Fresh Air and Sunlight

Writers: Suzee, Heather, Clancey
Date Posted: 29th September 2014

Characters: Barenziah, Benani, Tibitha
Description: Benani opens the windows.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 8, day 20 of Turn 7

Barenziah

Benani

When she woke up that morning she felt better than she had in weeks.
The shadows were still there in her mind but when she put on her
dressing gown and sat to brush her hair there was a smile on her face
and the shadows under her eyes seemed to be fading.

She'd put on some weight recently and some of the gauntness had faded
from her cheeks. Tibitha had brought Benaris and Zathan who were
giggling and playing in the middle of the floor as she finished
plaiting her hair into a long braid.

Camne lay on the hearth watching the boys with interest her tail
thumping on the stones from time to time.

Tibitha smiled with fondness at her young charges and their mother
while busily folding. "You do look better, dear. Feeling better
then?"

"Yes Tibitha," she smiled and bent to pick up Benaris along with his
little stuffed dragon toy. She shook the toy while he tried to grab it
with a giggle. Then she put it behind her back. "Where'd it go?"

"I'm that happy to hear it, Lady." Tibitha nodded with pleasure. It
was more than past time for the lady to be up and about, returning to
mothering her youngsters, and being a wife to that husband of hers.
It was such a pleasure to see. Inclined to indulge her Lady, she
stood up from the folding. "Time for tea or something else, my
Lady?"

Barenziah bustled in to the room before the Lady could answer, her
arms filled with a crisp stack of sheets and pillowcases to go on
Benani's bed.

"Good morning, ma'am," she was pleased to see the Lady already up and
out of bed, and with the children no less, "and Tibitha, it is good to
see you too." The redhead went over to the bed and set the clean
sheets down so she could begin stripping the bed.

Benani smiled at her Lady in Waiting bouncing her son on her hip still
playing 'hide the draggie.' "Good Morning Barenziah," she said.

Tibitha made her way to the small stove to gather the makings for tea.
The homely sounds of pots and her own Lady up and about caused her to
sing a little as she worked. Things were returning to how they should
be, in her opinion. But that required tea.

Benani set Benaris back down on the floor and crouched to play with
both of the boys. Zathan squealed and started toddling toward her with
his arms out to clutch at her skirts. Benani giggled and backed up out
of his reach and finding herself against the curtains whipped behind
them.

"Where's mama," she called and peeked back out to a vale of giggles.

Barenziah smiled at the playful scene between Benani and her children.
She was no mind healer but she felt that the Lady's children helped
her out in ways that no one else could. The redhead turned away,
leaving Tibitha to look after Benani as she stripped the old sheets
from the Lady's bed and began putting on clean linens.

The tea finished its brewing under her watchful eye, though she kept
the other on the children and the Lady. A nice healthy cup was
poured and brought to the lady as she passed by the children. "My,
they are big. I think they grow every day. Will soon be up walking
and causing no end of trouble, and there you'll be, chasing them
around. " She smiled, though, showing that the image that provided
was a happy one. "Did you want some tea?" She offered Barenziah as
she returned to the stove.

"No thank you." Barenziah smiled to the older woman as Chiffon took a
dive into the "dirty" sheets that were being piled on the floor. The
gold firelizard's head popped out, and Barenziah had to fight a
chuckle at the way the sheets draped over her small head like a hood.
Chiffon cocked her head quizzically, as if not understanding what her
human thought was so funny.

Tucking the new sheets in crisply to the bed, Barenziah pulled the
fresh blankets on and fluffed the pillows. Finished with the bed she
stepped back to review her work, rolling her sleeves up as she did,
"Lady," she glanced at Benani on the floor with her children, "would
you mind if I opened the drapes a bit? A bit of fresh air and sunlight
might be nice?" She suggested.

"That would be lovely," Benani answered. She was feeling very good
today and a little sunlight would be welcome.

The Lady's unexpected answer made Barenziah's mouth tilt into a smile.
**She's making progress.** It felt good to watch Benani becoming more
and more confident. There were still set backs, but it was better than
what it had been when she first arrived back at Amber Hills. Going to
the window, Barenziah pulled the drapes back to leave a gap between
them, and then pushed open the window just a bit to allow in some
fresh air. She knew that Zathris would be pleased to hear of his
wife's progress.

She stayed on the floor a bit longer but then rose with her cup and
sat in the chair as the boys played. Winter sunlight fell across the
floor and lit the boys hair with golden flecks. Zathan toddled across
the room to grab Tibitha's skirts while Benaris kept trying to grab
Camne's tail that wagged itself out of his clutches. The canine was so
patient with the children. "Have they had their lunch yet, Tibitha?"

"Not just yet, my Lady." She automatically scooped up Zathan with a
fond kiss to his head as she settled hima gainst her ample frame.
"None of that grabbing now, mind." She fussed lovingly at the young
boy. "Shall I fix it then, my Lady, and you as well?"

"Sure," she smiled. "And please bring Ailnim back with you too. I
haven't seen him in days." Benani turned and walked over to the window
with a smile.

Last updated on the November 5th 2014

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Fresh Air and Sunlight