The Child Born of Women (A novel)

[Galadria]

Okay, OKAY Memsy. Geez, I did what Mouse said did't I? And, as far as I can tell, my "audience" consists of my dear Calaethis, who is the only reason I am posting this. Some more, all suitable for all ages.

So, they all retired to their own rooms, but not necessarily for sleep. Galadria, for her part, went directly to her study and drew forth from the drawers and shelves many curious articles, books, and scrolls. She, not Chorania, she grimly thought, was responsible for the safety of this house and its inhabitants, all dear to her, including the newest one. Not only by prayers to various fickle godlets did they sleep in safety, night after night. She began renewing wards and protection spells, including one curious one that was whispered to her by a dying gnomish wizard, that kept the whole house free of spiders.
Noemi tossed and turned for a bit, then put her clothes back on and went out into the hall. Galadria and Attalus' bedroom door was ajar, and a quick peek showed the bedclothes to be undisturbed. She went on downstairs and, as she suspected she would, saw lights in her sister's study, and heard her voice chanting some spell. She went soundlessly in, so as not to disturb her.
She was rewarded with the sight of Galadria standing before her great table, a spellbook open in front of her, making cabalistic passes and uttering phrases in some harsh language unfamiliar to her. When that spell was concluded, she felt a curious tingling, and concluded rightly that she was being protected from something. The dark mage closed that grimorie and picked up another. Noemi slipped into her favorite chair, and her sister, alerted by the movement, turned to her.
"Well, Em," she said rather shortly, "I see that you can't sleep, either. Why don't you run to the kitchen and get us something to drink. I am going to be here for a while, yet, and my throat is rather dry, already."
"Okay, Gal," she chirped as she stood back up. "Why don't you let me send for Sefa, so that we can both concentrate on spells?"
Galadria actually smiled at that. As usual, her sister's mere presence had lightened her mood. When she wanted to, Noemi could be a joy to have around, distracting her from the often dark areas that her magic took her to. She could also be annoyingly clingy, but right now she was doing her best to be pleasant. "All right, Em," she responded. " I think that there are a couple that I can trust you with."
"Just a couple?" Noemi's face fell. She pretended to pout. "I know that I could have done that one that you just finished."
One corner of Galadria's wide, mobile mouth went up. "Oh. So? Tell me what it was for before I allow myself to believe you."
Noemi writhed a little. "Well, it was ...directed at me...and was for ...protection from...disease?"
Her sister's grin widened. "Close," she answered. "It was a protection over everyone in the house from fire. Now, run along, Em, and bring Sefa if you want. I still have to ward the place from lightning, poison, and cold. Also, I want a new golem for the front hall. The way things are now, anybody could just charge right in."
Noemi grinned back at her and skipped on out. She was rather repining having to build another golem in the middle of the night, but she was looking forward to spending the time with Galadria. Sefa's room was just a flight of steps away, and she pounded on the door. The girl was slow to answer, and when she finaly did, her puffy eyes and disheveled hair told her that she had not been so troubled by the events of the evening as to interfere with her sleeping. Her grin widened. "Wakey, wakey, Sefa," she said mockingly. "Your Mistress is awake, so her apprentices can't be slugabeds. Run down to the kitchen and get us some lemonade." Her stomach gave a grumble. "Oh, and what's left of that cake that Lania made for dessert." Lania was the cook.
Sefa made a face at her. "Em, now that you are preggers, you're going to have to watch your diet. You'll get as wide as the dome, if you're not careful."
"Hey, let's have a little respect for the bearer of the divine child," Noemi responded lightly. "Now, scat. I need to get my spellbook, so that I can at least pretend to keep up with your Mistress."
Sefa went over to a hook on the wall and took down her recently discarded clothes. As she was pulling them over her head, her muffled voice came out. "Lady Galadria says that if you studied as much as she did, you'd be a great sorceress. You just need to apply yourself."
Noemi answered loftily, "I am not lazy. I merely spend my time reflecting on philosophy, rather than grinding away at books. I leave all of that to your Mistress, who is much better at it than I."
Sefa's curly head and rosy cheeks emerged from the collar of the garment, a black robe apparantly purchased in imitation of her adored Mistress. She gave the redheaded philosopher a reproving look. "You should help her more than you do. She has all of this, all of us on her shoulders. If you lent more of a hand, she maybe could get to sleep at a decent hour and eat more."
"She eats enough," Noemi answered mildly, "but Tres knows I wish that she'd sleep more. Anyway, I am helping her tonight, so get your little butt down to the kitchen. And, you should know that Gal has sent for Cyth and Odo, so you had better find something to wear besides that old robe. Black doesn't suit you, anyway. Get something in blue or maroon."

[Kaltia]

Audience only Calaethis? *sulks*
8sulks some more*
*still sulking*
Okay, that got boring. Very good, if I do say so meself
I'd be shocked if the stories in the magasines passed around in my French class weren't worse [img]graemlins/uhoh1.gif[/img]

[Attalus]

LOL, don't feel bad, Kaltia, I'm here, too. I admit that I'm prety unshockable.

But, didn't she kind of have to explain HOW Noemi got pregnant?

[Kaltia]

Indeed she did. *nods wisely*. Atty-boy, WHERE is YOUR story or am I stupid enough to miss it? Yes, that's YOU at the BACK of the CLASS-ROOM, trying to hide behind GALADRIA. I can still SEE you! OWN up! Where's that STORY?

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

what the hell?! I posted a reply on here... wheres it gone?! :@ grrrrrr. I KNOW I posted a reply. BAH! BANE, BHAAL AND SHEVARASH! erm excuse me, just SLIGHTLY irrated that my post dissapeared. It went something like this:

And, as far as I can tell, my "audience" consists of my dear Calaethis, who is the only reason I am posting this.

aww, I'm sure Im not the only one who reads this, (lol, which has proven to be true,) then I said something about Kat reading it too, erm... mentioned something sentimental about being called "my dear Calaethis" and something else in jest about being family. tsk, its annoying when this happens. If I seem just a little annoyed its coz I just got up. [img]tongue.gif[/img] I went to bed for three hours in the afternoon - was feeling V tired. lol, erm, anyway, please keep posting.

[ 10-25-2002, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]

[Attalus]

Kaltia, my story, is here: Veldren's Hunt. CD, I have had that happen, before. Very annoying. I'll get her to post when she gets back from the store.

[ 10-25-2002, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: Attalus ]

[Calaethis Dragonsbane]

lol, its more annoying coz, I erm, cant really remember what I said... lol. if I did I could just retype it... [img]tongue.gif[/img] well, it was SOMETHING sentimental about being called "my dear Calaethis" [img]tongue.gif[/img] and something about being part of the family... tsk, annoying no. lol. Altho, I wasnt toooo cheeky *grin* I didn't call her "mommy" or anything... now theres a thought.. lol. hehe, tell her (please, must remember to be poliet ), if she doesnt see this Att, that erm. hmm, er. "Dear 'Mother's' story just keeps on getting better" *grin* no, its not flattery, honest (A).

[Galadria]

Thank you Calaethis. *Pats cheek* Kaltia, I didn't forget you, but you hadn't posted yet, dear. Some more:

"Lady Cythera bought me my black cloak with the scarlet trim, thank you very much," Sefa answered haughtily, "and she knows a lot more about clothes than you do." She stuck her tongue out at her fellow apprentice and scooted away.
Still chuckling, Noemi went to her room and retrieved her spellbook. She noted with guilt that it was very dusty and covered with sheets filled with her attempts at poetry.
Maybe Sefa was right, she thought. I do need to study more. But then she remembered that she was pregnant and had to take care of herself.
When she got back to the study, Sefa was already there with the refreshments. Galadria was drinking a glass of lemonade, so she poured herself one and also helped herself to cake. Sefa was rubbing her eye and beginning to eye the cake herself. "Go ahead, Sefa," the dark mage told her, indicating the plate. "We are going to be here for awhile, and you'll need the energy. Besides, it will keep Em from hogging it."
Noemi made a protesting sound. "Hey, you two are ganging up on me. Little Uriel is hungry, and its time for her 2 A.M. feeding is all. A pregnant woman has to eat for two, you know." She hurriedly got herself another slice. "That first one was hers, and now this is for me." She sighed. "We mommies have to think of our babies first."
Her sister rolled her eyes. "Sefa, I think that we are going to be hearing a lot of this, so we had better get used to it." They all laughed and buckled to. The sun was rising before Galadria was satisfied, and Noemi was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

[Galadria]

Since that last one was short (end of a file) I thought that I would post some more.

The next day, Galadria's husband Attalus came home. He was changing in the bedroom for his daily drill with his great sword Corhydras when his wife came in and sat down on the bed. "Sweetie," she said gravely, "there's big news. Em's pregnant."
Attalus, a blonde giant of a man, stopped in the act of pulling on the quilted shirt that he wore under armor. He stared at her with mouth slightly agape. "Pregnant? Em? How...I mean who? Who is the father? I wasn't even aware that she had a boyfriend. Is...is there to be a wedding? I'll need to meet him. I'm the closest thing she has to a brother." He was frowning terrifically.
Galadria didn't dare smile, but she thought that it would take a very special man for Attalus to approve of as a husband for Noemi. Aloud, she said, "It was just a spur of the moment, one time thing. I don't think that she thinks that he would be a suitable husband. In any case, she is quite determined not to get married, anyhow. She wants to have the child here, and continue to live with us. Is that all right with you?"
Her husband 's expression changed to a look of outrage. "Of course, it's all right. Do you think that I would want to shove Noemi out, my friend and comrade, just because she made a mistake? No! Indeed, I insist that she stay. You and I will make a good aunt and uncle, and I promise that the child shall want for nothing." His face cleared as he realised that nothing was to change, and that the happy life that they were on the whole were leading in the House of the Dome would go on as it had been, with only a small addition. He nodded at her in finality, finished dressing and went down to the gymnasium, whistling softly.
As soon as he disappeared in the stairwell, Noemi came rushing in from where she had been tensely listening in her room. She warmly embraced her sister and said, "You did it, Gal! And without a single lie. No wonder you and he get along so well. You always know just what to say."

[Kaltia]

Brilliant! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] Keep posting...I'll love you forever!