MIDNIGHT CONCERNS

It was late, and it was Gav's turn to get up and bring the sleeping Gwenilb?th back to her crib in the nursery. He laid her down softly and used his Elven song to keep her sleeping. He leaned over and kissed her pretty forehead, then walked sleepily back to their bed and came beneath the covers. "You okay, momma?" he whispered and put an arm around Des, who may not have been getting enough sleep lately with all the nightly feedings.

She drug the covers back up over them and snuggled into his warmth beneath his broad shoulder with a little sleepy sigh. "Mmhhmm. I'm good just a little tired is all Babe. How are ya holdin' up?" Because as often as she was awakened in the middle of the night he never failed to get up and spend those dark of night hours with her and their precious child.

"I'm okay, honey. I was having problems sleeping anyway." In truth, he had a lot on his mind and he just didn't know how to talk about it. He played the conversation over and over again in his mind and it just didn't come out right. So he moved his hand over her shoulder and played with her hair a little, and was silent.

Des could feel that something was going on she just wasn't certain what. She shifted to turn more to face him and placed a hand on his chest then lifted her head to look at his face inquisitively. "Babe? Somethin' is on your mind. Sometimes when it is cozy like this and dark it is easier to talk about stuff." She lowered her head back to his shoulder and simply waited as their breathing began to follow the same rhythm like it does when two people are relaxed and snuggled up.

He squeezed his eyes shut and held her tightly against himself. He loved her more than life and that's what was hurting him so. His voice was a soft, magical, Elvin whisper, "Des, my love and lady, I never want to live without you. Do you know that? Really know that? Do you know how without you in my life, I just could not go on? I wouldn't want to go on without you. You make my life meaningful. You are everything to me." He had to stop talking. His throat was closing up on him with emotion.

Des held her beloved husband close and stroked his long dark hair in an attempt to soothe him as the magic in his voice reached deep inside to her very soul and entwined itself around it like a thousand glittering stars from the night sky outside their room. "Aw love mine ya don't have to say it. I know how ya feel honest. It is the same way that I feel. I ain't goin' no where. Ya are the love of my life and that ain't somethin' that is gonna change. My love is somethin' that ya can count on even when ya can't count on nothin' else."

He held his face against her cheek and just had to let it come out. "It's just not right." He kissed her cheek and pressed his face against her. "Des, don't you see, you are going somewhere, and it's going to change. You're mortal and I'm Elvin and in 70 years I will look very little older than I do now, and it will be your time to leave me and enter into the eternal realm of the shades. And Des, it might seem like a long time away to you, but to me, it's going to come all too soon. It's killing me. It's like if you knew for certain that my life would end ten years from now no matter what you did. I don't want to live without you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

That brought back the memory of the one time quite a while back that they had talked about this; the time that he had gone and left her alone for what had seemed like an eternity. The only time they had ever been away from each other. Des shivered and tried to get even closer although they were already as close as two people could possibly be.

"We talked about this Babe. Ya told me Thulin said there was a way and that ya would take me so that ya wouldn't ever have to be alone. Did ya change your mind now that we have our daughter and Tilly to watch over her? I don't want to die and leave ya alone. We can go to see that King and Queen of the Fae and get them to give me a life like yours."

"I know, baby, but the timing is horrible. I was hoping we could wait at least a year or two, but darling, it turns out that we can't even wait a week or two. If we're not with the Fae this spring equinox, we're not going to have another chance. And Gwenilb?th is too young to go. She'll have to be left behind at this young age. And then there's this horrible winter weather. Des, it only gets worse when we head north, and that's where we have to go."

"I can't stand the thought of having to leave our daughter behind Gav. I can handle traveling in winter although I'm sure it won't be pleasant but havin' to leave our little one so soon... Are ya sure there is no way we can bring her Babe? What about magic? We have all the money in the Kingdom at our disposal couldn't we hire enough mages to keep it warm around her? Something? Anything?" The rational part of her knew this was impossible but her mother's heart was breaking at the knowledge that she would be gone from her child for weeks so there she was spouting insane ideas in the middle of the night.

Gavilean rose on his right elbow and just kept stroking her face and hair with his left hand. He slowly shook his head. "If she survived the cold and the journey, the Fae may want her as payment if they see her. They've been known to do things like that. And if we brought mages, we might as well not even go because the Fae wouldn't even see us. None can go but us. We would need to get a nurse maid for our daughter." He brought his head down and places kisses upon her forehead.

"Oh lordy be I would never let the Fae have her!" Des' reaction was immediate and violent, her eyes narrowing and a scowl appearing upon delicate features which smoothed with the benediction like kisses to her forehead. She settled back down as he finished speaking and wormed her way into her favorite sleeping position which was sprawled half on top of him with all of her beneath the covers but the top of her head. "Then lets go in the mornin' cause the quicker we leave the sooner we'll be home again."

"We'll start making preparations tomorrow, honey. The celebration of the Fae is always on the New Moon of the Spring Equinox, once every century. This year that new moon is on March 18th. We have to be there by then. We have enough time to prepare." He knew that there was no guarantee that the Fae would grant their request, but it was there only chance. He moved his lips down over her cheek to her lips, "I love you so very much, Des."

She whispered back against his lips, "I love you with all my heart and soul, Gav. You'll see as long as we are together everything will be okay. I have great faith and my faith is strong enough for us both."

Her words touched his heart, and there in the dark of night he brought his mouth down to hers and kissed her deeply, slowly, lingering in the delight of moving his tongue against hers, feeling her breath and breathing that breath in. In the middle of the night they made love and then fell asleep in each other?s arms.

He looked at Des, "We should be leaving as early as possible today. We have a two day ride just to get to Gelion. Another day's ride will get us to Fohrhill, then two more days to Covis Beach. Then we'll travel to a monastery on the Sil-aelin, or Shining Lake. From there we'll head directly west into the Taur-imDuinath, which is also known as Gurthaur Forest, or more commonly, The Death Woods. It's within that forest that the Fae will meet and celebrate."

She nodded while listening to the details of the route they would take. "Don't worry my little Angel. I'll bring your Daddy back safe and sound to ya. And if ya are real good while Mommy and Daddy are gone I'll bring ya back a present too. Tillie will be here with ya watching over ya for us and will let us know if ya need us. Always remember that special things are possible when ya are truly in need and I will always hear ya even if ya are just thinkin' and your Daddy can always hear me even when I am just thinkin'."

Des thought that was a fairly simple way to explain mindspeech even to an infant. Them still not being certain exactly how much she understood and didn't understand meant she was taking no chances just in case. She would cover all their bases regardless of how unbelievable it might seem; appearances could be deceptive she had learned and with their daughter she was taking no chances, so the teaching would begin almost from her very birth.

She glanced up to Gav. "I'm sure Trinalee has a Nursemaid we can trust since we are leaving on short notice. I know that Tillie will watch over Gwen for us without fail."

Gav nodded, "Yes, a nursemaid is available and she is one that can be trusted. And Tiller will never let anything happen to Gwenilb?th. We better get ready."

When Gwen was finished feeding and had fallen asleep, Trinalee took her back to the nursery. Gav and Des were able to wash up and get dressed. Gav wore warm but regal clothes. They were going to be seen in public in their kingdom and it was important for him to look like a lord, if not a king. Heavy underclothing was covered with brown riding breeches, a heavy tan shirt beneath a brown doublet that had a design of stags woven into it. He wore heavy wool socks and black riding boots. He would also be well-armed and carry the Elvin knives and swords that Des had given him.

Des kissed Gwen a last time then resolutely got out of bed. She wasn't smiling this morning after cleaning up then dressing in warm winter clothing suitable for her status as well as a day's riding. Her weapons were partly deceptively decorations and partly obvious in the Elvin sword and dagger she proudly wore. She found her polite, regal, smile that was expected of her before they left their suite. "Let's go make believers out of the Fae Babe."

Gav held out his arm, and the King and Queen of Westridge departed their private wing of the castle and descended the two flights of stairs to the common areas of the palace. Guards moved aside as they departed the main entrance and descended the snow crusted marble steps to their waiting horses.

Thulin Nel was there in his light gray tights and hair that was whiter than the snow and looking like a blizard. "Ahh, here comes the lovely couple," he said in an old and cracking voice, coughing after the words. "You be good to her, Gav lad. Protect her well." He turned to Des and whispered, "Don't let him get in trouble. You're gonna have your hands full just keeping him out of harms way."

Gav came over to give Des a leg up. "What are you telling her, Thulin? Don't listen to him, Des. Here, I'll give you a leg up."

She smiled to Thulin while placing a boot in Gav's cupped hands to vault into the saddle. "Don't ya worry none Thulin. I'll put myself a lead rope on 'em if I have to in order to bring 'em back safe and sound from this here trip." Then she grinned to her beloved husband. "Thank ya for the help gettin' up here. We were just talkin' about how I am gonna protect ya is all Babe."

Gav just looked down, grinned and shook his head. He was in good hands, he was sure of that. Anyone who'd mess with Des would have to be crazy. For the first part of the journey they'd have an escort of six royal knights. Those knights would then relieved by six others at Gelion, and they would continue to pick up a fresh escort at each major city until they reached the monastery. From there on, Gav and Des would be on their own.