Sawtooth Spire erbärmlich

"phaedra," mahler intoned sternly at her use of more adult vernacular, but in the next moment he had turned away to hide the amused twitch of his chin. he watched with growing mirth as she fell victim to the viscous clutches of the amber goo, clearing his throat in order to clear away the beginnings of a teasing guffaw. phaedra, most outspoken darling.
she had not evinced interest in his long-winded explanation until now; mahler grinned down at his sticky-smeared spawn and swiped his tongue over her small features once before answering. "sometimes a mother needs help to get the babies out of her body into the vorld," mahler grunted meanderingly. there were only two ways a woman might be saved at that point, she or her children. a midwife must knew when to focus upon each party, and when to surrender one of them to the whims of the natural world.
but there was no word for this phaedra might comprehend, and so he turned back to the first question. "your papa has helped lots of mothers," mahler revealed, thinking of the names he still recalled in his sleep these days. such a fresh glut of remembrance these days, and he was not altogether sure he enjoyed such things.
"have you ever seen a snake, phaedra?" the shadowpriest inquired next, thinking amusedly of how badly elfie had taken his butchering of that hapless serpent.