"Triplets!" Dani breathed as soon as she stepped into the pen where the mother had been corralled off from the rest of the herd. From the shimmer that remained on the lambs and the wobbliness of their legs, she estimated the youngest was no more than an hour old. Two were nursing while the third lay in the hay, blinking her eyes as if she were trying to understand the strangeness of the world she'd been thrust into. Dani leaned against the fence next to her father and watched the little quartet.
"Aye." Xiran chewed on a piece of straw, the end of it jutting from his mouth, occasionally twisting from one side to another in thoughtful ponderance over the beauty of life, especially new life, and the joy that a birth brought. Even though the sheep were not pets, they were animals that lived and died with a purpose, there were still moments that, if one stopped to appreciate them, allowed one to see the miraculous.
"Haven't had a set of triplets for a while." Dani leaned over the edge, as if to get a closer look, though she stopped short of actually swinging over into the corral. This was time for the mother and babies to spend together and bond. At some point, they would rejoin the herd. For now, it was best they were left to their own devices.
"Nay." Xiran answered in response. Dani craned her neck up to peer at her father, a man who was tall, even for an Adelan, and dwarfed all those in his household. He grinned down at his child, then straightened up. "Done your chores?"
"Chickens are fed. I checked Meitle - she's showing signs of early labour. I suspect Girla and Sissy will likely give birth in the next couple of days." Spring was a particularly exciting time - the time when ewes gave birth, and hardly a week went by without at least a couple girls adding to the herd. "Weedin's done, and I bet you're going to get as twice as many tomatoes this year."
"Hope so." Xiran was not a particularly picky man when it came to food, but he had a particularly fondness for tomatoes - something he and his eldest shared. "Come, let's check in with your mother."
Xiran turned to head back toward the house, and Dani fell into step beside him. It generally took two of her strides to match one of his own, but he always slowed his pace to ensure that she didn't have to rush.
They were an odd pair, to look at them. Like many Adelans, particularly those farther south, Xiran was dark. Dark eyes, dark hair, darker skin. In contrast, Dani was pale - silvery hair flowed around pale skin, and the pink of her cheeks and lips stood out against it. Her eyes were as purple as the lavender that grew in the wild fields that flanked the southern part of the road toward Ketra peered out from thick eyelashes that were only a shade darker than her hair. Where he was shadow, she was light, opposites, and yet beloved by each other. They were easy companions as they ambled toward the house.
"Got word today." Xiran commented as he kept to the mild pace.
"Word? From whom?" Curiosity gripped the young woman and she canted her head toward her father once more.
"Tansin." That was all Xiran needed to say. Immediately, the sparkle that normally resided in Dani's eyes intensified.
"Tansin! Is he coming?" It had been two years since the trader had made his way through their neck of the woods.
"Indeed." Xiran gave his characteristic nod.
"When?"
"Should be here in a fortnight."
"Good." Tansin had been a friend of the family for years. First, with her grandparents, then her parents. Although they only saw him every year or two, the family exchanged messages via swifts trained to send and receive them. Dani had been running around far too much that morning to even notice that one had arrived. "Did ma send a message back?"
"Aye." Once again, Xiran nodded, but that time, it was he who cast a glance toward his daughter. The excitement in her face wasn't unusual when the news of Tansin visiting was made known - all the children had a fondness for the half elven man. That particular visit, however, was one that Dani had been waiting on for almost a year. She had discussed the idea with her parents, and they had agreed - but only on the condition that Tansin agreed. Word had been sent back that very morning that they had something they wished to discuss, but it was a discussion to be done in person. If Dani had her way, and Xiran had a feeling she would, their household would be a lot quieter. "Come, if we finish early enough, we can see if we can catch any decent fish for supper."
With that, Dani picked up her pace and began to race toward the house, leaving her father behind. Xiran simply watched his daughter without increasing his speed, smiling at the way her braid tossed two and fro. He was in no hurry. He just wished Dani wasn't either.
