Tweet
The old man stepped out of the door of the small farmhouse. He was tall and straight-backed. His hair and beard were grizzled, but he appeared hale and strong. He stretched in the morning sun and looked around. His farm was small but neatly kept. Surrounded by woods, it was large enough to supply the needs for the year for himself and his wife quite comfortably.
“Even some to spare.” he thought to himself.
A small path led through the woods in the direction of the few nearby farms. Past those farms, there was a road leading to a town about a day’s journey away. He traded some of his surplus for supplies in the town. Beyond the town, the road continued to the west, eventually reaching Waterdeep.
He moved towards the woods on the other side of the small fields. His step was lithe and silent. A bow was slung over his shoulder and a quiver of arrows was on his back. He wore well-used leather armour, with a faint sense of enchantment about it. A rapier was at his waist.
“Just a moment, my dear.” came a voice from the house. He paused as a woman emerged.
“Mi amor, mi corazon.” he whispered to himself.
She was tall as well, a good match for him in height. She appeared much of an age with him, but was still striking, and had probably been beautiful when she was younger. Dressed in robes, she could have had the appearance of a magic-user, but the apron over them made her look like a farm wife. She looked around their land, then to him.
“A good place, my dear. A fine one now that we no longer adventure.” she said.
“Indeed.” he replied. “We had a good run for a long time and came out of it more or less intact. Now we have time to enjoy life and each other.”
She grinned impishly and winked at him. “Indeed, yourself.” she replied.
They headed into the woods. He moved with an ease and grace that indicated his great familiarity with the forest. No sound arose from his passage. She was less able, but moved along comfortably close to him. They worked together with the ease of long familiarity, familiarity in situations more demanding and dangerous than a pleasant stroll in the woods.
Reaching a clearing after some time, they paused. “Lunch?” he asked. “Looks like a good spot.” she said. They settled comfortably on a fallen tree overlooking a stream. He fetched some water. They ate and drank their fill and settled down to relax for a while.
“Remember that time in the Dalelands?” she asked. “Those woods were much like this. The temple we found was not, though”
“Indeed.” he said. “That was a tough nut to crack. We lost a couple of good companions that day. And it would have been more if not for your spells.”
“Your work on the traps contributed as much.” she replied. “And opening those locked chests, and the door to let us get away, well …”
They both paused, deep in reverie. “We were a good team, weren’t we, my love.” He said. “We were, my …. what was that?”
He listened carefully. “I don’t know. Let me look. Prepare yourself, too”
Silently he glided into the bushes nearby, his bow at the ready. After a few moments, his voice came back. “Ariel, you had better come and see this.”
She edged her way towards him, emerging into a small clearing. He stood looking down at the base of a large tree. “What is it, Nathaniel?” “Look.” he replied, pointing at a basket nestled among the roots. She came to his side and looked down. “A baby …” she murmured. “What do you suppose it’s doing here.”
His eyes widened. “I know not.” He looked around. “There’s no sign of how it got here, nothing.” She kept her eyes on the basket. “It seems to be all right.” She picked the baby up and checked inside the blanket. “Oh. We’d best call him ‘he’ not ‘it’. But he seems in good health.”
The baby gazed intently at this new person, then smiled and gurgled. Then his face scrunched up and he began to cry softly. “I’ll bet he’s hungry.” she said. “We’d best get back home, then and see what we can manage.” He smiled fondly at her and moved into the woods in the direction of the farm.
Later they sat in their home. It was comfortably furnished. They lacked for nothing important. Their adventuring days had left them well-off.
The baby was fed and slept quietly, a tiny grin on his face. “That trick Jem two farms over used with the orphan calf worked well.” he said. “It did.” she replied. “but what are we going to do with him?” He looked into her eyes and murmured “I know, even if you do not ...”, he paused. “…mother.” Her face split in a smile as wide as she could possibly manage. “You know me too well, father.”
He laughed. “And we thought we had done with adventuring. This will be a whole new kind of adventure.” “Possibly our greatest.” she replied. They both looked at their new son. “I never thought …” she said. “Nor I.” he replied.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well,” he said, “first things first. What shall we call him? She though for a few moments then smiled down at the baby.
"Tery." she said. "Our new son, Tery Mard."
“Even some to spare.” he thought to himself.
A small path led through the woods in the direction of the few nearby farms. Past those farms, there was a road leading to a town about a day’s journey away. He traded some of his surplus for supplies in the town. Beyond the town, the road continued to the west, eventually reaching Waterdeep.
He moved towards the woods on the other side of the small fields. His step was lithe and silent. A bow was slung over his shoulder and a quiver of arrows was on his back. He wore well-used leather armour, with a faint sense of enchantment about it. A rapier was at his waist.
“Just a moment, my dear.” came a voice from the house. He paused as a woman emerged.
“Mi amor, mi corazon.” he whispered to himself.
She was tall as well, a good match for him in height. She appeared much of an age with him, but was still striking, and had probably been beautiful when she was younger. Dressed in robes, she could have had the appearance of a magic-user, but the apron over them made her look like a farm wife. She looked around their land, then to him.
“A good place, my dear. A fine one now that we no longer adventure.” she said.
“Indeed.” he replied. “We had a good run for a long time and came out of it more or less intact. Now we have time to enjoy life and each other.”
She grinned impishly and winked at him. “Indeed, yourself.” she replied.
They headed into the woods. He moved with an ease and grace that indicated his great familiarity with the forest. No sound arose from his passage. She was less able, but moved along comfortably close to him. They worked together with the ease of long familiarity, familiarity in situations more demanding and dangerous than a pleasant stroll in the woods.
Reaching a clearing after some time, they paused. “Lunch?” he asked. “Looks like a good spot.” she said. They settled comfortably on a fallen tree overlooking a stream. He fetched some water. They ate and drank their fill and settled down to relax for a while.
“Remember that time in the Dalelands?” she asked. “Those woods were much like this. The temple we found was not, though”
“Indeed.” he said. “That was a tough nut to crack. We lost a couple of good companions that day. And it would have been more if not for your spells.”
“Your work on the traps contributed as much.” she replied. “And opening those locked chests, and the door to let us get away, well …”
They both paused, deep in reverie. “We were a good team, weren’t we, my love.” He said. “We were, my …. what was that?”
He listened carefully. “I don’t know. Let me look. Prepare yourself, too”
Silently he glided into the bushes nearby, his bow at the ready. After a few moments, his voice came back. “Ariel, you had better come and see this.”
She edged her way towards him, emerging into a small clearing. He stood looking down at the base of a large tree. “What is it, Nathaniel?” “Look.” he replied, pointing at a basket nestled among the roots. She came to his side and looked down. “A baby …” she murmured. “What do you suppose it’s doing here.”
His eyes widened. “I know not.” He looked around. “There’s no sign of how it got here, nothing.” She kept her eyes on the basket. “It seems to be all right.” She picked the baby up and checked inside the blanket. “Oh. We’d best call him ‘he’ not ‘it’. But he seems in good health.”
The baby gazed intently at this new person, then smiled and gurgled. Then his face scrunched up and he began to cry softly. “I’ll bet he’s hungry.” she said. “We’d best get back home, then and see what we can manage.” He smiled fondly at her and moved into the woods in the direction of the farm.
Later they sat in their home. It was comfortably furnished. They lacked for nothing important. Their adventuring days had left them well-off.
The baby was fed and slept quietly, a tiny grin on his face. “That trick Jem two farms over used with the orphan calf worked well.” he said. “It did.” she replied. “but what are we going to do with him?” He looked into her eyes and murmured “I know, even if you do not ...”, he paused. “…mother.” Her face split in a smile as wide as she could possibly manage. “You know me too well, father.”
He laughed. “And we thought we had done with adventuring. This will be a whole new kind of adventure.” “Possibly our greatest.” she replied. They both looked at their new son. “I never thought …” she said. “Nor I.” he replied.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well,” he said, “first things first. What shall we call him? She though for a few moments then smiled down at the baby.
"Tery." she said. "Our new son, Tery Mard."