The ever-so-lovely, Raichel
Yes, I was experimenting with necklines when I drew her. :-P
You'll know Raichel as the wife of Tomas, sister-in-law to Ellya, and all-around beauty who steals the heart of *ahem* no spoilers here. Nope. Nothing doing.
Now, I'll have you note that this is actually not the scene of Raichel's that I wanted to share with you. But the one that I wanted to share contained a huge spoiler to something that changes the rest of the book, and I thought it best to stay away from that one. Some of you may know what moment I'm referring to. If you've read the book. *wink*
So, here you have it. A shorter scene from Raichel, but a scene that deeply defines her relationship with another very pivotal character. And one that helped me to really get to know her as a person. She liked to keep everything from me. Very annoying. It was like pulling teeth with that one.
Excerpt #3 from Coetir: People of the Woods, by Rani Divine
© Copyright RAD Writing, 2015, All rights reserved
Raichel sat on the ground a few meters outside the village, cradling Lettie’s baby in her arms. He still hadn’t been named, but she’d been calling him Alexander. It was the name she’d always wanted for her own son.
Tears slid down her cheeks as she watched the baby boy sleeping in her arms. She couldn’t help it. All her life, she’d wanted to be a mother. It wasn’t until after she’d wed Tomas that she learned he was unable to bear children. There had been an accident when he was a lad, and his parents told him when he came of age that if he wanted children he would have to seek a couple to adopt from.
She hated him for not telling her until after their match.
The boy was so beautiful, sleeping in her arms. His light violet skin almost shimmered in the bright afternoon light, and he already had a head full of dark hair and deep green vines.
“Why are you crying, little elain?” Saeth said as he appeared beside her.
“Why do you call me that?” she asked, automatically reaching up to wipe the tears from her face. She ordinarily wouldn’t have let anyone see her like this, but there was nowhere to go.
Beyond that, Saeth seemed to be everywhere.
He smiled and sat beside her on the ground. He gently caressed the baby’s head, but his eyes remained fixed on Raichel’s. “It means fawn, in your tongue,” he replied. “It is my people’s equivalent to your name.”
She smiled slightly, more tears sliding down her face.
“Don’t cry, little one.” He reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Walk with me,” he said. “I will help you.” He held out his hand toward her, and she took it.
She stood, being careful not to wake the baby in her arms.
“You’re holding an Eiriol child,” he said as he led her away from the village.
“He’s Lettie’s,” she whispered. She hoped he wouldn’t have a strange name for her too.
“The human?”
“Yeah.”
“And why has his care been left to you?” he asked. “Should that not be the duty of the mother?”
“She’s asleep,” she replied. “I wanted to hold him.”
“He makes you sad,” he observed.
“I want a baby,” she breathed. She didn’t know why she said it. She’d never been so candid with anyone in her life—not even Tomas. He bore the brunt of her anger because he couldn’t give her a child, and she never spoke to him like a normal human being. She’d shut everyone else out since she was a young child.
Why then did she trust Saeth so much?
“You do not have a mate.” He nodded slowly.
“I do,” she whispered. “But he can’t…” her voice trailed off.
“This was a poor choice of mate, if a child is your desire.” The clouds darkened the sky above them. She wondered what it was about Saeth that caused the reaction in the sky.
“That’s not how it works.” She shook her head.
“I see,” he whispered, his fingers tightening around hers.
“Why are you here? With me I mean,” she asked, turning to look him in the eye.
“Little elain.” He shook his head and smiled. “You are the reason I am here.”
“Me?” Her brow furrowed.
“In time,” he replied. “Come with me to the river.” He smiled slightly.
“Okay.”
She walked beside him through the trees, all the while cradling the baby boy in her arms.
Somehow, Saeth made her feel better. Her eyes no longer begged to release bitter tears, and her heart no longer ached so badly. All she felt now was simple curiosity as to where they were going and what Saeth wanted to show her.
As the sound of the river grew louder, he turned to her and lifted a finger to his lips, and she nodded. If silence was what he wanted, silence he would have.
He pointed beyond the water, and she saw a group of humans walking through the trees. One of them continually marked the trees that they passed, trying to keep track of where they had been. She’d heard of people doing that before, in the past, when the humans were allowed to enter the woods.
“The protectors are here,” Saeth whispered under his breath as he stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her and the baby.
They watched in silence as one by one the humans began to fall. She couldn’t see what was happening to them—it was all moving too quickly. All she knew was that something was happening to them, and they were falling before they even knew something had hit them.
She guessed that they’d been killed.
“We will keep you safe, little elain,” Saeth whispered in her ear. “Do you believe me?”
“I do,” she breathed.
The baby whimpered, and Saeth released her. “May I?”
She furrowed her brow as she turned toward him, but she couldn’t think of a reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to hold the child. He was Coetir, after all. He couldn’t do anything to harm one of the Eiriol. So he took the child from her arms, and the boy quieted almost instantly. Saeth cradled the boy against his chest, and he smiled down at him. “He is beautiful,” he whispered. “I can see why you enjoy being with him.”
“Everyone always told me I was a mother without a child,” she breathed.
“You will have a child,” he told her, lifting his eyes to look into hers.
“I can’t.” She shook her head. “Tomas…” She shook her head again, tears filling her eyes.
“Come,” he breathed, reaching out to cup the back of her neck with his hand. “We should return him to his mother, so that you may be alone.”
“Thank you,” she breathed.
“I will keep you safe, little elain.” He smiled down at her. “I promise you that.”
Tears slid down her cheeks as she watched the baby boy sleeping in her arms. She couldn’t help it. All her life, she’d wanted to be a mother. It wasn’t until after she’d wed Tomas that she learned he was unable to bear children. There had been an accident when he was a lad, and his parents told him when he came of age that if he wanted children he would have to seek a couple to adopt from.
She hated him for not telling her until after their match.
The boy was so beautiful, sleeping in her arms. His light violet skin almost shimmered in the bright afternoon light, and he already had a head full of dark hair and deep green vines.
“Why are you crying, little elain?” Saeth said as he appeared beside her.
“Why do you call me that?” she asked, automatically reaching up to wipe the tears from her face. She ordinarily wouldn’t have let anyone see her like this, but there was nowhere to go.
Beyond that, Saeth seemed to be everywhere.
He smiled and sat beside her on the ground. He gently caressed the baby’s head, but his eyes remained fixed on Raichel’s. “It means fawn, in your tongue,” he replied. “It is my people’s equivalent to your name.”
She smiled slightly, more tears sliding down her face.
“Don’t cry, little one.” He reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Walk with me,” he said. “I will help you.” He held out his hand toward her, and she took it.
She stood, being careful not to wake the baby in her arms.
“You’re holding an Eiriol child,” he said as he led her away from the village.
“He’s Lettie’s,” she whispered. She hoped he wouldn’t have a strange name for her too.
“The human?”
“Yeah.”
“And why has his care been left to you?” he asked. “Should that not be the duty of the mother?”
“She’s asleep,” she replied. “I wanted to hold him.”
“He makes you sad,” he observed.
“I want a baby,” she breathed. She didn’t know why she said it. She’d never been so candid with anyone in her life—not even Tomas. He bore the brunt of her anger because he couldn’t give her a child, and she never spoke to him like a normal human being. She’d shut everyone else out since she was a young child.
Why then did she trust Saeth so much?
“You do not have a mate.” He nodded slowly.
“I do,” she whispered. “But he can’t…” her voice trailed off.
“This was a poor choice of mate, if a child is your desire.” The clouds darkened the sky above them. She wondered what it was about Saeth that caused the reaction in the sky.
“That’s not how it works.” She shook her head.
“I see,” he whispered, his fingers tightening around hers.
“Why are you here? With me I mean,” she asked, turning to look him in the eye.
“Little elain.” He shook his head and smiled. “You are the reason I am here.”
“Me?” Her brow furrowed.
“In time,” he replied. “Come with me to the river.” He smiled slightly.
“Okay.”
She walked beside him through the trees, all the while cradling the baby boy in her arms.
Somehow, Saeth made her feel better. Her eyes no longer begged to release bitter tears, and her heart no longer ached so badly. All she felt now was simple curiosity as to where they were going and what Saeth wanted to show her.
As the sound of the river grew louder, he turned to her and lifted a finger to his lips, and she nodded. If silence was what he wanted, silence he would have.
He pointed beyond the water, and she saw a group of humans walking through the trees. One of them continually marked the trees that they passed, trying to keep track of where they had been. She’d heard of people doing that before, in the past, when the humans were allowed to enter the woods.
“The protectors are here,” Saeth whispered under his breath as he stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her and the baby.
They watched in silence as one by one the humans began to fall. She couldn’t see what was happening to them—it was all moving too quickly. All she knew was that something was happening to them, and they were falling before they even knew something had hit them.
She guessed that they’d been killed.
“We will keep you safe, little elain,” Saeth whispered in her ear. “Do you believe me?”
“I do,” she breathed.
The baby whimpered, and Saeth released her. “May I?”
She furrowed her brow as she turned toward him, but she couldn’t think of a reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to hold the child. He was Coetir, after all. He couldn’t do anything to harm one of the Eiriol. So he took the child from her arms, and the boy quieted almost instantly. Saeth cradled the boy against his chest, and he smiled down at him. “He is beautiful,” he whispered. “I can see why you enjoy being with him.”
“Everyone always told me I was a mother without a child,” she breathed.
“You will have a child,” he told her, lifting his eyes to look into hers.
“I can’t.” She shook her head. “Tomas…” She shook her head again, tears filling her eyes.
“Come,” he breathed, reaching out to cup the back of her neck with his hand. “We should return him to his mother, so that you may be alone.”
“Thank you,” she breathed.
“I will keep you safe, little elain.” He smiled down at her. “I promise you that.”
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