Dear Wife

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek meekly crept back into the kitchen, then on to the main room, to Aislyn.

"Aron is looking for Liadan."

[Cindy]

Aislyn nodded and snuggled Yehudit. "I hope she's all right," she said softly. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she gets hurt trying to get me help."

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek smoothed Aislyn's hair back from her forehead. "I should have  gone myself."

[Muffin Puffin]

"Maybe no one should have gone. I passed out from exhaustion and hunger. There is nothing Difyr can do for either of those."

[Lazey Winde]

"We were worried." Nelek said.

[Cindy]

"I know," Aislyn said softly, reaching up to stroke his cheek with the palm of her hand.

[Lazey Winde]

"Aron will find her." Nelek said, more hopeful than certain.

[Muffin Puffin]

"This is my fault. I should be out there looking for." Aislyn sat up and handed Yehudit to Nelek. Then she got to her feet and headed for the door.

[Lazey Winde]

"Aislyn, don't." Nelek said, hurrying after her. "You could get hurt, and you need to rest and eat."

[Muffin Puffin]

"But you shouldn' t be in danger because I caused Lia to worry and go for Difyr," Aislyn stated. "It's my fault, I should make it right."

[Lazey Winde]

"The attacker doesn't seem interested in men." Nelek reasoned.

[Cindy]

Aislyn glanced at Nelek and blinked. His words were true enough but she still felt responsible. "But it's not your fault she's out there."

[Lazey Winde]

"If I went out there she would have stayed with you." Nelek said. "Let's both stay here in case she comes back. You rest and keep Yehudit company while I make you something to eat."

[Cindy]

Aislyn shook her head. "I have to find Lia. I have to make certain she's safe. She won't survive a second attack," Aislyn said frantically.

[Lazey Winde]

"I don't think Lia would want you putting yourself at risk." Nelek argued.

[Muffin Puffin]

"But she would want to be safe. To be able to come home to her husband and daughter. Where she belongs."

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek crossed his arms over his chest.

"I never should have let Liadan go, but I am not going to let you go." Nelek said sternly.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aislyn glared. "Stop me then," she hissed as she pushed past him toward the door to the kitchen. Thoughts of hunger and exhaustion fled her as she headed for the back door.

On Wed, Jul 2, 2008 at 9:08 PM, Lazey Winde <lazey...@gmail.com> wrote:

Nelek crossed his arms over his chest.

"I never should have let Liadan go, but I am not going to let you go." Nelek said sternly.

--
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[Lazey Winde]

Nelek had the feeling that he went too far by ordering Aislyn. He also suspected that he was exceptionally stupid today. He put Yehudit down and hurried after his wife.

"Aislyn! Wait!... Please." He added meekly.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aislyn paused at the door and glanced at Nelek. "I'm scared. I'm worried about Lia. I think I'm having a breakdown of some sort. I don't want to risk the babe but Lia...she needs me too! All I want is a nice, quiet, normal life...that's all."

[Lazey Winde]

"I know." Nelek said. "I wouldn't mind a normal life myself. Please sit down and try to relax, I'll make tea."

[Muffin Puffin]

"But Lia...." Aislyn argued, her face reddening and her breath coming in short, desperate pants.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek scooped Aislyn up in his arms.

"Maybe I should take you to Difyr."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I want to find Lia! We can't leave Yehudit here alone!" Aislyn wailed as she squirmed in his hold. "We have to stay here with Yehudit...you need to stay with Yehudit while I find Lia!"

[Lazey Winde]

"Aislyn!" Nelek yelped as he tried to hold her, but she squirmed too much and and he dropped her with a thud.

[Muffin Puffin]

Aislyn burst into tears and pulled her knees up to her chin. "I want Papa!"

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek felt like a real heel and started crying himself.

"Are you hurt, Aislyn?" He sobbed.

[Muffin Puffin]

"No. Yes. I don't know," she wailed through her tears. It was getting harder and harder to breathe as it felt like her chest and throat were closing. "I want Papa! I WANT PAPA!" she screamed.

The back door opened and Brie stepped in, surverying the scene. "What in the world?"

"NELEK DROPPED ME!" Aislyn wailed louder.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek had the feeling t hat he was going to get a whipping, or maybe just shot by that crossbow of Brighid's.

"I dropped her by accident." Nelek cried, tears running down his cheeks.

[Muffin Puffin]

"It's all right, Nelek. Go get Mr. Buckley and Difyr. I'll stay with Aislyn." Brie knelt next to Aislyn and slipped her arm around her. "Everything will be all right. Nelek did not mean to drop you," she whispered.

"I,..,,kn....kn...know," Aislyn hiccuped. "I...pa...pani...panicked...and....f...fought....h....him....m....my f..fault....j...just l...li....like Lia be...being out there and h...hurt is my f...fault...."

"Lia's outside?" Brie asked, glancing at Nelek over her shoulder.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek guiltily looked at his feet. "Aislyn had fainted and I stupidly let Liadan go out alone for Difyr."

[Cindy]

Brie eyed him thoughtfully. "Do you really think that Lia would have allowed you to not let her go? I doubt it. It wasn't stupidity, it was self-preservation." Brie glanced at Aislyn. "Why did she faint?"

[Lazey Winde]

"She's tired, stressed and hungry." Nelek said, edging towards the door.

[Cindy]

"Hmm....I'll see what I can make for her then."   "I should be going. It's my fault Lia's out there," Aislyn protested, trying to sneak past Brie.   Brie put her hand on Aislyn's shoulder and spun her around, pushing her toward the main room. "Rubbish. Now sit down and be quiet."

[Lazey Winde]

"Make sure she stays put." Nelek said. "And please keep an eye on Yehudit."

Briefly, Nelek wondered if he and Aislyn would get to keep Yehudit if Liadan got herself killed out there. He felt like an even bigger heel as he pushed out that thought. Nelek spun around and rushed to the healer's cottage.

[Muffin Puffin]

Brie settled Aislyn on the sofa and scooped up the babe. After a cuddle and kiss, she settled Yehudit in Aislyn's arms. "Stay there."

Then she disappeared into the kitchen and began assembling ingredients to scramble some eggs. She set bacon on to fry and then began heating water for tea.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek rushed to the healer's cottage. He knocked o nthe door, then let himself in.

"Difyr?" He called.

Difyr was in the kitchen, almost done preparing the midday meal.

"I'm in here!" Difyr called, "What's wrong?"

Nelek came into the kitchen. "Aislyn had another fainting spell, and I sort of dropped her."

Never fails, get into the tub and some man breaks a leg, prepare a meal and some woman faints. She told Tegau that the food was almost done and to wake up Ertzel to eat. She picked up her basket and followed Nelek to Aislyn's cottage.

[Cindy]

Aislyn half-heartedly played with Yehudit, her mind elsewhere. Where was Lia?  What had happened to her? If her motherly instinct had not been so strong, she would have sat Yehudit in her basket and taken off through the front.

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek returned to the cottage with Difyr following him. Nelek gave Brighid an anxious look.

[Muffin Puffin]

Brie poked her head through the doorway to the main room then pulled back, nodding. "She's still in there, not looking happy." Brie frowned. "No sign of Lia?"

[Lazey Winde]

"Where is Liadan?" Difyr asked.She wondered if Liadan had left town again.

[Muffin Puffin]

Brie glanced at Nelek then back to Dfiyr, who she didn't know at all. "From what I understand, she went to find you when Aislyn fainted. But then time passed and Nelek and Aislyn grew worried. Is that about the whole of it?"

[Lazey Winde]

Nelek nodded.

"I shouldn't have let her go out on her own." Nelek said miserably.

Difyr went on to the other room to see Aislyn.

[Cindy]

"And I'm telling you again, Nelek, there was nothing you could have done or said to stop her," Brie repeated. "She is already mad at Aron for trying to keep her indoors and safe."

[Lazey Winde]

"How are you feeling?" Difyr asked Aislyn, setting her basket on the floor.


"I should have g one." Nelek insisted. 

[Muffin Puffin]

Aislyn looked up at Difyr. "Worried about Lia, tired, hungry, stressed out. I am certain there are more things I'm feeling."

[Lazey Winde]

"Try not to worry about her too much." Difyr said. "Liadan's a survivor."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I know, but she's been through things that no woman should suffer through and..." Aislyn took a deep breath, "There is still danger in the village."

[Lazey Winde]

"I know." Difyr said. "Your brother will find her."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I know, but it's my fault that she even left. If I had not gotten so mad at her and sort of lost my temper, she wouldn't have set the oven on fire and I wouldn't have gotten madder and passed out."

[Ayshe]

"You two will straighten things out." Difyr assured her. "You've been
close friends for a long time."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I know," Aislyn nodded. Then a deep sigh escaped her. "The problem is that Nelek and I had plans for spending the day together...alone....and relaxing...and Lia kind of...barged in. Which is why I was angry."

[Lazey Winde]

Difyr could feel herself starting to blush. Some healer she was.

"Ah, I see." She said.

[Cindy]

Aislyn gave her a small smile. "My point is that as much as I love Lia, she always seems to interrupt."

[Lazey Winde]

Difyr nodded.

"She has a habit of doing that."

[Cindy]

Aislyn nodded and sighed. "and  I want to spend this time with Nelek, getting things ready for the babe. I can't handle Lia on top of everything else."

[Lazey Winde]

"Hopefully now that Brighid is back..." Difyr suggested.

[Cindy]

"One can hope. But Lia was at breakfast with Lia when Lia ended up here." Aislyn sighed again, closing her eyes. "My marriage will be doomed if Brie can't distract her."

[Lazey Winde]

"Maybe Liadan can get a hobby." Difyr weakly suggested.

[Muffin Puffin]

"Hmm. Maybe," Aislyn said doubtfully.

[Lazey Winde]

Difyr did not know what else to say about Liadan, other than, "She means no harm."

[Muffin Puffin]

"I know she doesn't," Aislyn replied.

--
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