Public — Courtship And Giving Birth
????, Dark Season, Movement Week
Context
Tail end of Dark Season and Storm Season, mainly in Boldhome [[[s02:session-55|Session 55]]]
Events
Late Dark Season – In Straw weaver camp Xenofos is seen visiting a yurt where Neela of Black Lance lives with two other women. He is not out and about much, but sometimes he walks around with Neela’s little son and in some isolated occasions carrying a baby swathed to not catch cold.
As Dark Season ends, despite the downfall of cold rain, Yehna gets visitors; the young bard who sang of her has lost interest, but Mehrim and Asdel both continue to arrive, always on different days. Towards the end of Storm Season, Mehrim is wearing a simple scarf that Yehna wove for him, and Asdel loses a fight to Berra. Rumour says she broke his arm, although rumour also says she killed him, and that they had a lover’s tiff.
Around the same time, Varanis has grown large enough to waddle. On Clayday of Movement Week, Yehna sends word to both Mellia and the Earth Temple. Varanis fails to turn up for Orlanth’s High Holy Day, which begins as Yelm sets.
Mellia thanks the messenger, grabs her satchel and hurries to Varanis.
When Mellia arrives, she learns that the Earth Temple has already collected Varanis. Given the lineage, it was decided that this child would best be born in the Temple. The Healer is welcome to come wait at the Earth Temple or trust that if she is needed, she will be summoned.
Mellia hurries to the Earth Temple!
She is given a stool and a place by a hearth to wait.
Suitably vegetarian fare is delivered at appropriate times.
In the wee hours of the night, Mellia is requested to come sit behind a screen and sing for her cousin.
Mellia thanks the acolyte and comes to sing Comfort Song.
Just after Yelmrise, the healer is thanked and offered a place to rest. Varanis and baby are sleeping now and Mellia can visit later.
Mellia only went because they were sleeping. That and she is very hoarse.
No Berra appears that day.
Back in Prax, word goes around the Straw Weaver camp that X’fos is to be adopted by Nameed and Durinda, the parents of Neela’s dead husband and of her soon to be husband, Garmeed. Young Garmeed scowls and stomps around a lot.
Xenefos undergoes days of preparation, during which time he subsists on bison meat and kumiss. Every adult member of the clan has the opportunity to come speak to him, to help teach him what it means to be a Straw Weaver.
In late Storm Season, Mehrim moves into Yehna’s room. A little after that Berra also moves in, having finished training with the Temple this year. Mehrim is wary at first, particularly after talking to Berra for the first time, but nobody punches anybody else.
This makes a total of four adults and one child in the room. They all seem to get along.
Varanis is perplexed by the living arrangement.
Mellia starts making wedding plans.
Berra plays the buzz flute one evening, until Yehna asks her not to, because it is getting Haran excited. After that she takes it for walks instead.
The local area is treated to a cheerful rendition of several marching songs. She does not come back any richer, but nobody throws shoes at her either.
Yehna lets Mellia know that they are not going to be getting married in the wet seasons, and anyway, the omens haven’t been taken yet, and would she like some of this cake that is spiced like something from Esrolia?
Mellia graciously accepted the cake.
Mellia also looks for a way to get the omens taken.
Mehrim suggests a day in Truth Week could be good – Clayday for an Ernaldan, and then a Windsay Eve double-check to see that Orlanth is also happy with the idea.
Mellia thanks Mehrim for the idea and will do it.
That means bringing in augurs or priests who can understand the patterns of rainfall, and probably hosting a light meal at the house that Varanis and Berra now own.
On Windsday Eve of Truth Week, Varanis takes her baby and any of the household members who wish to attend (including those who don’t live in the house, like Mellia, Venlar, and Yamia), up the long stairs to the Temple of Orlanth Adventurous and then out to the Earth Temple. In both of these locations, her child is presented to the gods and given the name Berra Vareenasdottir, after Varanis’ maternal grandmother.
And thus begins the confusion of having two Berras. Both small. Both fierce. Both loud.
Berra – the larger one – is present and highly professional, standing nearby as if just casually guarding. Only her entire demeanour gives away how pleased she is.
Lenta, living in the house is present at both temples.
Berra plays the buzz-flute for little Berra to help her go to sleep that night. It’s a surprisingly well played selection of lullabies, with only one stirring marching song.
The initiates who take the readings of birds and grasses and winds say that should Yehna and Mehrim choose to marry, no gods would be offended. Both of them look pleased at that.
Meanwhile, back in Prax, X’fos has joined the Straw Weaver Bison clan and his new brother has been attempting to teach him to ride a bison. The lessons have been gruelling.
Lenta has been rather quiet, spending most of her days in the Earth temple.
Berra continues her habitual polite welcomingness to Lenta when they meet. It seems like she’s really trying to make friends. Yehna is friendly without it seeming so much like she is putting in an effort. Haran just demands hugs and food from time to time, from any available woman in green.
Lenta responds with awkward politeness to Berra. She is more at ease with Yehna. Haran does get hugs with risk of his nose being stolen.
Haran is a bit confused by nose-stealing, and asks for it back, plaintively, a few hours later. “Nose plis?” It is his first real sentence.
Lenta returns the nose with a simple spell involving Haran hopping around on one foot and blowing it from her closed hand back to his fist. She will show him from a small silver mirror that the nose is back where it belongs.
Haran hops, or at least balances and wriggles, which is as well as a boy of two can do, and then tries to take the mirror.
A little before Sacred Time, Yehna starts packing to set off for her clan, and Mehrim departs for his. He is wearing a new hat embroidered in green to go with the edges of his cloak, and she has a cloak pin in the shape of a pig that seems to mean something to her and Berra. Yamia offers Yehna the chariot, and by extension, Venlar; Venlar notes he might need a small wagon, but he could usefully fill it with furniture to send it back here, if the house needs any. His house will not be ready until at least the end of Fire Season.
Mellia attended all the ceremonies. She is considering spending Sacred Time with Blue Tree.
If she does that, she will stay in Blue Tree.
Berra is learning to play duck calls on the buzz flute.
Peeerp-whee-buzz!
Bzz-quak!
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Yehna is courted and chooses a suitor. Varanis gives birth to Berra. Xenofos is adopted to Straw weavers.
