Darkwood (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Soon Kiva and Van were settled with the family, Kiva looking confused and a little out of place. Being someone who knew absolutely nothing about Christmas, he was about as unsure as Burke.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan had to explain to Kiva just what was happening and he looked slightly chagrined and embarrassed as she insisted that he deserved presents like the rest of the family.

"You do just as much as anyone else around here, Kiva. I don't think I would have made it through Ashien being gone with you." Dylan insisted as she finally sat back down next to Ashien, giving the wolf a warm smile. "Each of you deserve this."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I only wish I could find a gift for you," Kiva murmured. It was hard for a man like him to find a gift for a woman who could afford just about anything she wanted short of another estate.

"I spoil her enough for all of us year-round, friend. Not to worry," Ashien chuckled, giving Dylandra a teasing nudge. She never asked for much, but Ashien was always paying attention to her tastes and likes, surprising her with beautiful clothes, new supplies, and he'd even given her her own well-trained, high-pedigree warhorse, whom he'd specially trained to look after her and be patient and gentle as she learned to ride properly.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Trust me when I say this isn’t about me at all.” Dylan said as she took a seat beside Burke and encouraged him to start into his pile of gifts.

 

[KieranSoares]

Burke slowly picked out a medium present at first, having to watch Ashien to know what to do. It was a paper-wrapped gift from John and Elizabeth with Ashien's involvement. It was a fine new tool belt for grooming the horses, complete with a fine hoof-pick and brushes. Burke's eyes grew wide, already entirely overwhelmed.

 

[heartofcourage]

“As you get bigger, Ashien will pick you out a horse. You’ll be expected to help care for it.” Dylan said as Burke seemed overwhelmed yet again. “Think of it as something practical.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Burke gently set the tool belt aside, unsure of what else to do for the moment as Dylandra handed him another gift, one from herself. He gingerly opened the paper wrapping, worried about ripping such expensive material.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan had to laugh as she moved to help Burke, looking up at Ashien with a wide smile on her face. She helped him to tear through the colorful paper, teaching him that it was alright to do things in a messy way. She hoped that one day Burke would see that it was alright to mess things up, to take risk, and to live without fear.

"I painted this for you." Dylan murmured as Burke was let holding a small painting of a small bird resting on green, leafy limb. "I don't know why but there are something about it that reminded me of you."

 

[KieranSoares]

Burke gazed down at the painting with a wonder Dylan had not yet seen. While he was aware she was a painter, he'd never seen a completed work of hers. He was struck speechless, holding the frame gingerly. The other three paused to see what the boy seemed so taken by, and as tears began to fill Burke's eyes, Ashien stepped over to kneel beside him and Dylandra. Burke allowed himself to be scooped up between them, held and comforted like he really was their own.

"Thank you, Ma," Burke muttered as he wrapped his arms around Dylandra's neck.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You are welcome, love." Dylan said softly as Burke called her Ma for the first time and wrapped her up in a hug before he started to cry. "As long as I live, you'll be my boy. You have nothing to worry about from anyone."

Dylan pulled away after a moment to look down at Burke with a smile. "Let's finish up opening these gifts. I think a sleigh ride is in order today. And then a dinner to celebrate all of our good fortune this past year."

 

[KieranSoares]

The four followed Dylandra's lead, learning the traditions little by little that she'd learned from her grandfather. After that, Kiva and Ashien brought out a sleigh painted in green and white from one of the storage barns. Hitching four horses, Kiva took up the driver's seat while Van and Ashien sat across from Dylandra and Burke. With practiced ease, Kiva set the horses off to circle the outside of the grounds and then to tour the countryside.

 

[heartofcourage]

After Christmas, Darkwood was in a constant state of preparation. Dylan wanted the manor to make a strong impression on his family who was coming from Scotland, so she had taken pains to finish furnishing the guest rooms that had never been used and making sure that each was well decorated. It was a monumental task, one that sent her to bed rest after too many long nights. The healers had told her that she and the child were fine, but the additional pain and exhaustion that she felt was her own doing.

"Kiva finished clearing out John's old cabin. Van insists that Lilith would be more comfortable there than in the manor." Dylan murmured softly one brutally cold morning as she cuddled against her husband's side. "She can bring her own furnishings and no one will bother her while your family takes the guest rooms."

 

[KieranSoares]

"That sounds like a good plan," Ashien nodded, lying shirtless beside her as he stared up at the ceiling. It had been another difficult night for him, exhaustion putting him to sleep for a few hours before he jolted awake from nightmares. He had better control over himself now and rarely woke Dylandra when he had nightmares, but it was weighing on him in several ways. He was always tired, a little slow to react to anything, and as he had no energy to get up and do much beyond his daily routine, he'd put on a small bit of weight, but nothing risky to his health. He was looking forward to asking for Vincenzo's help, knowing he needed to shape up before the baby came along.

 

[heartofcourage]

“You know this is just a rut, right? You’ll get back to yourself before too much longer.” Dylan said softly, sworried for Ashien as he seemed to be out of sorts since the holidays had passed. “Me, on the other hand, I fear I might be ruined forever.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"And why do you think that?" Ashien glanced down at her, his arm wrapping a little tighter around her.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Really? Have you seen me lately? Halfway through this pregnancy and I’m already broad as a house and swollen to boot. I had to take off my wedding bands the other day because I wasn’t afraid my fingers would turn blue.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"You're just as beautiful as ever," Ashien murmured with a smile, kissing her forehead. "Just a little different is all."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Tell me what’s bothering you then.” Dylan said softly, looking her husband in the eye as he held her a little bit tighter.

 

[KieranSoares]

"The same thing as ever... Just repeating what I saw in Inverness, young men getting blown apart by trapped and defective cannons... And then reliving it happening to me." He'd told her much of this before in bits and pieces, but talking had never seemed to help him thus far.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan let out a long sigh as he admitted that. "I thought that the nightmares had stopped." She said softly as he admitted that he had been having them again.

"Well, you have a few options, it seems." She looked up in his intense dark gaze, giving him a small smile. "Make love to me, which I don't think either of us are really up to at the moment. Go and get your paints and I will finally let you paint a picture of this belly like you've been bugging me for. Or go get Burke and go on a hard morning ride."

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien let out a long sigh. "... I don't even want to move." But even so, he eventually sat up. "... I think I'll take the third option for now... I love you dearly, but I think I've been too tired to do much with Burke lately."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Then go spoil him." Dylan said simply as she took advantage of his still warmed sheets as he got out of bed. "Your new shipment from Italy came in yesterday. Go eat to your heart's content if you don't feel like a ride. Just go and get out of my hair."

She was completely kidding him and he knew it. She had felt particularly useless after the healers had put her on partial bed rest, but with the rest of the family coming in a matter of days, she was about to defy their orders to finish everything up.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien left her with a kiss before getting dressed in a winter riding outfit, and headed downstairs to find Burke who was almost always up before them.

 

[heartofcourage]

It was another day before Lilith arrived, her cart of belongings trundling up the path to Darkwood as she followed in a carriage. She was soon shown into the main hall as her belongings were immediately taken to the cabin that had been set up for her.

"Ash." She murmured, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek as he appeared. "Thank you, again, for taking me in. Tristan was very insistent that I leave as soon as possible."

 

[KieranSoares]

Ashien welcomed Lilith with a smile and an embrace as she entered. "Not a problem, my dear. It'll be nice to catch up again after so long."

He'd been sitting in the dining room with Burke, helping him work on his reading and writing when Lilith arrived. Now, the boy quietly looked on as Ashien greeted the new woman Burke vaguely remembered from the Solstice gathering.

"Burke," Ashien called him over, and Burke trotted over to his side. "Do you remember Lilith?"

Burke nodded, a little braver than usual with Ashien beside him. Ashien ruffled his hair and smiled to Lilith. "He's properly part of the family now. Dylandra's probably up in the studio at the moment, or being stubborn and still preparing for my family to visit. Make yourself at home. If you need anything, Van and I will look after you."