❧ Phaedra

[Heras Box]

A Trip to the Healer
Word count - 1200 (4 pts)

She had been quite feeling sick for a few weeks. Nothing extremely bad but it was definitely noticeable. Phaedra had tried a few things on her own, some recipes that she knew of to help with certain things, but nothing seemed to work. No matter what she did the sick feeling stayed with her. So now she was on her way to the local healer in Awat. Bushi had told her to go since he was worried about her and he'd even told her where the healer was located so she didn't get lost. She adored that he was so helpful and caring. In fact just thinking about him made a smile play on her lips and a cute tint reach her cheeks. The small, thin brunette was so excited that she had found someone that made her happy. It was a feeling that she hadn't had before and she didn't want to lose it now.

As she thought about Bushi she made it to the healer's house and knocked gently against the door. "Hello? I'm here to see the healer?" She called out uncertainly. It wasn't that she thought her boyfriend would send her to the wrong house but that she didn't want to disturb the healer, be they male or female, if they were with someone else already. Luckily that wasn't the case as the door opened and she was met with the face of an elderly man. "Oh, hello. I'm sorry to disturb you. Are you the healer?" Phaedra inquired softly.

"Yeah, I am. What do you need young lady?" His gruff voice didn't quite match his soft exterior or even his words. The old man looked at Phae with obvious interest. His eyes took in how she looked and then scanned down her form looking for anything that was out of place. "It doesn't look like it's a mortal wound." He said matter of factly.

"Mortal wound? Ah, no. I've just been feeling a bit sick the past week or so and nothing I've tried has worked." In fact she felt a little bit silly having to see someone about the sickness. It hadn't become such a problem that she was unable to do anything but she couldn't get it to go away either. Phaedra just wanted to make sure there was nothing seriously wrong.

The old man nodded his head and stepped to the side of his doorway so that he could motion Phaedra inside with one arm. "Alright, come in and we'll see what's wrong with you." He seemed relieved that the work would be simple. His old hands weren't what they used to be and his apprentice wasn't fully trained yet.

She smiled at him and muttered a thanks as she stepped inside and headed to where he instructed her to. Phae sat down on a small bench and watched as the elderly man dipped his hands into a bowl of water to rinse them off then dried them on a cloth. When that was done he stepped closer to her and brought his hands up to inspect her head and neck for any obvious signs of illness. The leafling simply sat there, her green gaze looking all around to avoid being awkward. Once the man made a humming sound she would snap her gaze back to his face expecting to be told what was wrong only to be met with silence. This went on for several moments before he told her to lie down. With a deep breath Phaedra did so.

"Can you tell me what has been bothering you?" The man asked with a hint of a smile.

"Uhm, well I've been getting sick randomly. I've also noticed that certain smells make it worse." Which she thought was weird since most of the smells were of foods. Phaedra loved to cook so she didn't understand how food could make her want to vomit. "I also have more headaches than usual." Of course she thought that might be because of the heat. Phaedra was still getting used to it after all. Then again she had been in Oba for quite some time so maybe that wasn't it at all.

The old man had been checking her stomach as she spoke and when she was finished mentioning everything he simply chuckled and shook his head. "You can sit up young lady." He knew what it was that was bothering her. He stepped away and waited for her to get herself upright before he spoke again. "You have nothing to worry about, you aren't sick. Well, not in a bad way." When he got an odd look from her he gave a small laugh and shook his head. "You are with child, my dear. If I had to guess I would say only a month or so, maybe a little more but not much. If the sickness continues find spearmint leaves to chew on. The headaches are likely due to the child taking from you, so eat and drink more."

Phaedra stared at the healer with an unblinking stare as he told her what it was that she thought had been wrong. Only, it wasn't wrong. She had just gotten the best news! Slowly she brought a hand up to her belly and rubbed at it gently. Hadn't she just talked with Bushi about kids not so long ago? Of course he hadn't seemed too thrilled with the idea but to her it was blessing from the spirits! As the elderly man gave her instructions on care she nodded and listened with rapt attention. She wanted to do everything right! Phae was going to be a mother! Now she needed to tell Bushi! But... how? Would he be mad with her? As she got up to leave she reached into her side pack and took out the coin to pay the healer with.

"Thank you. Please don't tell anyone about this, I'd like to share the news myself." The young leaf woman was practically glowing now. The knowledge that she was going to be able to have a family of her own was amazing. The elderly man gave her a nod and she thanked him once again before heading out the door.

The walk back to Bushi's house wasn't long but in that amount of time she thought about everything. Really thought about it all. And somehow she was afraid that she would lose the one man in her life that seemed to make her happy. So how would she tell him about the child without him getting angry with her? Would he make her leave? Phae didn't think so but it was still a possibility, also one she didn't like. Still, she would need to tell him but first.. Her stomach growled suddenly. Phaedra would need to make something that she could eat to settle the little one growing inside her belly. So as she got closer and closer to Bushi's home she went over what they had in the kitchen and what she could make that wouldn't be too heavy for her to consume. It wouldn't do to make something then not be able to eat it, that would be a waste.
 

[Heras Box]

Amends to be made
Word count - 1399 (4pts)

Phaedra stared down at the paper in her hands and the name that was scrawled across it in black ink. The hand writing was messy but at least she could read it. Captain Tandis. It was the name of the man that had taken her family from her when she was a child, or at least that was how she had known him for so many years. It wasn't until recently that she had learned the truth of how things had happened. The leafling still had yet to forgive her father for such things. Her fingers traced over the letters of the man's name as she took a deep breath trying to work up the courage to go and speak to him.

After she'd gotten the name of the man she had gone to find him. It was fairly easy since she and Bushi were in the city for a while longer and most of the barracks were within walking distance. Not that she had really gotten to walk. Phae had rode over on Aatos at Bushi's insistence. Her lover hadn't come with her since he was busy in the marketplace selling things but that didn't bother her. In fact she thought this trip should be dealt with alone. Maybe the next time he could come with her. For now though she stood alone outside the barracks that she now knew were where Captain Tandis was stationed. Several other soldiers had come and gone, giving her odd looks, but when one of them finally decided to ask if she needed help she was pulled from her thoughts.

"What? O-oh, I'm.. I'm looking for Captain Tandis." Phae had to clear her throat to make sure she didn't sound like a scared little girl as she spoke. It wouldn't do to have the soldier think that she was in trouble or anything. Of course she didn't think her attempts worked since he looked her up and down for a moment before nodding toward the door he had just come out of.

"Through the door and to the left. You'll find him with the soldiers on the practice field." That was the best the man could do since he was called by another to hurry up. He gave her a nod of his head then hurried away to join his comrades.

She nodded to him in return but wasn't at all upset when he hurried away. Phaedra was happy to be left with her thoughts once again. Still, she knew she couldn't just stand outside the barracks all day so she looked at Aatos and smiled softly. "You stay here boy, I don't think you'll fit through that door. I'll be back." Phaedra hoped she sounded confident because she certainly didn't feel like it. Still she didn't waste anymore time lingering outside, she moved to the door and passed through it effectively leaving the streets of Sulburi and entering into the world of the soldiers.

Despite having gotten directions from a soldier outside she had to ask another one once she was inside. Phaedra had gone left but still didn't find the person she was looking for and that was because the other man had failed to tell her it wouldn't be an immediate discovery of the practice field.

"Captain." The soldier called out. "You've a visitor."

Phae felt every eye in the area instantly go toward her and it made her squirm a little. Of course those eyes also dropped to her belly since she was showing now. Moving her hands to sit protectively over the baby bump she focused her eyes on the man she remembered from her past. He was older now and had more grey hair than she remembered but it was him. He stared at her just as much and she could swear there was a small light of recognition.

"Cap got himself some trouble now." Said one of the men standing nearby.

Clearly he thought that she was there to tell him that she carried his child. A fact that had her cheeks burning. Maybe she should have waited until after the baby was born to find him? This made things a lot more awkward than they already were.

"Show some respect, Gaden. Run twenty laps." It was Tandis that spoke up this time but he didn't look away from her. It made her wonder how he knew which soldier it was that had spoken up. Before she could even come up with a facial expression to match her thoughts he was stepping forward to close the distance between them. "Phaedra?" He asked.

That surprised her. Phae didn't think that he knew who she was. "Y-you know who I am?" There was no hiding her amazement.

"Of course. I can never forget the child I forced Astae to leave behind." His hard eyes softened as he looked at her. Clearly there was remorse behind them. "She cried for months afterward." His words made her look away and there was a silence between the two before the Captain spoke up again. "Are you here to tell me that I ruined your life?"

Her brow furrowed together at his last question and slowly she shook her head. "No. I... I'm not entirely sure what I came here for today." And it was the truth. Before she had found comfort in Bushi she still wasn't as forgiving as she should have been. Before she had learned the truth about Astae not being her real mother she was hateful. Now... Now she was more gentle. Like she used to be. "There was a time when I wanted to find you and scream at you for what you did." Phae admitted to him. "But today.. I wanted to see the man that gave Astae happiness."

The Captain looked surprised by this and for a moment he had a shocked look on his face but it melted into a gentle smile. "Thank you Phaedra. Now I know where your sisters get their loving personality."

The mention of her sisters was a bit of a throw off for her since she hadn't thought about them for this conversation but now that they were brought up.. "Are they well? Pyar and Phaun? Did they.. Do they remember me at all?" It was something that she wondered at a lot. Her little sisters. Did they remember that she was alive? Or even that they had an older sibling. Did they remember their life before Oba. Before Tandis became their father? Did they care?

"They know who you are. Astae told them about you quite often. The child that got left behind in the war. Pyar tried to run away and find you on more than one occasion." There was amusement in his tone as he mentioned her sisters reaction but it brought tears to Phaedra's eyes. Upon seeing them he reached up and rubbed his thumb across her cheek just under her eyes to wipe the droplet away. "Don't do that. Things were difficult then but if you are here then we would love to have you come and visit. Or stay with us." He didn't think she would stay since she was pregnant and likely with someone else already but he offered it.

"It was my fault that you were left behind. We weren't sure if your father would pursue us if we took you as well. I was still injured at the time and afraid. I was a coward, Phaedra, and I'm sorry. I don't deserve it but I would ask that you forgive me."

Those words surrounded her. She had already learned the truth, or most of it, from Astae, so to hear Tandis' side of things was a bit overwhelming. It didn't change anything though. Her life had happened for a reason. Everything in it had lead her to this moment and the moments before. They would continue to lead her onward. So Phaedra finally took a deep breath and shook her head before lifting her green gaze to meet his. "Everything that happened, both good and bad, is what brought me to where I am now. I found someone I am truly happy with and am soon to be a mother. There is nothing to forgive you for so long as Astae and my sisters were happy in life because I am happy now."



(( This is Phae finally meeting the man that her family was broken apart by but rather than feeling anger and resentment she is more accepting. She has found her happiness in life and admits to it. ))
 

[Heras Box]

Troubles
Word count - 651 (2pts)

She had managed to make it home without any farther incidents but she really wanted to yell at Bushi for all that she'd learned. Not only was he hiding something from her for so long but it felt as though he hadn't trusted her enough to tell her to begin with. That was what bothered her the most. Phaedra trusted him completely with everything personal of hers. She trusted him with the twins, her life, her history.. anything she could possibly think of she would put in his hands and not think twice. So why then had he not trusted her the same? He had said that he'd been afraid that she would not want him but that wasn't enough. She hadn't fallen for what he did for a living. There were plenty of merchants in the world to choose from if that was really what she wanted.

Phae gave a sigh as she sat near the window of the inn. She and Bushi both had made sure the twins were settled into their room before leaving them alone. Not that she really had any fears there. If someone came into their room then Shura would be on it. Dovian would call out for them and things would be handled. What bothered her is the fact that she was worrying at all. There shouldn't have been a thought in her mind that someone would be after her children. Which was something altogether confusing since it was tied to Bushi. Due to his connection to the shadows. The leaf woman didn't blame him for it, after all he had not raised a hand against their children, but it worried her that someone else might try to go after them again.

Moving so that her head was placed into her hands she closed her eyes and made an attempt at calming her frantic mind. If it were possible. She had the fears running through her mind that her two babies were still in danger and then the hurt from the lie that was told to her from the beginning of her relationship with Bushi. How much of it was faked? How much of it was real? In all honesty she wasn't sure. Had she been a cover for Bushi the entire time? Did he really care for her? Did she even know him? Thinking about those possibilities made her choke on her breath before letting out a sob. There was nothing that could keep her from crying at that point. Even if she wanted to keep her tears to herself they had other intentions and made their way onto her cheeks.

With her mind running wild with thoughts her chest began to ache. It was harder for Phae to breathe and soon she only wanted to scream to try and ease the pain. Taking in breaths in gasps the brown haired sprite did what she could to curl into a ball. She wanted to become small, to disappear. Keeping that desire in mind she moved from the window, at a slow pace since she still refused to open her eyes, over to the bed. Once she knew she was close she simply let her body fall into place and sink into the mattress. Phaedra made a single move to hug a pillow to her chest as tightly as she could in an attempt to alleviate the pain she felt there but did nothing else. All she was capable of doing from that moment on was crying into bed until she was completely exhausted. Her head hurt and her eyes had become puffy with crying and her nose was red. So she let her exhaustion claim her and take her into sleepy oblivion. It would give her body rest and give her mind a well deserved break, not to mention let her heart repair itself from the scenarios that she had come up with.
 

[Heras Box]

Market visit
Word count -

Phaedra sighed as she walked through the marketplace. Her kids had all gone out to do their own thing and her husband was working, so that left her by herself. It wasn't that she didn't like her alone time but she missed spending time with her babies. As she walked a little more she saw her husband's stand and smiled to herself but she wasn't going there. Phae had another stall in mind. Of course it had to do with cooking.

She was just out of sight of her husband when she got to where she was going. As the leafling got close to the stall she was greeted by the owner and set to looking at what was on display. She was pleased to see several fruits since her youngest daughter loved them. Phaedra made a mental note to get some before she left but her eyes went to a delicious cut of meat. Instantly she was thinking of everything that she could make with it and if it was worth getting. Could it last long enough? Would it feed everyone in the family? It was just how she looked at everything food wise. Even before her big family she looked at it that way.

"Ah, that is a good choice." The owner had seen her looking at the meat and thought to try and get a sale from her.

Her bright green eyes looked up at him and she smiled. "It does look nice. How much does it weigh?"

"Oh, it's fairly heavy." He didn't provide her with anything specific because he didn't weigh his wares.

She pressed her lips together at not being given a weight to work with but her eyes did return to the meat she was asking about. Phaedra was guessing it had to at least weigh a few pounds, maybe even as many as six. It had little fatty tissue so it was mostly edible meats. Put it in a pot with some vegetables and it would make more than enough to feed her group. "How much?"

"Ah, a few gold pieces." The man held out his hand to collect what he was sure he was owed.

Phae's eyes widened slightly. "Just what kind of meat is it?" For it to be so much she expected it to be from a rare beast.

"Xaaran meat. Locally raised."

That there told her that the owner of the stall was simply money hungry. She narrowed her eyes at him and moved her hands up to her hips. "You charge that much for common meat? Should I ask how much the good stuff is?"

"Hey now, this here is the best cut and it's not imported. All fresh." He nodded his head as if saying what he said would make it all better.

"And for less than half the price I can go to another stall and get something similar." Phae waved her hand in the direction of the other stalls.

"Look lady, that's the price for this here meat. If you don't like it then step off." He was starting to get agitated with his customer for second guessing him. He was supposed to be the professional that knew what he was doing, not the other way around.

"Excuse me?" The man's attitude was causing her to dislike him and when Phaedra looked with a glare she made sure to hold her chin up before slamming one hand down on the table. "Do you have any idea who my husband is!? I can own this stall with just a few words." She'd never used Bushi like that before but something had gotten under her skin with this vendor. "Ripping everyone off is no way to become successful."

At first he was startled by her action but afterward he reached over and grabbed her by the wrist to pull her away from his table. "That's enough from you Lady. I don't need your business here." He started to pull her along.

Phae yanked her arm from him and glared a lot more. It was a shame that she had left her weapon at home. Once her arm was free of his grip she stepped up into his personal space and leveled her stare at him. "If you ever touch me again it will cost you your hand." Even if her husband didn't do it she would. "Now I am telling you that your price is a rip off. Either sell the meat at the normal price or I will make sure no one buys from you again." As she stood there she made sure to look as intimidating as possible. Without a weapon she really only looked like a pissed off woman, nothing too scary.

Unwilling to deal with her he gave her a disgusted look before he reached out and took hold of her again, this time pulling her so close that his nose touched hers. The owner tightened his grip to the point that it caused her pain. "You have a big mouth Lady. You need to leave before I have the guards come arrest you. Who knows, you could have stolen something from me." A glint in his eye told her that he would like to get her taken away.

"You.." Phaedra did what she could to move her face away from his. "Disgusting low life ah--" She was cut short when he twisted her arm in one hand and grabbed her waist with the other.

"And I think you're a thief." He spoke as he got up close and personal, his face all but buried against her neck as he spoke. After taking a deep breath he chuckled. "Shall I call the guard? Have you taken away? Maybe I can even bribe one of them to give you into my care so that I can deal with you myself."

The idea itself made her repulsed and she moved away from any contact with him that she could. Phae simply stared at the guy. "I will tell my husband that you put your hands on me." There would be no avoiding that since she was likely to have bruising on her arm now. Bushi would ask her about it and she wouldn't lie.

Before the owner could say anything more someone else came up and interrupted the conversation. "Excuse me, is everything alright here?" It was a guard who happened to be passing by on his rounds. He had seen the odd exchange and thought he should step in. "M'am? Are you okay?"

Phaedra took advantage of the disruption and tried to yank free of the owner again. "No, this man has threatened me." Since she had no weapon on her, as she wasn't expecting to need one, Phae figured she might as well use what she was given.

"Sir, you need to release the Lady." The guard watched as the stall owner let go then nodded to him. It was a thank you of sorts for doing as he was told. The guard then reached out to take hold of Phaedra and lead her away from the man so that he could get more information from her about the situation. "Do you need a healer for your arm?"

"No, no, I'm alright." She did her best to reassure the kind guard.

When he was sure that she didn't need to be seen he nodded his head and walked away. He needed to finish his rounds. Once she was left alone Phaedra gave one last glare at the stall owner then headed straight to where she knew she could find her husband. She wanted to make sure that the man that had tried to rip her off and put his hands on her was taken care of. When she was done talking to Bushi then she would go home to collect her trident.