Do You Really Want Children?

When Tyr found Laki, the man's face had bruises and large amounts of swelling all over. What had been a decent-looking man, had been replaced by a pathetic-looking drunkard. The sight of his worthless relation revolted him. For someone who spent his whole life striving to achieve something on his own, his uncle made him disgusted. He hated how the man acted so carefree and lacked a sense of responsibility. Laki was over eight hundred, yet he seemed to be less mature than Macha, who was only in her thirties.

Everyone felt the chilling aura that radiated from Tyr. Macha glanced at the imposing figure who stood next to her and noticed how disappointed and angry he appeared. She pulled on his sleeve and requested gently, "Could I possibly have a moment with your uncle?"

His eyes never left Laki, who now stared at him with a worried expression. He nodded his head and moved to wait further down the hallway.

The Police Chief opened the holding cell, and she entered. In a tender voice, she asked, "Are you all right?"

Her small hand raised, and she tilted his chin down so she could inspect his face. When her fingers touched him, Tyr's eyes narrowed and a scowl formed on his already chilling face.

Laki saw his nephew's reaction and walked away from her. His voice was gruff because of his embarrassment at being beaten up by a woman. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Good," she replied.

She followed him further into the cell and their backs faced the hallway. In a low voice that only the two of them could hear, she warned him, "You better be on your best behavior when you work with my brother. I'm paying for the damages this time, but I refuse to do so a second time. Tyr was angry and he'll probably ignore your pleas if you act up again."

She glanced over her shoulder and continued, "What happened? Why did you get into a fight the night you arrived? That looks really bad you know."

She did not hold any malice in her voice, but she needed to warn him that they would not bail him out every time. She did not want him making this sort of behavior a routine habit.

Laki's lip twitched. He did not expect her to give him a warning like that. It did not frighten him, but he understood that the 'good guy' would not be such a pushover.

Trying to lighten the mood, he spun around and pointed at Qara, who was sitting in the cell across from his. In a loud accusing tone, he fumed, "She started the whole fight. I was mindin' my own business when she punched me."

Tai Shan stared at Qara, who's left eye was swollen shut. He wanted to hear why she would do such a thing. Never in her entire employment had she acted this way before.

"Please explain yourself," was all he had to say about her actions.

She stood up and held the bars to her cell. She pressed her face against the cool metal while pointing a finger at Laki. "Ah... He's being a baby. I served fifty years for him and he's crying about one night," she scoffed.

Flicking him off, she snarled, "Grow up!"

Having said what she needed to, Macha moved out of the cell and Tyr entered. His unsympathetic face glowered at his uncle. He brought his mouth close to Laki's ear and growled, "If you EVER act up again and inconvenience Macha, I'll beat you so bad that you won't be able to walk for a week. Got it?"

A cold fear paralyzed Laki. His eyes became round saucers, and he quickly nodded his head. His nephew was not a typical noble who enjoyed the luxuries that money provided. He did not know how it happened, but the boy learned how to fight very well. He could tell that the warning was not the sort of fluff that he could brush off. A beating would really happen if he acted up.

Tyr then stood up straight. His voice became less threatening but still had an edge to it. "You'll work as the Captain of the airship for Lord Swat. He's Macha's brother, so DON'T act up."

After saying this, he looked down at Laki, who was almost twice his age and thought about how irresponsible the man was. He hoped Macha was correct and his uncle would not just sail off with it.

When Laki heard that he would be a Captain, his mood lifted. "You're really gonna let me be a Captain? You ain't shittin' me, right?"

Tai Shan nodded, "If you're willing."

While he had a few reservations about hiring this man, the chance to use the airship was too good. The profit he would make for rushed shipments would help his family's business immensely. His daughter was also getting older, and he needed to think about her schooling.

After confirming Laki's question, he turned to Qara. "I want you to be his first mate to keep him under control and show him what'll be expected of him. You understand the business and I've been wanting to promote you for a while."

Laki and Qara exchanged looks and grimaced. They both desperately wanted the position being offered but did not want to work with the other.

Qara clutched her fist until her fingernails caused her palm to bleed. Her face was stiff when she replied, "Yes Lord Swat. I thank you for your high opinion of me. I will not disappoint you."

****

The expense cost Macha a whole month's worth of pay. She felt bitter about how much havoc the two wreaked while fighting in the questionable bar. On the ride back to headquarters, she was quiet and stared out the window at the snowy streets.

Tyr looked out of the same window that she did. Without looking at her, he asked, "What are you musing about?"

She twiddled her thumbs in her lap and leaned her head on his shoulder. "How expensive your uncle's fight was."

The annoyance in her voice was obvious and caused a grin to form on Tyr's lips. Although he made her pay for the expense, he knew she probably had more than enough money saved up. The bill was small in comparison to what she would be making as soon as Laki started working.

He pinched the tip of her nose, "Are you angry that I forced you to pay for it?"

She closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose. "No! I'm just disappointed that he got in a fight the first night he was back." Pouting she glanced up at him and explained, "I trusted him to behave. How could your grandparents raise such a mischievous man? The difference between him and Hrod is too great."

Tyr wrapped an arm around her. "Children don't come out the way parents hope all the time. Look at me. Hrod probably hates how I decided to live my life."

"There's nothing wrong with you. Obviously, she would like you to be safer, but your mother is proud of you." She saw he was about to object, but she interrupted him. "No. She is. If you listen carefully to the words she says, you would hear how she boasts of how you could do anything and how brilliant you are."

Macha thought about how talented Tyr was. In a shy voice, she added, "I hope my children can be as beautiful, smart, and athletic as you."

A prick of guilt pierced his heart. He cleared his throat, "Do you really want children?"

A dreamy smile touched her lips. "Mmmhmm. I love kids. I would be so happy if I could have one of my own."

They passed a park where a group of kids ran around throwing snowballs. Her heart ached to hold a baby of her own.

Tyr saw what she gazed at. The longing in her eyes was obvious, and he hesitated, unsure if he wanted to ask his next question.

After gathering his courage and masking his emotions, he inquired, "Would you marry someone if they didn't want children?"

This question caused Macha to look into Tyr's big green eyes. She could not read his expression.

After settling back into the cushions, she clarified, "Like, they never wanted to have a child?"

Their conversation had quickly taken a turn to becoming a serious topic. This was a conversation they had never talked about before.

"Yeah," he replied softly. Tyr's heart felt as if it trembled and his hands became cold.

The thought of never having a baby of her own hurt. It had been something she always longed to experience. She wanted to raise a child and be there for them as they grew up. Since her own mother had not been there for her, she wished to shower her own child with love.

Macha's breathing became heavier. She realized he needed her honest answer and wondered what his stance on the subject was. As far as she recognized, he would need to have a boy to provide an heir for his family.

After thinking about it, she replied, "I'm not sure. Especially with lives being so long in this world, I don't know if I would grow to resent the marriage or not. It would force me to watch others have children and see those children have children. It seems as if it would be painful to see things you cannot have."

An awkward silence fell. They were almost home and any conversation they had would be interrupted. She was still unsure what his stance was, so she added, "If the person didn't want babies, I would try my best to understand. I would have to find out the specifics on why they wouldn't want one. For now, I could only assume my love for them would not change."

Tyr's mouth became dry. He was uncertain if she would grow to resent him with time. Part of him knew he was being selfish for wanting to stay with her even after knowing she wanted a child. It would be easy for him to admit that he did not want a child and let her find someone else. He knew that if he did that, then he would be alone again and would be forced to endure seeing her be with another man.

They were still early in their relationship. It had only been a handful of years, so he did not see the need to rush things. He chose to push the idea of children aside for now. It was possible he could change his mind, he was still young.

Giving Macha a kiss on the forehead, he said, "I love you no matter what. That will never change."