Bio:
Once there was a human named Brisa, who was dearly loved by a male high elf. Making sure she was safely hidden from his enemies, he had gone into hiding after the war, promising to return for her. Later that same year, Brisa received word that her love had been killed. Brisa had little time to grieve for her lost love. Living alone in a small house in the depths of Nek Forest, she found herself expecting a child. She sent no word to friends or family, fearing betrayal from all sides, and knew that there was not one elf in her lover’s family who would acknowledge her or her offspring. As Brisa sat one evening in the house, her arm laid across her swelling midsection, she watched the shadows as they did a jig across the burlap rug at her feet. There was little comfort there, even in the warmth of the hearth. Loneliness and sorrow were taking a toll on her health, and her shoulders felt weighted and heavy. Looking toward the door and to the peg where his cloak had been hanging since he had left, she rose and took the fabric into her arms. She breathed in his scent once again and grieved in silence. There was no sound in the house save for the whisper and slight crackling of the fire. She sat back down with the cloak in her lap and fingered the soft fabric. She began to weep over the cloak, holding it to first one cheek and then the other. She rocked herself gently and wept. The idea came to her then and cheered her. She would make a coverlet of the cloak, and keep it about her during the long Norrathian nights. She would use it to swaddle her child, and to comfort him with the scent of his father. Rising from the chair once again, she turned up the lamp to help her see, and pulled her sewing basket to her knee. Using shears, she cut each sleeve of the cloak into five pieces. When she had ten pieces of fabric, she began to embroider one letter on each scrap with threads of red, blue, green and gold. Ten letters: one for each letter in her lover’s name. These squares would be incorporated into the quilt that she envisioned. As she stitched in the last letter, she smiled with sadness at her handwork, and imagined what he might have said about her destruction of his garment. She tucked the finished embroidery into the basket at her side and hugged her belly. She didn’t know if the pains she felt were fatigue from working so long into the night, or a sign of the babe’s impending birth. That last thought was frightening, and gave her a start. There was no one here to talk to or to help her. The family she had once been so close with was now far from here and knew nothing of her plight. Brisa realized that she would need assistance with the birth of her child. She didn’t know what to do! She thought to rest for a while, and wait for the dawn before going to the sleeping chamber. She was loathe to lie down in the bed while it was so dark. A little frightened, a little anxious, nevertheless, she fell into a dreamless sleep. A little later, as she dozed in the chair, there was a rustling near the door. Waking up with a small gasp, she sat listening to furtive tapping and scratching coming from the shuttered window. Brisa rose painfully from the chair, her body stiff and cold since the fire had gone out and the hearth had become chilly. She quickly turned down the lamp, and froze in place, listening for the noises which had wakened her. There it was again: scratching, scratching, and now scraping as with something metallic! The window shutters trembled, but held fast. The noises stopped a moment, and Brisa could hear rushed whispers coming from the other side of the door. Panicking, she hurried as best she could to the door to make sure that it was fastened securely, and breathed out with relief when she saw that it was. Who could be outside? Was it the enemy? Were they forest creatures? Another spasm, harder, gripped her belly, and she doubled over in pain, clenching her teeth against a scream. She heard noises again, more scratch
Once there was a human named Brisa, who was dearly loved by a male high elf. Making sure she was safely hidden from his enemies, he had gone into hiding after the war, promising to return for her. Later that same year, Brisa received word that her love had been killed. Brisa had little time to grieve for her lost love. Living alone in a small house in the depths of Nek Forest, she found herself expecting a child. She sent no word to friends or family, fearing betrayal from all sides, and knew that there was not one elf in her lover’s family who would acknowledge her or her offspring. As Brisa sat one evening in the house, her arm laid across her swelling midsection, she watched the shadows as they did a jig across the burlap rug at her feet. There was little comfort there, even in the warmth of the hearth. Loneliness and sorrow were taking a toll on her health, and her shoulders felt weighted and heavy. Looking toward the door and to the peg where his cloak had been hanging since he had left, she rose and took the fabric into her arms. She breathed in his scent once again and grieved in silence. There was no sound in the house save for the whisper and slight crackling of the fire. She sat back down with the cloak in her lap and fingered the soft fabric. She began to weep over the cloak, holding it to first one cheek and then the other. She rocked herself gently and wept. The idea came to her then and cheered her. She would make a coverlet of the cloak, and keep it about her during the long Norrathian nights. She would use it to swaddle her child, and to comfort him with the scent of his father. Rising from the chair once again, she turned up the lamp to help her see, and pulled her sewing basket to her knee. Using shears, she cut each sleeve of the cloak into five pieces. When she had ten pieces of fabric, she began to embroider one letter on each scrap with threads of red, blue, green and gold. Ten letters: one for each letter in her lover’s name. These squares would be incorporated into the quilt that she envisioned. As she stitched in the last letter, she smiled with sadness at her handwork, and imagined what he might have said about her destruction of his garment. She tucked the finished embroidery into the basket at her side and hugged her belly. She didn’t know if the pains she felt were fatigue from working so long into the night, or a sign of the babe’s impending birth. That last thought was frightening, and gave her a start. There was no one here to talk to or to help her. The family she had once been so close with was now far from here and knew nothing of her plight. Brisa realized that she would need assistance with the birth of her child. She didn’t know what to do! She thought to rest for a while, and wait for the dawn before going to the sleeping chamber. She was loathe to lie down in the bed while it was so dark. A little frightened, a little anxious, nevertheless, she fell into a dreamless sleep. A little later, as she dozed in the chair, there was a rustling near the door. Waking up with a small gasp, she sat listening to furtive tapping and scratching coming from the shuttered window. Brisa rose painfully from the chair, her body stiff and cold since the fire had gone out and the hearth had become chilly. She quickly turned down the lamp, and froze in place, listening for the noises which had wakened her. There it was again: scratching, scratching, and now scraping as with something metallic! The window shutters trembled, but held fast. The noises stopped a moment, and Brisa could hear rushed whispers coming from the other side of the door. Panicking, she hurried as best she could to the door to make sure that it was fastened securely, and breathed out with relief when she saw that it was. Who could be outside? Was it the enemy? Were they forest creatures? Another spasm, harder, gripped her belly, and she doubled over in pain, clenching her teeth against a scream. She heard noises again, more scratch
Contact:
© 2024 Fanbyte LLC