Write a diary entry for your character, dated 10 years in the future (a tale of ‘what if’s’)
The house was still as the night grew late save for the scratching of his pen on the journal entry page. The passing suggestions Adriannal had given him all those years ago to keep a journal entry for reflection day to day had somehow carried on through the years and now, as before, he was glad he listened to his brother-in-law’s advice. He could flip through the pages and see what life was before in word and picture, and even now he could feel the thickness between sheets where a picture of Velianor and their newly born twin boys was fastened with the date of their birth.
Hati and Skol slept peacefully in their bedroom. Behind him through the open door of the study he could hear Velianor moving through the hall, and her hands that slipped onto his shoulders was a welcome source of warmth as she entered into the room and stood behind him. “It’s getting late.”
“I’ll be there soon.” He lifted a hand and slid it through her red and old hair that she was letting grow out again. “I just need to finish this or my conscience with the voice of your brother will yell at me.”
“That’s a terrifying thought. I’ll leave you two alone.” They exchanged a brief but sweet kiss before she moved out of the study and left him to his work. Smiling he turned back to his task and continued.
Today Hati came to me frustrated and in near crocolisk tears with a tale that his brother had pushed him into the frog pond outside of the gardens. Skol, of course, denied it, but Skol like his mother has always been a mischievous one. Later he confessed to his mother he did push Hati into the lake so he could ‘see the frogs better and kiss one so he could find a princess’. Velianor told him the legend doesn’t exactly work that way while laughing. Great discipline there, love.
The boys are growing so fast. They’re perfect mixes of myself and their mother, and more and more each day I see parts of us in how they speak, how they act, their personalities and characters. Hati, so much more like me, but still with a rebellious streak he could only have gotten from Velianor. Skol, so much more like his mother, but with my distaste for lies and deceit. The cycle of sun and moon goes ever on within them.
Even now looking out into the dark grounds of the Novastorm gardens I find it hard to believe that life for both myself and my wolf of a wife has come this far. I still find it had to believe that my name is now ‘Battlevalor Novastorm’ (perhaps some husbands take issue with taking the wife’s last name for himself, though I never did. Besides, it’s alphabetical and both the twins approved). Adriannal and I will never be Best friends forever, but I cannot deny the love and care he gives the boys, his sister, and the irreplaceable and hard to repay help he gave me all those years ago. He pushed aside his own demons to help me with mine. I wonder if he knows what wonders he really did.
Velianor has grown into Lady Novastorm and her people love her. I couldn’t be more proud.
Keep an eye out on Viridians health. She’s getting a bit slower in her age. She still has many years to go, but the many hours she prefers laying in the sun and taking a nice slow walk around the fog pond is telling.
Tell your wife you love her as often as you can. The years that you’ve been together have been both wonderful and trying, but I couldn’t ask for a better lover, partner, and friend.
He let the ink dry before he closed the book and stood with it in hand to slide back into its place in the bookshelf. A brief puff of breath snuffed out the candle and he made his way towards his and Velianors bedroom, smiling at the sound of the twins talking to each other in their sleep behind the closed door of their bedroom as he passed it.
((tagging @ocarina-of-what ))
"I'm fine." He said, but the lie tasted like ashes in his mouth.
Tyleril Silversword 