"Well," Cyrus Augustin, Padraig's grandfather, said to her with a serious expression on his face. "The first question is, are you sure he isn't dead?"
Sitting at the table in the kitchen, nursing a mug of previously hot tea which had gone cold breaks since, in the place where he had found her when he came downstairs, Faith nodded. "I think I am. I mean... I tried to call him, his soul that is, and it should work. If he was, that is, it should." With an item of importance to him, if he had passed over into death, Faith could pull his spirit to her. Cyrus looked at her and there was a question in the slight raise of the elderly man's eyebrow. "What is it, Faith? Why not sure?"
"Because none of the other abilities are working, Cyrus. All of the other things that I should be able to do, to know that he's alright, those aren't working either." Faith looked at him, Padraig's grandfather and she felt a rush of concern for the older man. "I'm sorry, Cyrus. I know how worried you are." She should be able to reassure him, tell him that she could feel, that she knew but she didn't. Cyrus was sitting down and when she said that, he looked at her levelly. "I'm not worried Faith," he lied. The young woman in front of him, his grandson's wife, was heavily pregnant and he had no intention of adding to her worry. "That grandson of mine, he promised he'd come home didn't he?"
Faith was holding on to her emotions, but those words from Cyrus more or less threw her over the edge. She was exhausted as it was, sleep was more and more difficult as the pregnancy progressed. Faith was used to tired; as a slave sleep had been a privilege earned not a right granted, but never had she experienced tired like she had been during the growth of their child inside her. It was strange, the pillows which she used to rest on, piled around her so that her bump was resting and her legs were raised meant that it had been far too long since she'd been able to just fall asleep in Padraig's arms, her head resting on his chest. That was something she missed but for all that she had apologised about the pillows creating a barrier between them, time and again, she had felt his absence in their bed the last five nights. Even when the pillows were there, they slept with his arm around her, their feet touching as they rested side by side, but the last few nights had been more difficult.
And that morning, before dawn had even been beginning to whisper its promise at the edges of the darkness, Faith had woken, gasping for breath. Although she had no idea that she woke at the same moment that he did, it was for the same reason. The silence was deafening. She was so used to that low-level not-noise that was their link. Their links. Now, in the light of the morning and in the kitchen of the house where they had made a home, Faith heard what he said and she looked at Cyrus with eyes which sparkled with unshed tears. "You are worried, please don't lie to me." It was rare that Faith spoke in such a direct manner, but she was in no mood to beat about the bush. "You are worried and so am I. But if he was.. if there was a problem," she couldn't bring herself to say it. Saying it might just make it real. "I'd know. Not because of any other reason than because I am him and he is me. Something has happened to cut him off from the Immortal marks. I can only assume that it's stopping magic, too, otherwise he'd be home now." The moment he realised what was happening, Faith knew that Padraig would know what this would do, how much of a worry this would be to her. He would come straight home she did not doubt, via portal boot.
"We've been writing to each other every trial with the echo scrolls," Faith looked up and smiled at Katie as the woman put a cup of tea down in front of her, taking the old one away, untouched. "The message I sent him last night sent. The one I tried this morning did not." Katie sat at the table, handing Cyrus another cup of tea and she looked at Faith with concern in her eyes. She seemed about to say something and Faith smiled, shaking her head to stop Katie from speaking. "I know. I know what you're going to say. I have to stay calm for the baby, I have to have faith, believe that he's alright. I know I do."
Sitting at the table in the kitchen, nursing a mug of previously hot tea which had gone cold breaks since, in the place where he had found her when he came downstairs, Faith nodded. "I think I am. I mean... I tried to call him, his soul that is, and it should work. If he was, that is, it should." With an item of importance to him, if he had passed over into death, Faith could pull his spirit to her. Cyrus looked at her and there was a question in the slight raise of the elderly man's eyebrow. "What is it, Faith? Why not sure?"
"Because none of the other abilities are working, Cyrus. All of the other things that I should be able to do, to know that he's alright, those aren't working either." Faith looked at him, Padraig's grandfather and she felt a rush of concern for the older man. "I'm sorry, Cyrus. I know how worried you are." She should be able to reassure him, tell him that she could feel, that she knew but she didn't. Cyrus was sitting down and when she said that, he looked at her levelly. "I'm not worried Faith," he lied. The young woman in front of him, his grandson's wife, was heavily pregnant and he had no intention of adding to her worry. "That grandson of mine, he promised he'd come home didn't he?"
Faith was holding on to her emotions, but those words from Cyrus more or less threw her over the edge. She was exhausted as it was, sleep was more and more difficult as the pregnancy progressed. Faith was used to tired; as a slave sleep had been a privilege earned not a right granted, but never had she experienced tired like she had been during the growth of their child inside her. It was strange, the pillows which she used to rest on, piled around her so that her bump was resting and her legs were raised meant that it had been far too long since she'd been able to just fall asleep in Padraig's arms, her head resting on his chest. That was something she missed but for all that she had apologised about the pillows creating a barrier between them, time and again, she had felt his absence in their bed the last five nights. Even when the pillows were there, they slept with his arm around her, their feet touching as they rested side by side, but the last few nights had been more difficult.
And that morning, before dawn had even been beginning to whisper its promise at the edges of the darkness, Faith had woken, gasping for breath. Although she had no idea that she woke at the same moment that he did, it was for the same reason. The silence was deafening. She was so used to that low-level not-noise that was their link. Their links. Now, in the light of the morning and in the kitchen of the house where they had made a home, Faith heard what he said and she looked at Cyrus with eyes which sparkled with unshed tears. "You are worried, please don't lie to me." It was rare that Faith spoke in such a direct manner, but she was in no mood to beat about the bush. "You are worried and so am I. But if he was.. if there was a problem," she couldn't bring herself to say it. Saying it might just make it real. "I'd know. Not because of any other reason than because I am him and he is me. Something has happened to cut him off from the Immortal marks. I can only assume that it's stopping magic, too, otherwise he'd be home now." The moment he realised what was happening, Faith knew that Padraig would know what this would do, how much of a worry this would be to her. He would come straight home she did not doubt, via portal boot.
"We've been writing to each other every trial with the echo scrolls," Faith looked up and smiled at Katie as the woman put a cup of tea down in front of her, taking the old one away, untouched. "The message I sent him last night sent. The one I tried this morning did not." Katie sat at the table, handing Cyrus another cup of tea and she looked at Faith with concern in her eyes. She seemed about to say something and Faith smiled, shaking her head to stop Katie from speaking. "I know. I know what you're going to say. I have to stay calm for the baby, I have to have faith, believe that he's alright. I know I do."
Off Topic
Permission to use his NPC given by Pad.
