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faemusedMidsummer. A year and four months since Hawke left the station for good. Four months since Anders found her. Ten months since the station was last in orbit over Xestsemon.
By this point Anders has a small house (even smaller than hers) down in the village, and works there as an apothecary and healer--though the last quietly, using as little magic as possible. He visits frequently, not just to see Malcolm, but to help Hawke. Her own shack is looking better than it did four months ago. There were a number of tasks she simply couldn't do with only one set of hands, things that require two people to accomplish, and slowly they're getting those done. And sometimes she leaves Malcolm with Anders, if she's running errands or needs to go deep in the forest for a time for hunting or trapping. Or just because, and she invents an excuse where none exists. Whenever Anders asks, she gives him time alone with Malcolm, but sometimes she ensures that he doesn't need to ask. It's not done out of guilt. The debts between them are too great for repaying, on both sides, and she doesn't try. She does it because it's right, that Anders should see Malcolm, and vice-versa. As much as possible. They've reached a tentative sort of peace, she and Anders. A state of co-operation, if not trust. Where Malcolm is concerned, they're united, and that's all she asks. Not all she wants, no, and presumably not all he wants, but all he's capable of, and she doesn't ask more than that. Malcolm is the important thing. On that, they both agree.
Malcolm himself is those few months older, nine or ten months old by now; Hawke has found it hard to keep track of time ever since she woke up in the Void. He can crawl, which means someone has to keep an eye on him constantly, and usually it's poor Teo (stronger than he was four months ago, thanks to Anders) who gets the duty, since he rarely has other distractions to hand. He babbles a good deal, with his own sounds to mean particular things, which aren't quite words or names, but serve as well as.
It's a sort of peace and a sort of balance, and Hawke's content with that.
She spares a thought now and then for the people they left behind on the station, and a regret for leaving so abruptly, no leave-taking of any sort. They have the occasional bit of contact, indirectly. Anders has a communicator that will contact the ansible in the capital city, taught her to use it not long after his arrival. "In case a tree falls on me and I die," he said flippantly; Anders doesn't hide his dislike of the mountains, though he also refuses to move anywhere else. The isolation is safer for Malcolm, should he start showing signs of mage-gifts. Less to damage. The communicator is more for emergencies, but he sends and receives messages with it now and then, and they usually know roughly where the station is (the names, at least; they don't have starmaps of any sort here).
Which is how they know. Ten months since the station last came to Xestsemon, and now it's returning.
Hawke looks up at the sky, clear and blue, and wonders if Senburu-Trati'salan is overhead somewhere, wonders how those they left behind are faring.
By this point Anders has a small house (even smaller than hers) down in the village, and works there as an apothecary and healer--though the last quietly, using as little magic as possible. He visits frequently, not just to see Malcolm, but to help Hawke. Her own shack is looking better than it did four months ago. There were a number of tasks she simply couldn't do with only one set of hands, things that require two people to accomplish, and slowly they're getting those done. And sometimes she leaves Malcolm with Anders, if she's running errands or needs to go deep in the forest for a time for hunting or trapping. Or just because, and she invents an excuse where none exists. Whenever Anders asks, she gives him time alone with Malcolm, but sometimes she ensures that he doesn't need to ask. It's not done out of guilt. The debts between them are too great for repaying, on both sides, and she doesn't try. She does it because it's right, that Anders should see Malcolm, and vice-versa. As much as possible. They've reached a tentative sort of peace, she and Anders. A state of co-operation, if not trust. Where Malcolm is concerned, they're united, and that's all she asks. Not all she wants, no, and presumably not all he wants, but all he's capable of, and she doesn't ask more than that. Malcolm is the important thing. On that, they both agree.
Malcolm himself is those few months older, nine or ten months old by now; Hawke has found it hard to keep track of time ever since she woke up in the Void. He can crawl, which means someone has to keep an eye on him constantly, and usually it's poor Teo (stronger than he was four months ago, thanks to Anders) who gets the duty, since he rarely has other distractions to hand. He babbles a good deal, with his own sounds to mean particular things, which aren't quite words or names, but serve as well as.
It's a sort of peace and a sort of balance, and Hawke's content with that.
She spares a thought now and then for the people they left behind on the station, and a regret for leaving so abruptly, no leave-taking of any sort. They have the occasional bit of contact, indirectly. Anders has a communicator that will contact the ansible in the capital city, taught her to use it not long after his arrival. "In case a tree falls on me and I die," he said flippantly; Anders doesn't hide his dislike of the mountains, though he also refuses to move anywhere else. The isolation is safer for Malcolm, should he start showing signs of mage-gifts. Less to damage. The communicator is more for emergencies, but he sends and receives messages with it now and then, and they usually know roughly where the station is (the names, at least; they don't have starmaps of any sort here).
Which is how they know. Ten months since the station last came to Xestsemon, and now it's returning.
Hawke looks up at the sky, clear and blue, and wonders if Senburu-Trati'salan is overhead somewhere, wonders how those they left behind are faring.
no subject
Date: 2012-02-07 06:13 pm (UTC)Her smile grew as Therru approached, and she unwrapped the sling from around her neck and waist, so that Malcolm was carried only by her arms, capable of being held out and introduced. Seeing that Therru was beyond words, she went on. "This is Malcolm. Come and meet him."
Malcolm tilted his head at the sight of this new face. To Hawke's relief, he didn't seem afraid of the scarred face or hand, just perplexed. It was the way he regarded most new people, the few he'd met, as though waiting for more information before he'd choose to form an opinion on them.
no subject
Date: 2012-02-07 07:53 pm (UTC)The baby smelled of magic, that was clear enough. He would be a powerful wizard someday. Which meant his father...
His father was not here.
"You have been raising this child alone, save for Teo."