Dinner for Three

[Rei]

100 Ashan 717

Elyna had proven to be one of the most difficult births she had ever dealt with in her time as a healer. Most births she had dealt with were relatively uncomplicated, with maybe a few hiccups here and there with a little excessive bleeding or a need to reposition baby or mother so that the child could be delivered. Elyna had nearly bled to death on her, losing at least twice the customary blood for childbirth. It had taken work and some assistance from several midwives to stop the bleeding and keep her alive.

If anything else, Rei could never say that the Skyrider was not a strong and stubborn woman. While she had wished for Malcolm and had cried out in agony, she was far more controlled and disciplined than the normal expectant mother. It made her wonder if, perhaps, being a part of a military unit had hardened her to pain or at least instilled in her that it was a mistake to show it. She had done her best to take care of Elyna and after several trials, Rei had finally deemed her fit enough to go home, though advised her against participating in too much labor. Though who knew if she would listen as stubborn as she was.

Malcolm had insisted nearly the very moment he was assured that his lover and child were safe that Rei join them for dinner as a thanks. Elyna and Malcolm were nobles, so even though she did not feel it was entirely necessary for them to make a special thanks for her simply doing her job, she was afraid to offend them by declining. She had graciously accepted the invitation and had offered that she would bring a loaf of fresh bread for them from the baker.

It had been difficult to know what to wear, having never dealt with nobles outside of her work at the infirmary. In the end she had chosen her calf-length wine colored cotton skirt and a simple pale yellow blouse. Her golden hair was pulled back in an extremely loose half braid with shorter strands escaping and hanging loosely around her face. With her feet in a pair of simple brown sandals, she set off from her modest accommodations in Andaris to follow the directions to what was no doubt a nice estate. On the way she picked up a loaf of bread freshly made that morning.

When she arrived, Rei was nearly stunned and somewhat intimidated by the size and niceness of the house. It was a kind of home she had only ever dreamed of having, her only experience being with small apartments or a ship’s cabins. For a moment she hesitated before approaching the door and wrapping on it with the metal knocker.

[Malcolm]

The smell of roast lamb wafted through the house and rushed out to meet the fresh air as Malcolm pulled the door ajar. He greeted Rei with a warm smile and welcomed her into his home, leading her down the hall to the living area and open plan kitchen, after accepting the fresh loaf of bread.
“This will go well with some butter,” he said, and put the loaf down on the polished wooden bench before checking on the meal.
The table was set with fine dishes and earthy tones, reds, golds, and chocolate colours, with a small vase of yellow wild flowers set up in the middle. Their home was quite large for a townhouse in Midtown, but decorated modestly, with very understated furniture and things they had crafted themselves, like wolfskin rugs, chests, and old bookshelves. There were a set of antlers pinned up above the fireplace in the living room, and a mirror in the hallway to make the narrow walkway seem bigger than it was. The backdoor opened up into a relatively sizeable garden, letting what little sun there was into the house.
“Elyna is just upstairs, let me call her down,” Malcolm offered, and went to the staircase to let Elyna know Rei was here.
Elsie grabbed hold of the rail from the top of the staircase and took the steps one stair at a time until Malcolm was able to reach out and scoop her up. “Come and meet Rei,” he said.
The little girl was dressed in a rose red dress with her dark hair tied back away from her face. She watched Rei with cautious curiosity, Light green eyes looking between the stranger and her father as the pair spoke. Elsie looked to be about a year and a half old, and had her mother's complexion and soft features, taking only the green of her father’s eyes from the mix. She wouldn't let Malcolm put her down once she was in his arms, and smiled only when she saw Elyna enter the room.
“Sit,” Malcolm encouraged them all, while straining the vegetables and pouring them into a serving bowl. Everything was just about ready, but they had the bread and butter to contend with for the time being.

[Elyna]

Malcolm was worried about her. It was the only thing Elyna could think as the smell of her favourite dinner lifted through the wooden beams and arches of their home. Luke had settled down to sleep so she tucked him beneath the blanket. He remained a small baby, but he was growing. One day, she wondered if he would be taller than his sister, but that seemed a long way off. The young woman had forced herself to be more mobile each day. She’d spent several hours downstairs, though the steps themselves were difficult for to traverse. Readied for dinner, she’d plaited her long hair down her back. Her favourite dress of forest green hung from her shoulders and was belted at the waist, giving the illusion of shape even if her body was yet to return to normal. That, was going to be a difficult process. If Elsie’s birth had taught her anything, it was that it took patience, and a great deal of training to become fighting fit again. At least, she thought with a twinge of sadness, this would be the last time she had to recover from such a thing.
Elyna made a slow progress down the stairs, hand curled around the bannister and skirts lifted with the other. Reaching the bottom she caught her breath before rounding the hallway and emerging, shy from the corridor. “Rei,” she smiled, “it’s a pleasure to see you again.” And under better circumstances. The noblewoman’s skin remained pale, but more from her time spent inside than any loss or lack of blood. She grinned at Elsie and gestured for the healer to sit, taking up her own chair and offering to accept Elsie whilst Malcolm finished his preparations.
“This all smells delicious,” for the first time, in what felt like an arc, she felt hungry. With Elsie settled on her lap, she balance the child and the breadknife and split the loaf into smaller slices. A small piece, with a thin scraping of butter was offered to Elsie who held it between her fingers, watching the stranger with wide-eyes. “Thank you for taking the time to come and eat with us, you must be very busy in the infirmary?”
Elyna looked around to Malcolm, she loved the way that he moved. She loved the way that he wanted to care for her, and had spontaneously invited the healer to dinner. Her smile spread over her features as she watched him. Then realised that her attention had drifted and looked back at Rei, “do you ever need help? Volunteers in the infirmary? I’m good with a needle and I’ve done my fair share of healing in the field?” She offered her services.

[Rei]

Rei had waited patiently in the warm Ashan air, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet in nervous anticipation. While she had taken care of Elyna for several trials and had certainly seen parts of her many people would never see, she still did not know the couple well. All she knew was that they seemed to truly love each other and that they had fawned over little baby Luke. She remembered thinking that they must be good parents. When the door opened, she smiled at Malcolm’s familiar face. He wore a warm smile, one that made her believe he must be a good man.

“It’s fresh. Just baked this afternoon.” She was smiling back at him. When Malcolm took the wrapped bread, he would notice that the cloth it was wrapped in was still warm from coming out of the oven. Rei followed him as he welcomed her into he and Elyna’s home. The table was devoid of anyone sitting but was set with fine dishes and napkins. The lovely smell of lamb and spices filled the air of the home and she felt her stomach rumble in response. She didn’t get much time to eat at the infirmary.

Malcolm called for Elyna, but before the woman appeared, a little girl had come upon the stairs and took cautious steps down towards her father. Rei admired her as a beautiful child with her dark hair, pale skin, and vibrant green eyes. The red dress made her seem even cuter than she was. It brought a smile to her lips while simultaneously bringing a pain of longing to her gut. Some day she would have liked to have had children like her. In the past she had imagined them with Wendell. Now… she was unsure.

Her attention was then drawn to Elyna when she heard another at the top of the stairs. Rei’s keen healer eyes noted that Elyna was paler than she should have been, but she still looked markedly better than she had the last time she had seen her. “You are looking much better. Is your energy returning, Elyna?” Though this was an informal visit, it was hard to break the nature of the healer and the need to know that her patient was doing well and feeling better. “It does all smell delicious. You must be wonderful cooks.”

Her gaze traveled back to the little girl who was now clutching her buttered bread. “Who is this little one? She looks so much like you, Elyna. But she has your eyes Malcolm.” She smiled at the little girl. “Your red dress is so pretty!”

“This infirmary is always busy. There’s never any shortage of knights hurting themselves in training or drunkards getting in fights. I just removed a knife from a man’s arm this morning.” She sighed, signaling her exasperation with some of the cases. “We could always use extra hands if you are feeling up to it- or have the time. How is little Luke doing? Feeding well?”

She turned her gaze to Malcolm. “How is the university and the knights? I’ve thought about taking classes at the university but I don’t know when I would have the time… and I think I have found my niche.”

[Malcolm]

“Good cooks?” Malcolm chuckled to himself. “One trick pony I am. Elyna cooks a lot better than me.” He was good at cooking a roast meal, the only thing Vanessa had ever expected him to do in the kitchen when she needed a break, the only thing he would still attempt to this day, other than the odd soup or stew.
From the kitchen he listened to the two of them talking, and envious of Elsie’s slice of bread and butter, Malcolm went over and picked up a piece for himself before returning to the stove. He chewed the small piece, fresh bread being one of his guilty pleasures, and took the meat out of the oven to rest.
“The university is good,” he answered Rei, had they spoken about it during Elyna's prolonged stay? He had been so tired most of the time, entertaining Elsie, that he didn't remember. “I always encourage those willing to give further education go, we have some great lecturers,” he boasted, “I think the current doctor teaching there is from Viden. Their technologies and processes are very advanced over there. I think the labs are a lot bigger and their rules around experimentation aren't quite as strict as they are in Rynmere, so more often than not, they discover a lot more in their research.”
Malcolm carved the meat into thin slices and left the tender, red pile of lamb swimming in a puddle of its own juices on the cutting board. Everything was carried over the table for each of them to serve themselves a helping. Malcolm wasted no time picking out a couple of roast potatoes he liked the look of, and helped himself to another piece of bread to fold lamb into.
“I'm so grateful for the care you took with Elyna and how much support you were to her over those first few, difficult trials with Luke.” It had been scary to think that Luke had been born before time, but Rei had helped make it all seem as normal as possible.
Malcolm took a big bite of the sandwich he had made himself, and started cutting up meat into very finely diced pieces to stir into some mashed potato and greens for Elsie. He held the slice of bread and meat in one hand, and presented a spoon of food to the child with the other.