{CRP} Daisies in a Blizzard

[Arilynn]

:: September, 27 ::

The entire day was filled with various movements of the baby. Kicks here, stretches there, repositioning so often.. It had actually woke Ari up that morning, not too long after the sun rose. The day consisted of roaming around the family castle, avoiding arguments between her cousins, and taking walks through the suffering garden. She was still in the process of bringing the dead garden back to life, but it certainly looked better than it did when they first arrived. The whole castle did. It was livable now, slowly getting furnished. The baby's room was done. It was comfortingly beside her bedroom, which was almost complete, but was still in need of some touching up.

Ari couldn't sit still the entire day. She was on edge and fidgety.. But she had been that way since the nineteenth.. The day the bandits murdered her brother. She had nightmares since the day, filled with Peter's bloody face and the life leaving his eyes as she hopelessly watched. It was hard. Peter was her baby brother, two years younger. Telling her mother had been the hardest thing she'd ever done.

Near lunch time, Ari and Will had decided to go to the tavern in town. It was nice and comforting to be around friends. But they didn't stay too long before Ari wanted to go home, not feeling well. Halfway home, Will had to carry her.

When they got home, Ari insisted on walking. She had hardly made it up the stairs to the second floor before she fell unconscious.

Over the course of the following days, Ari was in and out of consciousness. She ran a fever, shivering often. She wasn't very lucid when she was awake though.. Things didn't make sense.


:: October 1 ::

A shiver ran down her spine as Ari groaned. Shifting from her back to her side, her eyes fluttered open and she searched the area that was dimly lit. The window was to her back with the curtains pulled, so she wasn't sure what time it was. In a daze, her eyes started to drift shut before snapping open again. She then called out in a weak, soft voice. William?

[William]

The fluttering flame of the candle proofed to be too much of a lullaby for him. The shuttered windows keeping out the warm sunlight peeked slight rays of light through its cracks gently illuminating dust mites. Counting them did not help at all William realised, as his eyes drooped shut once more. He really didn’t know how long he had been sitting there on that chair now, he realised that his face had grown haggard and drawn and the stubble had grown like a rash and now threatened to overwhelm all. Except for the brief periods in which he was forced out to eat and clean Will had rushed back to be with his wife, to sit by her and be with her since that day she collapsed on their walk back home.

At first he was hopeful that it was something minor but as the days dragged by things had grown darker and darker. He feared. He feared he would lose Ari. He feared he would lose the most important thing in life. And so he waited.

The songs of a bird calling for lost love... or maybe calling about a hungry stomach intruded into his foggy mind. Rubbing gently at his sleepy eyes William sat despondently on his chair and watched the form of his wife. Love gripped his soul and fear clutched them both as he watched her chest rise and fall to her breathing. He had been dreaming about her... about his Ari. They were walking by the lake and she had turned to him with her smile and whispered his name and woke him up... THAT WASN'T DREAM?! He thought puzzled... Bouncing out of his chair suddenly reinvigorated William rushed to the bed side and clutched Ari’s hand...

“Hunny? I’m here... Ai?”

[Arilynn]

Her eyelids were heavy.. Slowly shutting when she heard her husband. Opening her eyes, a smile spread across her lips as she tiredly searched his eyes. Reaching forward with her free hand, Ari tenderly touched his cheek. Hey there love.. I like this new look.. Shows your rough side.. She teased lightly, her smile widening, and she pulled her hand back. It faded as she coughed for a moment, then her eyes started to shut again.

Ari managed to open her eyes again with the want to stay awake. She looked at her husband, feeling guilty.. He looked so worried. She squeezed his hand weakly. I'm okay, you know.. Please don't worry.. She gave the best reassuring smile she could manage. What day is? What time?

[William]

William had to resist an almighty urge to pick his wife up in his arms, clutch her to his chest and basically squeeze her so tight their ribs might pop all the while swinging her around like a rag doll, as that was how happy he was to hear her voice and see some life stirring in those beautiful eyes of hers. It took all his self discipline to hold the tears at bay when she reached oh so tenderly out to touch him. It was like an electric shock as her hands ran over the growing stubble, it was like the sun had come out after a rainy day when she teased him and smiled. But it killed him all over again as she coughed heaving in pain at the sudden attack and he could do nothing. All his powers, all his knowledge in magic, all his physical training and all his study amounted to nothing as he was powerless to help the one he loved the most. All he could do was rub her back and pray for her recovery.

Sitting now by the side of the bed, William held one of Ari’s hands gently in his. His fingers intertwined with hers gave him hope and as she squeezed his hand gently it brought to the fore their love for each other. Looking into her jade eyes, William forced a smile from his lips and tried to relax the worried frown from his gaunt looking face. It was a hard struggle which he was sure he did not win, but he hoped that his efforts would at least settle his wife a bit and for her not to worry about him. Reaching out he brushed a lock of soft her from her face and pressed his hand gently onto her cheek before softly replying.

“You know I cannot do that love. I will always love you and worry about you. Not one second will I stop caring…” Trailing off with a small sigh, William blinked a few times before speaking once more. “It’s now the first of the month hunny… You’ve been like this a few days… I wish… I wish I could do something for you… I don’t know what to do…” he finished in a small whisper.

[Arilynn]

Ari's eyes searchingly scanned his face whilst he spoke to her. His voice was like a perfect lullaby, comforting, but lulling her back to sleep. Shifting a bit, she managed to sit up and rest against the pillows behind her, with the help of Will. With a heavy sigh, she rubbed her large belly for a silent moment, before looking back to Will.

I'm huge.. She gave a small grin and a weak snicker. I could be a planet. Her eyes drifted back down. She placed Will's hand on the side of her belly, pressing it to her gently as the baby gave a nudging kick. Ari looked back at her husband, watching his expression change, happy to see the worry leaving his eyes for a brief moment.

I love you.. And you're the best husband a woman could ask for. A soft smile played her lips. You're doing all you can. I know this. I know you'd go to the ends of the world if it meant helping me, and I would for you. But.. All we can do is wait.

[William]

It was with extreme effort that Will kept from bursting out into laughter at his wife’s words. It wasn’t that it wasn’t funny – far from it – for Ari’s words tickled his own humour teasing it to the edge where he was bound to say something silly. But now was not the time he was sure, and so he suppressed his mirth with supreme effort and turned his head and pressed his face into one of Ari’s pillows to stop from bursting out. Taking several deep muffled breaths before coming up and pretending nothing had happened, Will’s lips twitched slightly before his face returned to his sad look which he had worn before. He could do naught to hide the twinkle in his eyes though...

“Love... You are no planet.” He spoke morosely shaking his head in sad disagreement. “You are... the sun! The sun! As big...? Or perhaps as bright...” he laughed teasingly, voice twinkling with mirth.

With his hand stolen and placed on her tummy, Will’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden kick he felt. Eyes widening the man turned his face to look at Ari and tried without success to bypass his sudden inability to speak. A silly grin developed and wouldn’t fall off from his face as he looked into the eyes of his beautiful wife.

“Somehow I do not think there will be much waiting any longer love. It seems the baby is getting impatient to see the world...”

[Arilynn]

Still smiling softly, Ari leaned forward, giving her husband a light kiss. Let's see... Impatience.. Well, I wonder who the baby got that from. She said innocently. The baby kicked again and she sighed softly, realization of everything settling down. She would be having this baby, any day now.. And they were still out there, running around..

Tears began to prick her eyes as she watched her hand move in small circles on her belly. She looked up as a tear ran down her face, her eyes landing on Will. I'm scared, Will.. I'm so scared.. Those.. Monsters are out there.. They.. They went as far as to.. She stopped and looked down, swallowing. Tears continued down her cheeks. They killed Peter.. My own brother.. I mean.. Who's to say that they won't.. Attack again.. And..

She broke off with a sob. This was the reality of things. She was having a baby soon. Her brother was tortured and murdered. She was a wanted 'item' for some sly bandit group. And there wasn't anything she could do about it. Why do they want me? Why me? What in the world is so special about me?! Guh!! I hate them, Will! I hate them with everything I am! I hate them!!

[William]

Patting her gently on the arm William smiled reassuringly at his darling wife, a smile hovering at the edges of his lips. The young wizard found it amusing that the baby was impatient to come out, for they were already showing signs of the parents even at this early stage. True Will did think about his actions before leaping, true Ari herself did stop to think once in a while, but they were a chip from the same block. Both willing to rush headlong into something without hesitation, and the baby – their baby seemed to be of the same mentality. Sighing softly at the whole craziness of the thing Will leaned close and kissed Ari gently on the cheeks, the saltiness of her tears mingling with the sweet smoothness of her bare skin.

Wiping at the tears now flowing down, Will sat on the bed and shifted his wife so that she was leaning on him. Wrapping his arms snugly around her so that she knew he was there for her the man made soothing noises for a time trying to calm her down a bit. In the back of his mind he saw what she meant though. They have been in constant danger for a while now and it felt... strange, strange to be targeted, strange to be hunted. But to William, it really did not matter. They would fight them off... he would fight them off an d kill them all if necessary to keep his Ari safe, to keep their children safe. There was no other option.

His arms tightened slightly around Ari as those thoughts came to a halt before the wizard began to reply softly. “it’s alright love, I am here, Soka is here, Ako’s is here. We will protect you and you shall be safe. We will be together and we will be happy...” In his mind’s eye Will saw violence unleashed at the behest of keeping his loved ones safe. Fire and destruction; ice and chaos; lightning and darkness flirting against the very bonds of the universe...

Quietly William murmured almost to himself... “And you are special Ari... You are the most special person in the world...”

[Arilynn]

Ari's sobs eventually slowed to just ragged, uneven breaths as her husband cradled her in his arms. She loved him with everything she was. And she loved their baby just as much. They were the world to her. And she knew she'd go through anything to protect them and keep them safe. Yet, it was the fear that she wouldn't be able to protect them that tormented her. Any day now she'd have more than just herself, her husband, cousins, mother, and brother to look after. She'd have an innocent, defenseless little baby to protect, to care for.

I'm just so scared... She repeated in a shaky whisper. Terrified really.. She let out a quivering sigh and breathed in the smell of her husband deeply. It was comforting. He was comforting. She was getting tired again, her eyes feeling heavy. Will.. So scared..

[William]

With Ari nestled in his arms against his body, William took a moment to consider what she said. It really hurt his heart that she was so distressed and he could do naught but to sit by her, and nothing really to sooth her fears away. In a small part he could feel an echo of her fear in his own soul too, to think that they were targeted, that Ari was targeted by some mad agent for foul purposes. It did not help that he now knew that his best friends and he himself was part of some evil machinations by a foul wizard of the worst kind. The brushes they have had with him and his minions since the day he met his wife had been many and harrowing and it showed that they could not lower their guard. But perhaps the worst was that he knew sometime somewhere, he would be powerless to help those he loved… and he guessed that is what struck Ari too. That somewhere someone was plotting to kill them.

Tightening his arms around his wife though, William vowed silently in the halls of his mind that he would protect her. Protect her Ari, and their unborn kids. There was nothing to it. He would be stronger, he would be their shield. Blinking away at those visions Will gently ran a finger through Ari’s locks of hair and kissed her on the top of her head. She didn’t know that he was just as scared, that the death of her brother to get at her put a lot of things into perspective – but he was her pillar. So she will not know. Quiet and strong, he was her bastion against everything – it was what he wanted to be. So with a gentle voice, soothing but firm William whispered assurances that everything will be alright. That she and the kids will be alright, that Akos, Soka, Aishe and all their family and friends will be alright…

“I am here now hunny. Things will be ok. Nothing will hurt us from now on… so sleep. And rest…”