Little Visitor

Roland had blessedly been excused from the Council meeting today. Since the first set of Rhone brides had left the day before, and the next would not leave until more had gathered, he was not needed.

At least, that's what he was told. If the Council had simply released him because they felt sympathy for the dark circles under his eyes, he didn't really care.

He had looked forward to more sleep, but that was, ironically, only a dream. He doubted he would ever sleep through an entire night again in his life. Yet, he couldn't complain because he knew his wife had it far worse.

After all, she was the one having to feed their horde of hungry offspring. Mrs. Sherman was off buying yet more food to keep the young mother from starving. Though her appetite had been large when she was pregnant, it seemed to have only grown since she'd given birth.

There was definitely more room for food in her belly since the babies had vacated their residence there.

Ivan fussed, and Roland picked the baby up to hush him.

The child's little cries tugged at his heart and he rocked his son, singing a song he remembered his aunt singing when he was little.

"Hush now little one,

All is well

Of the world afar,

Tales I'll tell

"Take me with you

Into your dreams

drifting where

the water gleams 

"In that world

Such wonders be

Creatures strange

and stars move free 

"Calm green oceans,

Pale pink skies,

Fearsome deeps

And staggering highs

"Soon return

Unto this place

Safe in your home

to my embrace."

"That's beautiful," Finn said from the doorway, causing Roland to rush over to her.

"Should you be up, my love?" He asked, concerned. She was healed, but still easily exhausted.

"I needed to get up," She replied, patting his arm and cooing at the now-sleepy Ivan. "Where is that song from?"

"My aunt used to sing it, I think. I'd forgotten about it until now. Strange, what things from childhood I remember now that we have children." He'd had several such memories pop up recently.

"I'm having the same experience. I remember things about my mother I haven't thought of in many years. I miss her," Finn's eyes misted over. She thought the intense feelings she had would dissipate after delivery, but if anything, they were stronger now than they had been.

Roland wrapped her in his free arm, Ivan nestled between them, and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you," He whispered.

"I love you too," She replied through tears.

"Shhhh…. Everything's all right," He was never sure how to comfort her through the tumultuous assault of emotions, "The kingdom is at peace, we are healthy, we have beautiful babies. We are not promised tomorrow, but today is good."

"You're right," She admitted, just as a knock sounded at the door.

Roland released her and walked to answer it. Mrs. Sherman didn't bother knocking at the front door anymore, and many of the others who were likely to come visiting knew not to make such noise for fear of waking a sleeping baby.

When he opened it, to his enormous surprise, a strange, short man stood before him.

"Jimmy?" He asked, startled. "What are you doing here?"

"What did you say??" Finn exclaimed, coming over as quickly as she dared. "Jimmy! Come in, please!"

"Cain't stay long," He said, coming in the door and eyeing the baby in Roland's arms. "The Doc's wife told me where to find you. I heard you had some, er, unusual events."

"We had triplets," Roland stated the obvious.

"About that, I have some questions," Jimmy cringed.

"What kind of questions?" Finn grew suspicious as she saw Jimmy's uncharacteristic nervousness.

"Ah, well," He hedged. "I just wanted to know how the recipes were going, you know, before um, the babies."

"Oh," Finn's brow furrowed in thought for several moments. "I didn't do much of that during the pregnancy," It was clearly awkward discussing such a delicate topic with any man, let alone one as gruff and crotchety as the quarter-halfling. "Before that, I was working on that strange poultice recipe that you gave me so long ago. You never did tell me what it was for."

"Did you make it?" Jimmy's voice was serious.

"Yes, once, but it didn't seem to do anything. I thought I must have made it wrong, and then it wasn't long after that I found out I was with child and didn't try again…" Her voice slowed. "Jimmy?"

The small man had paled ever so slightly.

"Jimmy??" Roland demanded. None of Jimmy's other recipes had been in the least bit harmful, so he had not posed any objection to Finn's efforts with them. Once she became with child, they had both agreed that she should temporarily halt her efforts in those regards.

"What was that poultice for?" Finn took a deep breath to remain calm, but it seemed difficult. Jimmy had never come into the city before that they knew. It was alarming that he thought this was important enough to come talk to them in person.

"It's a little different for each person, which is why it don't have much of a title," Jimmy began.

"But what does it usually do?" Roland put Ivan down in a little cot. He was becoming more agitated by the minute and didn't think holding a baby was the best thing at the moment.

"It puts magic into the person, I guess, is the way to say it best. At the time I gave it to you, I thought if you could make it, it could give you some kind of help to win that war you had brewing."

Finn blinked, and Roland took a deep breath. That was actually incredibly kind of him, in retrospect. A powerful magical enemy had been coming to attack the city, and Jimmy was giving her access to some kind of power in return.

"You wouldn't have come here without a reason," Finn said. "Tell us why."

"That gal you sent with the butter tart said you had triplets." Jimmy frowned.

"Yes, we did. And you immediately thought about this poultice." The woman replied, dragging the information out of him. "Why?"

"It's unusual, ain't it? I wanted to make sure the babies is fine." The strange little man peered over into the cot where Ivan now rested.

"The babies are all the picture of health," Roland tried to stay calm.

"And that's unusual too, wouldn't you say?" Jimmy eyed him. "One baby's dangerous enough. Plenty o' women and babies die in childbirth. Twins is even worse. Never heard of three babies and a momma all making it out fine."

Roland swallowed, seeing his point, "We used the healing tea on Finn once the birth was complete."

"That's all well and good, but still doesn't account for the good luck of three surviving babes." Jimmy raised one eyebrow.

"Good things can happen sometimes," Roland was still unwilling to accept the proposition that his babies were anything but normal and healthy.

"But in my experience, they don't. Least, not without reason." Jimmy almost spat, but Finn's sharp look stopped him.

"Are you suggesting that the poultice had a part in the triplets' existence, or just in their survival?" She clarified.

"Don't know, really. Maybe you're a Fertile Myrtle," Jimmy shrugged, "Maybe not. But we best keep an eye on them babes."

"Keep an eye on them for what?" Finn was becoming more and more concerned.

"Again, not sure, rightly. But if magic had a part in making them, it'll be in their blood."

"What does that mean?" Roland was almost ready to throw the man out of his home. How cryptic could one person be??

"I guess we'll see. I never had this happen before. It's what I get for helpin' people. Shoulda kept to myself, I guess." Jimmy was rebuilding his gruff exterior in the face of Roland's ire.

"They'll be ok, won't they?" Finn was on the verge of tears.

"I imagine so. But, let me know if anything weird happens. Better yet, don't. Call that fire-monster of yours for help. Probably nothing I could do." Jimmy shrugged.

"Gwen." Finn whispered. "GWEN!" Her sudden yell startled both men, and the baby in the crib. The two still in the bedroom thankfully continued sleeping. "If you can hear me, Gwen, I need help, please. I need to know if my babies are going to be ok!"

The three adults waited for a moment. Roland went to settle Ivan, and in the quiet… nothing happened.

"Well?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since the end of the war," Finn admitted.

"Some kind of friend that monster turned out to be. Unlike me, reliable ol' Jimmy." He shook his head.

"Thank you for letting us know all this," The woman suddenly sounded exhausted, "I don't know what to do about it, but knowing is better than not, I suppose. Maybe Gwen isn't here because we don't need help. Maybe everything will be fine even without her intervention."

Jimmy made a face that exposed his doubt, but at Roland's glare quickly changed to what passed for a smile on his face. "Oh, um, sure. Yeah. I'm sure it'll be fine."