10th Vhalar, 719
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Faith was exhausted, he knew that. They'd spent some time together in Karem's realm the four of them and that had been lovely. But for all that she put on a smile and a brave face to the rest of the world, everything that had happened had hit the young woman and hit her hard. She had been unprepared on every level for the attack and then, for being a general. Faith had, of course, done her best and Padraig had seen the toll it took on her. But what had been worse than anything, the worst of all of it, was the encounter in Uthaldria, in the hidden Coven base, where she had seen how Rose was - somehow - tied up in Ellasin's past. There, Faith had held their daughter for just a moment and there, the little girl had literally crumbled to dust in her arms.
It had hurt her more than anything had ever hurt her.
She hadn't tried to hide it from him, there was no point. Besides, she'd finally found something which was too big an emotion to put into her hands and so, Faith had just done her best to swallow it down, to ignore it. Because she simply couldn't deal with it as it was, so she made sure that she didn't think about it. It wasn't healthy and, eventually, it would out, she knew. But up till now it was just too raw, too much, too painful. After all, she needed to be able to put one foot in front of the other and to function for the sake of the children if nothing else. So, that's what she had done. She had focused on the twins and poured all her love, attention and focus into them.
But, of course, she still had duties. Things to do. Padraig thought she should take more time off, Faith knew, but she had to get back to some kind of normal and so, she'd been off to Viden in the day time for the last few days, but she'd been glad to come home and be with the three of them. The twins, nearly two arcs old now, soon to celebrate their second birthday in fact, were chatty and giggly. Their personalities had continued to develop in the way that they'd been, frankly, since birth. Noah, with his mop of brown hair and pale silver eyes remained the determined, scrappy one of the two. Most of the time he simply sat back and watched, content to let his sister do the talking and the working out. But when it came down to it, he was the one who would face a challenge head on. Madison seemed to be almost his reverse, physically. She had her mother's black hair and eyes the deep golden colour of Padraig. Ever the curious one of the two, she was always looking, searching, trying to work out. Their Velduris wolves, Starr and Nova, were constant companions and it was there, in their home in Rharne, that Faith was able to just be herself.
Katie had, of course, spoken to Padraig about her concern for Faith. Katie saw a young woman barely older than a child herself and, frankly, Katie felt that Faith had been pushed beyond any reasonable human limits. If she could have a chat with this Ellasin character, Katie told Padraig passionately, then she'd be giving her a talking to and then some.
However.
Faith was due home, any moment, and Padraig - by virtue of their shared bonds, knew when she got there, of course. As the front door opened, Padraig could sense that Faith was feeling ... unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She was elated, terrified, and most certainly in shock. She was stunned, to her core. The depths of her feelings were such that, as they walked in to the house, her hand firmly clasping that of their daughter, Faith felt and heard Padraig move. He was worried, she knew. Worried about her and what she was feeling, because he could sense it.
He was going to come out here, out into their hallway, and he was going to see their daughter. Faith knew her husband and so, she dropped to her heels where she was and she turned Rose around by the shoulders, to face her. That way, when Padraig came in, charging in to save her, he would have a moment of him knowing before Rose saw him. He'd need that, she knew. The emotions would hit him, just as they had her.
So, when Padraig burst out of the living room, into the hallway, there was Faith, kneeling and looking at a child. A child with long hair, tied back in a neat braid with a ribbon. Faith didn't look at Padraig, she didn't have to. He'd already realised, she knew. But to buy him the time he needed, she said to their daughter, very solemnly. "Welcome home, Rose." Rose, for her part, smiled and kissed Faith's nose. Then she turned and looked at her father. Faith watched with bated breath as the little girl looked at him with a question in her eyes. One that only he could answer.
It had hurt her more than anything had ever hurt her.
She hadn't tried to hide it from him, there was no point. Besides, she'd finally found something which was too big an emotion to put into her hands and so, Faith had just done her best to swallow it down, to ignore it. Because she simply couldn't deal with it as it was, so she made sure that she didn't think about it. It wasn't healthy and, eventually, it would out, she knew. But up till now it was just too raw, too much, too painful. After all, she needed to be able to put one foot in front of the other and to function for the sake of the children if nothing else. So, that's what she had done. She had focused on the twins and poured all her love, attention and focus into them.
But, of course, she still had duties. Things to do. Padraig thought she should take more time off, Faith knew, but she had to get back to some kind of normal and so, she'd been off to Viden in the day time for the last few days, but she'd been glad to come home and be with the three of them. The twins, nearly two arcs old now, soon to celebrate their second birthday in fact, were chatty and giggly. Their personalities had continued to develop in the way that they'd been, frankly, since birth. Noah, with his mop of brown hair and pale silver eyes remained the determined, scrappy one of the two. Most of the time he simply sat back and watched, content to let his sister do the talking and the working out. But when it came down to it, he was the one who would face a challenge head on. Madison seemed to be almost his reverse, physically. She had her mother's black hair and eyes the deep golden colour of Padraig. Ever the curious one of the two, she was always looking, searching, trying to work out. Their Velduris wolves, Starr and Nova, were constant companions and it was there, in their home in Rharne, that Faith was able to just be herself.
Katie had, of course, spoken to Padraig about her concern for Faith. Katie saw a young woman barely older than a child herself and, frankly, Katie felt that Faith had been pushed beyond any reasonable human limits. If she could have a chat with this Ellasin character, Katie told Padraig passionately, then she'd be giving her a talking to and then some.
However.
Faith was due home, any moment, and Padraig - by virtue of their shared bonds, knew when she got there, of course. As the front door opened, Padraig could sense that Faith was feeling ... unlike anything she'd ever felt before. She was elated, terrified, and most certainly in shock. She was stunned, to her core. The depths of her feelings were such that, as they walked in to the house, her hand firmly clasping that of their daughter, Faith felt and heard Padraig move. He was worried, she knew. Worried about her and what she was feeling, because he could sense it.
He was going to come out here, out into their hallway, and he was going to see their daughter. Faith knew her husband and so, she dropped to her heels where she was and she turned Rose around by the shoulders, to face her. That way, when Padraig came in, charging in to save her, he would have a moment of him knowing before Rose saw him. He'd need that, she knew. The emotions would hit him, just as they had her.
So, when Padraig burst out of the living room, into the hallway, there was Faith, kneeling and looking at a child. A child with long hair, tied back in a neat braid with a ribbon. Faith didn't look at Padraig, she didn't have to. He'd already realised, she knew. But to buy him the time he needed, she said to their daughter, very solemnly. "Welcome home, Rose." Rose, for her part, smiled and kissed Faith's nose. Then she turned and looked at her father. Faith watched with bated breath as the little girl looked at him with a question in her eyes. One that only he could answer.
