He too often found Sarah, in a disheveled state, rocking herself on the bed, her hands resting on her swollen belly. Aesar had very little free time, but he figured he could stand to lose a few hours of sleep, and he began the arduous task of building a pair of rockers. One for her, and one for him, so that they could sit beside each other on quiet evenings, and maybe even hold hands.
He spent the next countless nights staying awake until the wee hours of the morning, pushing through the coughs that racked his body, cutting the wood, forming and shaping it, sanding it, and painstakingly putting it all together. Some nights his muscles groaned with anguish, and his eyes burned from lack of sleep, but he kept on. The joy in her eyes when she saw them finished, made all his sacrifice worthwhile.
It gave him great gladness to see her downstairs more often, rocking in the chair he made her, rather than her staying in their bed all day, sleeping. She still dozed off and on, but she took more interest in what he was doing, as he came inside to wash up and prepare them something to eat. He hoped it was a sign that she was going to get better, the alternative didn't bear thinking about.
Aesar knew the long winter months were just ahead of them, and his plants would soon lie dormant. He also knew he didn't have enough food set aside to survive, so he took some cuttings of his plants, and started growing a few of them indoors. It wasn't much, for his home didn't have much space to spare indoors, but he hoped it was just enough to tide them over until the Spring.
He hummed to himself as he worked, pausing only for a moment whenever weakness threatened to drop him on his face, and then he continued on with his work. He was determined to check each plant to make sure it stayed healthy and free of bugs. The survival of his family depended on it, he simply had to ignore the fatigue that pulled at him.
He added mulched dirt to each pot, to give his plants a little extra help. They would be starved of natural sunlight soon; they would need all the help they could get.
A few days later he felt like weeping, but he didn't have the strength for it. The frosts had come overnight, and even though he had expected them, it was still devastating to see his precious plants encased in ice.
It wasn't long after the first frost, that he woke to the sound of the howling winter wind, and a quick glance outside showed the snow falling thick and heavy. He sighed wearily, now he would find out if his preparations were enough to insure their survival. He prayed so.
The nights were long, and the days short, but he had stored plenty of candles. He would light a few, and read out loud while Sarah quietly rocked nearby. She said very little, but would smile at him whenever he would glance up and catch her watching him. He would smile back at her, and then return to whatever book he was reading.
His body still hurt, and his stomach still waged war against him whenever he ate, but the forced rest seemed to be slowly helping him. Each day he felt slightly better, and he was steadily gaining his strength back.
He started to feel listless with all the inactivity he was forced to endure, for there was not much for him to do inside as the storms raged on outside. He tended his indoor plants, made sure Sarah was as comfortable as he could make her, and he cooked. There was only the two of them, and they left very little mess, so he had very little housecleaning to do.
Just when he began to think he could not take another day of it, Sarah went into labor. It was an even longer two nights, when his daughter was finally bought forth into the world.
He marveled at her tiny little hand that clutched his finger so trustingly. He swore then he would do all he could to protect her and keep her safe. His daughter might have been born small, but her lungs were not, and she cried all hours of the day.
Sarah would walk her, infinite miles around the living and dining room. He tried to help, but whenever he reached out for his daughter, Sarah would shoo him away. He didn't push her, but he felt helpless. How would Sarah ever get any better if she never rested?
They resumed their copulating at night, a physical release he both craved and abhorred. Unlike their earlier copulations, he felt used, as if the only thing she sought from his body was another child, for she never spoke to him, or let him anywhere near her in the daylight.
When the sun finally came out, and the snows melted, Aesar was glad for it. At least outside, he had a purpose, and he spent more and more time outdoors.
He had not heard from the Traveler in so long, he feared that something must have happened to him, and that he could no longer rely on his help. Their supplies were dwindling rapidly; Aesar needed more candles, more firewood, and more meat.
He decided it was time to risk leaving his home, and see if he could procure more supplies. He didn't know who lived, and who had died, or what their state of mind might be if he ran into anyone, so he proceeded cautiously, sticking to the trees when he could. He carried no weapon, he wouldn't have known how to use one even if he owned one, the best he could do was keep his low profile.
He was skirting by a house that was close to the center of town, when he heard the screams, the angry shouting, and the jeering. He ducked behind some bushes before the large group of elves could spot him. He could just barely make out their words, and their chants curdled his blood. "Die! Die! Die!"
Each carried a torch, and he watched in horror as they set the house on fire, the pounding screams of the elves trapped inside the inferno reverberated in his head. He wanted to stop the mob, and rescue the poor souls trapped inside, but he knew that if he revealed himself, he would only die alongside them. And then what would happen to his family without him there to protect or provide for them?
"Die all you filthy plague filled pigs!" The elf who appeared to be the leader of the mob shouted. "We will stop this doom in its tracks! No more shall we fall retchedly ill! We will survive!"
The elves that were with him chanted along with their leader. "We will survive! We will survive!"
Aesar slipped away, and carefully stole into the merchant's shop. Not much remained, he grabbed what he could use, and left a few coins on the counter. This time he did not leave a note, he did not want anyone to know that he still lived.
He ran all the way home, keeping a wary eye behind him, he needed to be sure that no one followed him. The horrors of the fire, the screams, and the mobs stayed with him as he ran. He didn't want to bring that nightmare to his own doorstep. He was never more thankful than now that he lived so far from town.
When he got home, he dropped his pack by the front door and sought out Sarah and his daughter, he needed to be sure that they were unharmed. He found Sarah in the living room, and he skidded to a stop when he saw her rubbing her stomach.
His eyes met hers. "Another one?" he croaked. She nodded happily, and began to hum an elvish lullaby under her breath. Aesar sank down onto the chair, his hands covered his face. Another child to protect and provide for? However would he manage it? His workload already threatened to overwhelm him, and Sarah was unable to be of much help.
He had thought with the passing of winter, that the danger had passed as well. Turned out, he had been incorrect in his assumptions on that. The dangers had only grown. There was a mob of elves that were burning down the houses and murdering other elves if they had the sickness. Aesar looked over at Sarah, who had sat down and was rocking in her chair. What would they do to them if they were discovered?
He knew the answer to that, knew it meant their death if ever they were discovered. He would have to keep a constant vigil up, only the fact that they remained hidden up here, on a far hill, away from town, kept them safe. They could be found at any moment though, so he would need to be prepared.
He got up and fetched his pack. He pulled out the crossbow and arrows that he had picked up earlier. He would practice with them, until he had perfected his aim. The arrows would help him bring home meat, to feed his family, and they would kill intruders if necessary, to protect them from harm.
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Notes: Did I mention Vector is mean? lol There's a disease called Burning Sim (which is deadly), where the Sims can spontaneously burst into flames. The camera jerked me over to this house---said there was a fire on my lot. Wasn't my lot---but some poor slobs'. The house was filled with fire, and sims were on fire running around yelling. I said, yikes! Harsh!
I about had a party when I got this notice:
He is finally out of the woods. Sarah, on the other hand, is still really sick. The germy moodlet bounces between 8 days and 12 days, it never goes below 8 days. I also discovered that she has more than one disease---as this attests to:
I was surprised to learn that she had Llama Pox, lol I know she has the Munchies disease (which can be deadly too---they can starve to death if you're not vigilant enough); because that crazy tapeworm keeps her feeling teddy bear cuddly. (yuck!)
This would explain why it is so hard to keep up with her needs! The absent-mindedness symptom is driving me batty---she is constantly stopping whatever she is doing and just staring. She only sleeps for an hour at a time, and then gets up. The rocking chair is the only thing saving my sanity with her right now. She can nap in that chair without getting interrupted.
She is of no use other than as a breeder right now, because her motives will tank at any moment. So Aesar really does everything. He tends the garden, cooks, cleans, fixes the plumbing stuff, and takes care of the baby. He's like wonder elf right now, except the poor guy is always on the verge of passing out, lol
So far both Aesar and Sarah are passing the rolls---so they keep living. Aesar is in the clear right now, he is not sick at all, but Sarah---I don't think she's ever going to get well. So I figure it is a matter of time/roll before she dies.
I am not looking ahead at what comes next in the Challenge, but doing each day as it comes. So what happens next is always a surprise to me too!
Comments/Questions are always welcome. Thanks for reading!
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