Stavanger Bay Among the world

Shame pricked at his ears, and he nodded solemnly.  "Aye aye, captain," said Aesop, and when he caught her expression, he let himself relax.  And oh, to be considered family again.  "I'll be home for a while, and I don't plan on going so far again.  I definitely plan on bein' around for the birth.  Wouldn't leave for somethin' so important."  And something that could so easily render them defenseless.  Perhaps he was being paranoid, but the fight with the intruder had him rightfully wary, and a birth would leave them vulnerable.  And perhaps, he thought, he should tell her.  "I should tell you, a bit before I left I caught a guy sneakin' in.  I think he was from the forest near that lake, kinda near the mountains?  He was after information."


As she settled back down, so too did he.  He rested, sphynx-like, a few feet away and facing her so they could continue to talk.  He was far happier to talk about her children rather than the intruder, and was glad for the more light-hearted topic.  "Sounds miserable," he muttered, unable to imagine what it must be like to carry so much extra weight for so long.  He wondered if he could help, and so he offered, "I can try and find something, if you'd like.  For the aches.  Still ain't the best healer, but I've been learning."


She rattled off some names, all foreign and strange, but he was not one to talk.  "All good names."  He laughed, staring intently at her stomach as if he could see them kick, too.  Aesop pondered her words for a moment.  "A warrior and a dancer, huh?  Sound like they'll be a handful.  Won't be so quiet around here anymore, I bet."