Sachihiro

‎I'm in a state of worried bliss because my tiny beautiful daughter has been born and though not at home she has been born on Sandaria. I'm worried because I know the dangers and cruelty in the world and for some reason seem to recall all of them at this particular moment as I hold her in my arms.

We are in a tiny cabin in the a mostly disregarded territory of Sandoria, though it has much more traffic now than it did a few years ago. Jelena, Astrid, Ava, Helena, Elga and some other women all made sure to keep me and the other men out during the 2 hour birth process but now its all done and looking at this tiny thing I feel proud of Ingwe.

I have no idea what to name her yet, I'm discovering I may not be very good at giving names. I look up from her at Gaia and Om with a silly grin that I can't seem to whip off my face. Gaia giggles, Om nods knowingly, his son already born and almost a month old already.

I kiss the forehead of the little naked creature in my arms and she wiggles and yawns, her big black eyes facing me but seemingly looking through me. "I have to find her a name." I say and feel the nods of everyone around me.

There is an old custom of my people that you find the name of a child if you want it to have power, Vigdis' name was found, Dishna's wasn't but this little bundle of joy here will definitely have to have a traditionally found name. And so I start walking towards the light of the sun even as it is about to enter its twilight stage on this part of the world.

My friends walk a ways behind and to the sides of me for protection against sudden attacks and preditors. "We are looking for a name for you my baby girl, a name with power. You will be strong and happy and very very clever." I tell her in my arms as she looks at me tiredly before going to sleep.

She only cried initially after the birth and suckled like an old hand at the activity before being given to me to know. Her mother is probably now asleep but I saw the little glimmer of worry in her eye when she passed me our daughter. Daughters are not as valued as boy children by her people and she may think she has failed at something but I think I aura of joy when I took this tiny person alleviated a lot of that anxiety.

I feel personal coming towards us from the trail as they project their aura to keep wildlife away I assume but I keep walking. Turning the bend I notice six men carrying logs and a little girl with them all stop suddenly at the sight of me. I also stop not to be threatening, I feel good today, really happy, but this is the world.

"Greetings warrior." One of the men calls out, a wide short man whose stature, bulk and size indicate he is most like a half human half dwalf, a rare but powerful combination.

"Greetings," I respond in fluent unaccented Sandersonian.

I see their surprise at the fluidity of my speech, they clearly see a Tribesman before them yet Tribesmen are known to have a thick accent. Something a lot of us can't really hear in ourselves.

"We live in a cabin in the area and are just passing through, we want no trouble,'' he says with a log still on his shoulder and the little girl wide-eyed behind his leg looking at me.

I nod, "I am also just passing through with some of my friends, but I'm afraid your cabin is occupied at the moment." By their auras, its obvious they've been living there and they built it themselves judging by how deeply the place feels like them.

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My statement is greeted with silence though and a spike of fear from one of the men behind the speaker, and a bubbling aura of possessive violence from another. I smile at them slightly amused and more fear blossoms from another of the men as the half dwalf drops his log gently.

"And why is that?" The tall dwarf asks as he rises and faces me. His voice colder and his eyes harder.

I giggle, I can't help myself but I seem to be agitating the people facing me. A birdcall by Hale asking whether they should intervene rings out from the sparse woods around us and I shake my head in the negative.

"My daughter was born today in your cabin and I am grateful for the shelter it provided, we will be out of your home shortly having played any reparations necessary for the inconvenience," I say and bow my head slightly.

The half dwarf relaxes some by his woodsman's axe is still within quick reach. My baby wakes again with a yawn even as it fully becomes dusk, a golden crimson dusk today accompanied by three moons. She cries a little and protests in my arms, I frown as I reqd her body language but follow her direction moving towards the people before me.

They tense up slightly at me movements but stay relatively still, all my weapons are visible and within easy reach but my arms are occupied. The dwarf grunts and parts from my path pulling his daughter closely with him, the others part as well but I make a beeline to one of them. The one with the fear response and I see its just a boy, a human boy with fists clenched in sweaty palms.

My baby reaches out her arms again and I frown but hold her up towards him. I am very aware that two of the six men also have hands on axes now but my initial assessment of them is that those axes won't kill me before my friends slaughter every single one of them if they try anything.

The boy gulps audibly in the silence that has resulted from my actions but still holds out his hands for the baby. It is an instinctive human response to care for a new born of almost any species. As he takes her his fear reseds slightly and becomes a deep worry as he adjusts her weight and supports her head. Then it becomes calm as he sighs and looks up from me curiously, I'm also looking at him curiously.

"There is no need for the to be any animosity between us, please accept our apologies for invading your cabin," I say looking at every single one of them in the eye.

They are all tense and have given each other enough space to swing freely, not simple woodsmen these. One of them I missing and eye and has a cruel scare along his lip, he is also very old for an unawakened and doesn't know how to hide it, yet he still seems strong and healthy.

The other is also a half dwarf but leaner, much leaner than I know this people to be yet his bone structure is telling. He carried no log but a basket which is now at his feet, the others also look like hard men but tired hard men. The little girl is reading the situation and is worried but her eyes keep going to my daughter with curiosity.

"Yes, there is no need for animosity between us, you can have the use of our home until your wife is again ready to travel." The dwarf speaks again, trying to relax him arm which keeps twitching towards his axe.

I notice the aura of peace and wonder that has been slowly building and turn to look at the boy again, he smiles up at me holding my girl in his arms protectively. My frown deepens, what the fuck is going on here?

"What's her name?" The asks as she closes her eyes with a yan falling asleep again.

I'm silent a moment as I watch all this unfold.

"Aurora, her name is Aurora."