that it could be twenty arcs and she knew that they would not stop looking for each other.
She had written about how much the baby had grown, Bun, as Faith called the bump, was doing well and Galena was happy with both of their development. Faith was looking at that part of the parchment and she sighed, then crossed that last bit out.
and she is pleased with both of our development. No, that is a lie. I wrote it to reassure you, which is ludicrous. She is happy with Bun's development but she is concerned that I am not eating or sleeping enough. I try my best, I promise you and I will endeavour to do better. Food makes me feel sick, even the thought of it. Eating often makes me physically sick. I don't know why, I think it is just part of the pregnancy for me. Maybe what I need is ____
The line was a smudge as Faith turned and stood at the same moment, her chair falling to the floor unnoticed. She had started to stand before he appeared, feeling something even before Cosmo did. The pregnancy had progressed apace, as it was prone to do in this last trimester, and Faith's stomach was more pronounced than it had been when it left.
"Padraig?" She looked at him as he appeared, unbelieving. "Am I dreaming you again?"
But she wasn't, she realised. He looked different, too. A cut on his face, thinner than he had been when he left and with the sort of drawn complexion which meant that he'd lost weight rapidly. She knew it, she saw it in the mirror reflected in her own face. She took a single, hesitant step forward as her eyes met his, just for a trill and then she ran to him, the tears flowing freely down her face as she fell into his arms, wrapping herself around him. "It's you? It's really you? " Her hands, like all the rest of her, were shaking violently but Faith paid no mind to that. Cosmo was jumping up at him, too, the dog's tail wagging twenty to the dozen. "Tell me, are you... are you alright? I was so...." She stopped the pointless, jumbled talking and the equally futile searching to check for wounds and she wrapped her hands behind his head, pulling him to her and her to him as she kissed him. "Welcome home." Faith whispered, holding on to him.
With her held so close against him, he felt the baby kicking as well as she did and he saw, on the table where she had been working, a pile of letters twenty trials deep.
"Padraig?" She looked at him as he appeared, unbelieving. "Am I dreaming you again?"
But she wasn't, she realised. He looked different, too. A cut on his face, thinner than he had been when he left and with the sort of drawn complexion which meant that he'd lost weight rapidly. She knew it, she saw it in the mirror reflected in her own face. She took a single, hesitant step forward as her eyes met his, just for a trill and then she ran to him, the tears flowing freely down her face as she fell into his arms, wrapping herself around him. "It's you? It's really you? " Her hands, like all the rest of her, were shaking violently but Faith paid no mind to that. Cosmo was jumping up at him, too, the dog's tail wagging twenty to the dozen. "Tell me, are you... are you alright? I was so...." She stopped the pointless, jumbled talking and the equally futile searching to check for wounds and she wrapped her hands behind his head, pulling him to her and her to him as she kissed him. "Welcome home." Faith whispered, holding on to him.
With her held so close against him, he felt the baby kicking as well as she did and he saw, on the table where she had been working, a pile of letters twenty trials deep.