Home Again

[Vylrath]

Vylrath watched the form of Igraine emerge in the room. He was shocked himself, the pain in her face obvious. He almost dropped the sword, keeping it to the side while she clung to him- her face covered in fresh tears. It would be hard explaining why he had caused her such devastation in such a short amount of time. Igraine had been his world and now he was destroying hers.

His makeshift body began to feel weak, wondering if he would be able to connect with it much longer. Looking toward Kahlan and Isabella, he hoped they would help him with an explanation. In her own ways, Igraine was still naïve about the world. Instead of filling her mind more grief and confusion, he decided to explain Thorin's actions later.

Holding Igraine, he could feel her strength slowly wane. “I'll do anything I can to save him- only because you requested it.” Pausing, Vylrath wondered if he could quickly explain Vuri. Shaking his head, he realistically couldn't. The Vuri had a long history and it would take days to explain their abilities.

“You know that Isabella is different than the Fae...she will be giving him her blood to survive. He won't be the same man you knew and he will no longer be demonic- he will be something darker.” Watching Isabella give her blood. She had always been loyal to the Vuri, often sacrificing herself. He admired her for that, most of the Vuri having been turned against their will. Isabella had suffered the worst out of the remaining Vuri, but he had never heard her complain about her duties to him.

Doubting that Igraine would understand, he took her to another room to explain himself. Even after all of this time, she seemed to be the only one to think he had a good heart. He could hear his son scream in pain, but it was Igraine's suffering that bothered him more intensely.

“I attacked him. I could have easily killed him for what he attempted to do to your mother. You and her are my only light. Too often has he defied the wrong people and he must learn. He will be under Isabella's control and connected to me and her, until he passes on into the next life.” Vylrath explained, watching her blank expression. He sighed, feeling as though he failed her. This life had been too comfortable for her- the sight of blood putting her in a hysteria.

“You must understand. I did it to protect you and Kahlan. He had a sword aimed for her throat.” He could hear Thorin's screams becoming more faint and turning into moaning sounds. The bloodletting was working. If they weren't careful, Igraine might suffer more than Thorin and he would never be able to live with himself if that happened.

“You are my light Igraine. I won't let some bastard son of mine, extinguish that.” Vylrath left her with her thoughts, understanding that she needed time to think. Returning to Isabella and Kahlan, he watched the process with slight enthusiasm. Kahlan had never seen the process of someone turning into a Vuri, but he knew most things didn't surprise her in this world.

Turning toward her, he hoped she would understand his actions. “If I had known what it would do to Igraine, I would have never injured him so badly. I tried explaining my actions, but I think she is too naïve to understand the circumstances.”

Resting his hand on Isabella's shoulder, he motioned for her to move away from Thorin. Thorin would go through the process of death and experience a different life in the morning. He looked at Isabella with kind eyes, the sight of Igraine's tears humbled him momentarily.

[Igraine]

Alone with her thoughts, Igraine sat on the edge of someone's stool, inside someone's house that she didn't recognize. She registered the fact that she had her mother's blood on her skin and smeared along her side. She knew that her hair was in a wild disarray. She moved to a large mirror near the door and smoothed her hair back, and when she looked more normal and less hysterical -- she sat back down.

Igraine wasn't stupid. She really wished everyone would stop treating her as if the weight of the world was too hard for her fragile little ego. She laughed and shook her head, burying her face in her hands for a moment and rubbing her eyes. Naive or not, she was a Queen of the Human World and she was capable of more than Thorin or Vylrath seemed to believe she was.

She just didn't want to see Thorin suffer. She could already feel the bond breaking as he started changing. She knew he had to die for the change to be complete, not unlike a vampire. Isabella had spared her none of the details, so she probably knew more about the Vuri than anyone outside of the two recognized living Vuri.

"This wasn't supposed to be the way the bond broke." She felt her eyes tearing up and she stared woodenly out of a window that looked over the woods surrounding the community they were staying with. Would Thorin even be the same? Would he even care about her anymore? Vylrath seemed to have the ability to care and so did Caela and Isabella. She felt herself becoming more and more pale as Thorin died, as if it were her blood that was coating the ground outside that door. She knew she couldn't handle watching the man she loved die, even if he would be reborn again.

Kahlan watched Isabella and Vylrath carefully. She had watched the birth and death of so many different races that she noticed the similarities and differences with ease. She glanced up at the would-be Vylrath and shook her head.

"You still act before you think. Remorse is normal for someone that you love above all else. He might be more dangerous for her now, did you think of that?" Kahlan was calm, quiet, collected. She could hear her daughter crying as quietly as she could inside the house of an older Fae woman. They would have to get the blood cleaned up as best they could.

"Isabella didn't bother to spare her innocence when she spoke of the Vuri to her. Don't think our daughter is so naive that she doesn't fully understand what is happening to the man she loves, to her half brother." Kahlan tilted her head slightly, as if listening to something that was far away.

"She's also worried that he won't love her anymore. All of this stress will make her lose her baby, you know." Kahlan had known since she concieved a few days ago. Hell, they were like rabbits. "Igraine doesn't know. Neither does Thorin, though I suspect that we should tell him before he dies. If she loses the baby he will want to be there for her, I hope."

Kahlan could hear the sobbing slowing down as Igraine wore herself out. She looked into Vylrath's borrowed eyes and she smiled. "Don't make her regret your reappearance, Vylrath. This baby could be the one thing that keeps her together over the next few years."

Isabella leaned over Thorin, who was becoming weaker by the minute. She patted his face gently with her blood soaked hands and she smiled. "It's okay. Hey, Roen, it's okay. You will be fine. All of your rage will be gone when you wake in the morning." She over heard what Kahlan said and paled just a little, Thorin wouldn't even notice.

"Listen to me, Roen. Come on, focus, listen to your mother." Isabella turned his head to her and smiled at him when his eyes flickered open and she knew he was listening to her. She was his mother now twice over. As a half demon and now as a Vuri. "You're going to be a Father, Roen. Igraine is pregnant with a child. You have to wake up for her in the morning. She doesn't know she is with child and she could lose it if you don't wake up. Don't do that to her. Hate your father all you want but don't walk away from your new family with Igraine." She saw some of the pained recognition on Thorin's face and hoped that he understood and wasn't just in pain as he was dying.

Isabella let him fall back under the stupor he was in as he died. For such a bright and handsome boy, and a brash and strong man, he was dying quietly.

[Thorin]

Thorin listened to Kahlan, but quickly felt pain from a source he hadn't counted on- his father. The sword had penetrated deep into the cavity of his chest. He could feel the bastard twisting the sword purposely, slowly removing it while Thorin bled to death in front of him. Before he fell, he remembered glaring into Vylrath's eyes, as he pushed the sword into Thorin.

There were a lot of things he hadn't foreseen and his father's sudden arrival was one of them. The sword had become heavier with grief at the thought of him attacking Kahlan. It was one of the many attributes placed on the blade, but his rage for Kahlan and her reasoning hadn't ended there. Could she really blame him? He had tried to keep Vylrath out of this world and now he was causing his death right in front of her.

Thorin could feel his mother nearby, but now his mind was a haze of confusion. The pain had gotten worse. He blacked out a few times from seeing all of his blood on his mother's hands. Feeling Igraine nearby, he didn't want her to be in the same room. If he was going to die, they could at least give him the dignity to keep her away from his bloodied body.

In his haze, the image of Vylrath was still there- standing over him. When he tried to move, he felt the new pain rip across his chest like a fire. The bastard had sliced the blade across his body, never-minding the fact he was already losing too much blood. When he listened to his father explain the Vuri ritual, he shouted out in defiance, but no one seemed to be listening. He struggled against his mother, losing the ability to heal himself from the exhaustion.

Igraine wouldn't know the history of Vuri, or how they lived day by day. They weren't like other creatures of the supernatural world. They had to feast on blood and flesh more than a normal demon. They were like shades, avoiding life and light altogether.

Isabella spoke to him about him becoming a father, but he didn't remember Igraine making that announcement. It could be his mind going into a delirium, but the more she talked about it, the more he was starting to listen. Even if they had a child, he wouldn't be the same and his ties to Vylrath would drive him insane.

“Let me die.” Thorin demanded, knowing Igraine would hear him. The three words were simple, but concrete with his request. He could feel his breathing becoming shallow and his awareness slowly slipping away. His chest heaved, while Isabella gave her blood. Maybe he was in denial, but he hoped his final breath would be the last and not turn into something more. He grabbed onto Isabella's hand, the one that constantly tried to stop the bleeding. With his remaining strength, he pushed her away, knowing that would have more symbolic meaning to her than anyone else.

He inhaled and exhaled his last breath, feeling the darkness encompass his state of mind. Death hadn't been so frightening in the end- it was how you died that was frightening. His death was like a deep sleep, the pain a reminder of reality.

Thorin's body would change, but he wouldn't gasp for new breath immediately. His body would slowly recuperate overnight. The changes would be most apparent in his skin tone, hair and eyes.

[Vylrath]

Vylrath listened to Kahlan, his heart sinking. If Igraine lost the baby, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. He had been known to cause pain and grief just by his presence, but he never intended to cause that same emotion on Igraine. Vylrath didn't want her to hate him, like so many others did. His daughter was the one person who had believed in him and now she was in hysterics. Regardless of what Kahlan or Isabella thought, he knew his attack had been justified. If the sword hadn't been weighted, he wondered what would have happened in the greater scheme of things.

Kahlan might be a powerful deity, but he knew that gods could easily be caught off guard themselves. He had once tricked a Goddess to create swords, her emotions creating poor judgment. It was examples like these, that he had learned from- his son was still trying to grasp his place in the world. Igraine might have given him a purpose, but she didn't define him.

He knew he could be wise, but women often saw his faults before wisdom. Vylrath smiled at Kahlan, her voice smaller and softer when she described her daughters love for Thorin. She must have forgotten that he hadn't stopped loving her- Isabella had just been his wife out of political grandeur.

“He needed to learn a lesson and maybe this will make HIM think about his actions. He has not seen all that we've seen Kahlan and our daughter hasn't either. They are still children.” Vylrath paused, listening to her express worry about the baby. “She won't lose it. If you can feel the life-force of that child, than I can too- it is strong, like its mother. If Thorin really loved her, it won't change in his new form. If it changes, then he had other reasons for being with her.”

With his speech complete, he wondered if Kahlan or Isabella would grasp his meaning. He might handle situations differently than others, but he was still looking out for his family- he would always be a father to their children.

“He is like me as a young man. I'd rather have him learn his lesson early, than not at all and become worse than me.” Vylrath still held the guards sword, his energy waning quicker than he had planned on. The women might be shocked to find he did think of his family, or that he thought of his son at all and future consequences. Vylrath was old and his family often reminded him of his age in the world.

Vylrath smirked at Kahlan, wondering if she really thought he did things so recklessly without a plan. They might be more abrupt than the average individual, but he did have a reason behind them. “I never stopped loving you, or longing for you after my death. My actions do not define my feelings for you.” He said, suddenly feeling very awkward in front of Isabella.

Vylrath was confessing his own love for Kahlan and he wondered if she would feel any jealously- he doubted it, given their past together. He had been with Isabella to protect her from men who sought to ruin her- but maybe he had done the most damage.

He could feel his son dying, but there was little he could do- he just hoped that Igraine could forgive him.

[Igraine]

When Thorin finally died the bond broke, and it felt like a piece of her heart went with him. Igraine wrapped her arms around herself tightly, holding in the piercing pain for all she was worth. He had to wake up. He couldn't just leave her. She sat there for a long, long time. Long enough to find the owner rubbing her shoulders and handing her a cup of hot tea and just sitting with her. Like she understood what she was going through. Through the haze of disbelief that Thorin could have died, Igraine realized that the older Fae woman probably did understand. There was very little male influence in the house -- and what was there was mostly in places of honor.

"How did you manage?" Igraine asked, her voice cracking from the aftermath of emotion. She hadn't spoken in hours, and it looked to be the middle of the night. The older woman rested a hand that was almost see through with age on hers. She had no pity in her eyes for the young queen, only understanding.

"It gets easier to breathe, after a few weeks. You start to realize that he wouldn't want you to live your life shut away. You eventually catch yourself smiling as you stand in the sun, or work in your garden, or take a walk you've taken so many times over the past months..." The old woman smiled and leaned over and kissed Igraine's temple. Igraine could feel her nerves unravelling in the woman's presence. She squeezed her hand gently, as if it was the last thing she had holding her to the earth -- fearing she might float away altogether. "It hurts now, and it'll hurt for a long time, but one day you'll find yourself thinking about him. One day you'll smile and know that you can survive. It's okay to be angry, to even hate him for a while, for putting you through what you're going through. It'll get harder before it gets better."

Igraine felt fresh tears slipping down her cheeks and the old woman wiped them away. She crawled out of her chair and rested her head in the woman's lap and let her run her fingers through her hair and sing a soft heartfelt lament. Igraine could only assume it was about the woman's husband whom she lost during a war when she was young.

It was a chirping that woke her. A soft insistent chirping that cast shadows over her face. Igraine blinked herself awake and shielded her eyes from the light pouring in the window. The emerald on her hand caught the light and she smiled, but remembered. She fought with the hole in her chest for a few minutes, forcing herself not to cry, and sat up on the couch where the woman had put her to bed. She listened for a few minutes and realized the woman was already gone, but a piece of bread and jam sat on the table next to the couch. Igraine smiled and picked up the bread and ate some to appease the woman, though she really had no appetite.

Today would be the day to see if Thorin woke up, or left her all alone. She couldn't allow herself to hope. She knew that Kahlan and Isabella had seen to taking his body back to Isabella's house and had his wounds cleaned and bound. If he woke, they would be mostly healed over already. She knew she had to be there when, and if he woke up.

Though she wasn't sure they would get married now. Some other time perhaps.

Igraine took her time getting to Isabella's house, stopping to change her clothes and scrub her body clean of her mother's blood. She put on a fresh pair of pants, a short sleeved white shirt, and a tight black corset, which she managed to tie up herself in the font, tucking the laces into the corset to hide them.

When she stepped inside she frowned when Kahlan and Isabella looked at her as if she were the one coming back from the dead, focusing their attention on her corset. They muttered something to each other before turning back to the body they were watching over. Igraine sat on the opposite side of them, her hand finding Thorin's. It was so cold, but her face was like steel. She wasn't going to run away from this. She was going to be here for him when he woke up.

The stress alone, she thought, might just kill her.

[Thorin]

In death, he could hear his father only. Even if Igraine held his hand, he would only feel his current state of mind. Vylrath mocked him- as he had for years. The old Vuri was proud that he had finally turned their first born into one of their kind. Regardless of his love for Igraine, Vylrath reminded Thorin of who his new Lord was. If Thorin became King in the future, he would still have to answer to Vylrath- he would never be free.

Thorin wasn't able to take his father's voice any longer. Vylrath had left the guards body hours ago and lingered somewhere in the spirit realm. Even in death, he couldn't leave him alone. Vylrath shared moments of his mother's torment, along with his brother and sister. He knew that Vylrath had always despised him for his defiance- Thorin had been the only one to go against him.

“Bastard...” He gasped the word, his first breath a curse at his father. Thorin saw with new eyes and he felt the bond grow with his Vuri family. It was not something to be proud of...all of them had ties back to Vylrath. They were all enslaved, by the same man that had created the race.

While his color wouldn't be back in his face, he was able to sit up and notice that Igraine was by his side. He didn't know if he should feel relieved, or infuriated that they had let her see him suffer. Looking to her, he didn't know what to say to her. He wanted to kill Vylrath and so far, that was the only thought that consumed his mind.

“I'm sorry you're pregnant. If you really are...” Thorin said and stood up, trying to stabilize his balance. The world spun and he strangely felt sicker. There was a new thirst that was greater than a demons and he failed to grasp the significance.

He felt an odd distance from Igraine. Thorin knew he loved her, but he also knew they shouldn't have a baby right now- not in this situation. He didn't know about his own state of mind, or the fact that he'd make a good father at all.

“You should have left me alone. There are other men who will take you...you won't have to watch me live this way.” Thorin explained, also concerned about Vylrath. If Kahlan brought him back to be their Lord, he didn't know how his sanity would hold up.

Some part of him felt an animosity toward everything- even the woman he loved more than anything. He remembered how she had always stuck up for Vylrath and made up excuses for his behavior. “This is what our father creates...I will always be enslaved like the others.” Thorin didn't need to tell her about the images that Vylrath had branded into his brain- Igraine looked like she had been through enough shock.

“If you want our child to live a happy life, then you will keep them far away from the Vuri.”

Thorin fell back, regretting his words, but wondering if she would make the right choice. She was a Queen and could give their child a safe and luxurious life without the danger of being involved with him. He started to pass out, wondering why he continued to have bouts of weakness.

[Igraine]

"I'm not pregnant." Igraine let go of Thorin and got to her feet. He was so weak and she really didn't want to fight him. She was just happy he was alive. He kept going on and on about children and she didn't want to hear it. He wanted her to leave him alone and she understood that.

"Look. I understand that you're confused and that you don't want to be a Vuri. Neither did Caela or Isabella." Igraine shot Isabella a comforting glance, and the woman smiled. "If you want me to leave, then I will. I'll go back to Ulster and you can stay here."

She really hated him right now. It was always about him. It was never about anyone else. What if she was pregnant? The stress alone would be more than enough to cause her to lose it unless it was strong.

"You know what. I don't want to marry you. Not until you get your head straight and deal with your issues. I may have commitment issues but you have daddy issues, and I can't compete with those." Igraine grabbed her cloak and threw it over her shoulders.

"I just wanted to know that you were alive. I can't feel you anymore and I wanted to know that you were going to be okay." She felt hollow inside. Just being around him made her emotions go on a wild rollercoaster and she couldn't afford that, not with a Kingdom to look after.

"I'll come say goodbye before I leave. You're best left with Isabella while you get used to your new life. You obviously don't want me to be a part of it and I won't keep you held back." She turned to Kahlan and Isabella, her face unreadable. "I'll let Caela know what happened."

She walked quickly out of the house and back to where she and Thorin had been staying. She quickly packed her belongings and picked up the shirt that Thorin had worn a few days ago, dirty with a little soot from the forge. She smiled and packed it in with her things and closed her bag. Igraine sighed and sat down on a stool, feeling the tightness in her chest come back. She unlaced the corset and tossed it on the bag, trying to get some air in her lungs. Having to turn away from the one man she loved really hurt. It felt like someone had punched a fist through her chest and ripped her heart out. Now she understood why there were legends of gods and goddesses cutting their hearts out and hiding them away where they couldn't be bothered by emotions, especially love.

There would be plenty of men that she could marry, if she chose to do so. She doubted she would unless it served a purpose -- such as an alliance.

Isabella held out a bowl of fluid for Thorin to drink, she placed it to his lips knowing that he wouldn't be able to resist. The fluid in the bowl was day old blood, already starting to congeal. It wasn't human so much as Fae, and it was dead. The beauty of drinking blood as a Vuri was that it had to be dead blood, and once blood left it's host it started to die. The host didn't have to die for the Vuri to survive. Thorin would learn that, in time, but right now he had to take the whole bowl in order to strengthen himself.

"Drink. We'll get you dead flesh later. We're just lucky that the Fae understand our need unlike the humans. We can survive off of one body between us for over a month. The blood is what is important. Our curse started with blood and so it must be fed by blood. We're not pansy vampires either. We don't feed from a living host. The blood must be dead, cold, congealing." Isabella sloshed the blood a little under Thorin's nose, knowing he would be famished.

"Drink. You'll gain your strength much faster. She is pregnant, she just doesn't realize it yet. Once she's back in Ulster she'll know. It won't be long before she starts to show. A baby that is made with a half demon only takes seven months instead of the usual nine. Don't worry, Kahlan has already made sure that it won't have any demonic taint like Igraine. It won't have any Vuri taint either. Fortunately for us, Vuri men are...impotent when it comes to passing the genes along sexually." Seeing the alarm at the word impotent, Isabella laughed and shook her head. "Men! Roen, you're not...incapable. You're just not...going to pass along the Vuri gene. A woman of our race, such as myself, is required to give birth to a full blooded Vuri child. If Igraine were a Vuri then the babe would be Vuri, no matter what race the father. I suppose it's a built in survival mechanism."

Isabella left the bowl on Thorin's chest so that he would be forced to finish drinking on his own. It wouldn't be long now.

[Thorin]

Thorin watched Igraine leave, wanting to stop her. Of course he wanted to marry her still, but his mind was too weak to wonder about their future. She was pregnant- his mother wouldn't lie to him- she didn't have time to plot, unlike his father.

Even though her words stung him, she was right. He had too many issues, but what man wouldn't handle the situation this way? She had lived a care-free life without worry, until he came along. Vylrath's presence wasn't acknowledged any longer, so he felt safe with his own thoughts finally. When his mother brought him the bowl of blood, he drank greedily. The substance was sweet to him, with a sugary aftertaste in his mouth. He was sure the blood wouldn't taste that way normally. Thorin remembered blood from his old form- it had never held this type of exotic flavor.

Men naturally cringed from the word impotent. When she further explained, he realized they could still have children. With his thirst satisfied, he discovered he could finally have a secure footing. He looked for his precious sword, the weapon that had been made to protect Igraine. Without her, the sword's creation would be meaningless.

Thorin stopped to look at himself in a mirror and lightly cursed...his hair had grown down to his back and it was even darker than before. His eyes were strange- a milky blue, with little light in them. Thorin's skin had also changed dramatically- it was a dark gray and matched the tone of most Vuri males.

Sheathing the blade, he walked to Igraine. He would appear different, almost like a stranger. Their bond would be inevitably broken and he doubted they would ever be able to create a new one. He opened her door and leaned against the door frame. Thorin watched her pack, her silence making him guess her anger level.

“You won't understand my issues and I don't expect you to...however, I don't just walk away, regardless of what I said to you earlier. I'm bonded to the man who tormented my own mother- how do you want me to react?” Thorin didn't bring up the topic of the baby, finding it useless to argue when she was in denial. If she didn't accept the child as theirs, it was better off that way anyway.

Maybe that was the reason why his father had several lovers and not just one- he was beginning to see through his father's view.

[Igraine]

Igraine saw his shadow before she heard his voice. She was quiet through the entire exchange before turning to look at him. His voice was the same, though slightly deeper, and his hair was black as a moonless night and long. She kept her seat on the stool and settled her hands in her lap. Just seeing him started to patch the suffering she was going through.

"Look. I don't expect you to explain to me Vylrath's history. I know it. Caela is my sister too. She told me everything. I know Trydian's plight and I know Sebilla's fragility. I've been around your family longer than you have. I know your family better than you do." Igraine was calm and keeping her face passive. She was so tired of riding the emotional tide that Thorin brought with him that she couldn't fathom having to do that for the rest of her life.

"I respect that you want to continue what you started, but I don't need a man to complete me. I don't need to be coddled like some two year old on a short leash. I am my own woman and I can take care of myself. I'm tired of everyone thinking that I'm some stupid little girl that can't handle herself." Igraine took a deep breath and stood slowly and pulled on a pair of riding gloves.

"What I can't handle is uncertainty. If I am going to be with a man he has to be stable. You're about as unstable as it gets right now, Thorin. I love you but I don't even know if you still love me. I don't know a lot of things." She turned her back to him and took a deep breath, feeling the hole in her chest opening up and threatening to engulf her in emotion. She knew he couldn't feel her distress and she hoped he couldn't see it or sense it with his new powers.

"We were supposed to be married today and that's not happening. I have a Kingdom to get back to. I can't stay away forever." She pressed her head in her hands, trying to keep the pain in her chest and the tears out of her eyes. She'd cried enough over this man, she couldn't afford to spill any more tears on his account.

[Thorin]

She was just now realizing that he was unstable? Thorin chuckled, finding that part of the conversation amusing. Igraine was good at being a martyr, but even better at playing a real victim. Thorin often expressed himself more than the others and he was sure that that put her off. He shut the door behind him, knowing very well she could leave either way. She was Fae in her own realm. Her powers had no limit. Maybe he shut the door to have their own peace, without family interfering and passing judgment.

“You know...for not being pregnant, you sure are moody.” Thorin said, catching his words. He realized it wasn't the best thing to say in the situation and it wouldn't win her over to listen to him. When she covered her face with her hands, Thorin went over to her and removed them. He held her hands, hoping she'd feel his warmth. His body would no longer feel cold like a corpse, but normal.

“We can either work things out, or I can make an ultimatum and you won't like what I have in mind.” Thorin paused, thinking his thoughts through. If they were this upsetting to each other all the time, it might be best to never lay sight on each other- they were fighting just like siblings. He couldn't see her lose the baby over strife he caused her. Whether she wanted to believe it or not, she was still carrying his child.

“I love you, but if we keep doing this, than it's obvious we aren't meant to be together. As for being unstable...we don't exactly come from stable parents.” Thorin said, placing his hand on her stomach. Her stomach was flat, but there was obvious life stirring. He looked to her, not caring if his knowledge disturbed her. “It's a girl. If she's anything like her mother, I guess I better prepare myself.” Thorin said, removing his hand, preparing for her wrath.

[Igraine]

Igraine struck Thorin before she even realized it. She jerked her hand away from him and grabbed him by the face and pulled him into a long hard kiss. He tasted...different. He tasted sweeter, less polluted.

"If I am pregnant as you so seem to think I am, I do hope she is like me. With the exception that everyone around her will stop thinking she has to be protected." Igraine looked into his milky blue eyes and let go one shaky deep sigh. "I love you, Thorin. No matter what you are, but I can't keep going down this road with you. My heart broke when you died last night. If I'm pregnant I can't let the stress kill our daughter."

Igraine turned away from him and gathered her bag in one hand and pressed a hand to her flat belly, feeling the faintest of flutterings that early life brought. She supposed that with Thorin's bond and all the hysterics of the past few days she might have missed the moment of conception and realization that the women around her knew so well. Could they blame her? Not particularly.

"Think of me what you will, but marriage is not going to be something we can handle right now. I have to get back to Ulster. I know you need to stay here and learn from your mother. My mother can bring you to me when you're ready to come back to the Human World. I'll figure out the Unseelie King myself while you're getting yourself together."

Up until that moment she had forgotten the Unseelie King. Now that she was pregnant she wasn't sure that she shouldn't stay in the Faerie Realm and leave the baby here with her mother. She felt that strange surge of motherly protection almost overwhelm her and she dropped her bag at the door.

She wasn't sure at all what to do about the Unseelie King, especially now that she was going to have Thorin's child.

[Thorin]

Thorin felt the sting of her slap, but it was more confusing with the kiss. She was in absolute denial and there was little he could do. He didn't want to chase her to the ends of the Earth- he wasn't that type of man. His father might have been, but he wasn't a desperate fool.

“My ultimatum is that I release you...I release you and the child of my ties. I will not be apart of their life, or yours...unless we can calmly talk this through.” Thorin explained, knowing the words would hurt her more. “By releasing, I would not allow you to contact my mother and the child would be banished from contacting the Vuri.” Thorin said, looking to her surprisingly calm face. The bag had dropped at the door- it was an unexpected action. “They would be killed on sight.” Was it a harsh punishment? Yes, but being harsh seemed to work with her- it was the only way she responded. Thorin would never order such a demand and he doubted he could harm his child after feeling their life.

“That is my ultimatum. Even though the child cannot help who their parents are, I would not want to be reminded of you if you left me.” He walked toward her bag and took it from her. He held it in his hand, as if daring her to remove it. Thorin knew she lacked the strength to take it by force.

“I think if we can handle a baby, marriage should be the easiest step.” Thorin tried to make their conversation light hearted, but it was difficult when he saw her tear stained face. “Sit...or you will hurt the baby.” His voice was calmer now, going against his threatening words earlier.

Thorin didn't want to think about her leaving and being such an easy target for the Unseelie King. Now the bastard had two targets- her and the baby.

[Igraine]

"She's been through a lot already. If I haven't lost her after last night I don't think I will." Igraine did feel weak though. She watched Thorin sit and she walked to the kitchen and picked up a piece of bread and began eating it, feeling less shaky as she sat down, nibbling on the bread.

"Did you ever consider that, with your ultimatum, that I would come into your territory just for you to kill me?" The sound of her voice was hollow as she contemplated her slice of bread, eating slowly so as to ease the unrest in her stomach. It still felt like a hole had been punched through her chest, but she was resolved to get over it for the child she just recently found growing inside her.

"At least the bond is gone." Igraine spoke, feeling a little restless sitting near the window in the sunshine. She felt too cold, too...lost for it to be sunny outside. Everyone might think her naive, but she knew she shouldn't feel this way, not with Thorin sitting right there. He looked almost the same, but still different. She knew she should feel more overjoyed at the life growing inside her, but she felt indifferent, like someone had reached inside her chest and squeezed the life out of her.

Igraine looked at her shaking hands. She noticed how pale she looked, almost like the old woman with her almost seethrough hands. She forced herself to take another bite of bread, but with the slice barely half eaten she set it aside. She had to get herself together. She didn't realize she was finally allowing herself to go into shock, that she'd let go of her emotions for long enough to allow her body to feel the after effects of everything that had occurred over the past few days.

Love lost, love gained, love lost again, and somehow regained -- though slightly deformed from what it once had been. She had seen copious amounts of blood from a man she loved, she'd been called a naive child for caring, and now she was seated near the man she loved -- back from the dead.

"I give up." Igrane looked up at Thorin, almost looking through him. She was deadly pale and every so often a shiver would go through her whole body. If he touched her she would be ice cold. In a way it was her bodies way of shutting down to recuperate after so much trauma in such a little time. The baby would be fine, but only if she managed to work through the stress. Giving up wasn't something that was a particularly good idea at this point.

Igraine slumped back against the chair she was sitting in and looked outside. She looked like opaque glass sitting there, like a figurine carved to perfection catching the light. There was no doubt that she was part fae, sitting there like a beautiful thing of imagination. Her eyelids slowly moved, open and closed, and her chest rose and fell periodically, but she didn't move otherwise.

"I won't condemn my child to your fate." Igraine startled herself with her own voice. She was resigned to her child's fate at this point. "I won't walk away." She didn't think she could walk anyway. It had been good of Thorin to keep her inside. She might have died on the stairs leading back up to the Castle in Ulster. She was still losing body heat but she felt like she could control it better where she sat in the sunlight, feeling like she was freezing to death even now.

Perhaps she was getting sick. Surely all the stress wouldn't be good for her immune system, especially compromised by something like a growing baby that needed all of her extra strength. She knew that if she died now the baby would die with her and Thorin would be alone and probably ashamed of himself.

That made her smile, but she wouldn't tell Thorin that. She could barely keep her teeth from chattering audibly. She was content to sit there and let her body go through shock. She didn't want his help or anyone elses. She was going to take care of herself and her child from now on. Screw everyone else that thought she couldn't tend to her own business or defend herself.

[Thorin]

Thorin watched and listened to her childish words. Something wasn't right about her and he could see her body shake uncontrollably. Her eyes dilated and appeared almost doll-like with confusion. Igraine was going into shock, but there was little he could do about it.

Getting up from where he sat, he brought a blanket to her and tried to wrap it around her body. It was the only thing he could think of at the moment- she enjoyed dramatics, but it was no longer amusing. He was worried about the baby. Thorin wondered about fetching her mother, but decided it might bring more stress.

He knew she had been under abnormal stress. She had seen her future husband die and be brought back. Igraine had just found out about the pregnancy, but he knew she had more common sense than what she was displaying. Thorin wanted to explain his actions and words, feeling panic rise from her condition. “I had to get you to talk to me.”

In a fluid motion, he placed his hand on hers and felt her temperature drop. Transferring simple energy, he knew he might be able to wake her out of the shock. His energy might be dark, but it would at least alert and warm her senses.

“I will speak with your mother, but you aren't allowed to leave this realm until you've given birth.” Thorin knew she wasn't in a state to argue, having just gotten comfortable in her own skin again. “You don't have to love me, or be with me, but I am meant to protect you. Choose anyone else you want to be with, but I'm still your guardian.” Thorin said, leaving her with her thoughts. He left her to gather her senses and strength- Igraine needed to be alone.

He stood outside, watching the dawn emerge.

[Igraine]

Igraine shifted under the blanket, feeling her mother and Isabella's warm bodies near hers. Her head was on Isabella's shoulder as Kahlan wrapped her arms around her. They soothed her like no one else could.

"Don't be afraid of him, my girl. He just likes to think of you as less than him. It's the one trait that his father passed along that I didn't care for. He has always been in some state of hubris. He likes to think everyone around him is childish and he is the adult. Sometimes I wonder if he isn't still playing childish games himself." Isabella murmured to Igraine and smiled against her forehead.

"She speaks the truth, you know. Vylrath likes to think of me as a child sometimes. I mean, look at what he did when he thought Thorin was going to kill me. Do you think I would have allowed him to kill me?" Kahlan scoffed and then smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead.

"I'm just tired of being treated like an infant around him. I'm not a child and he misunderstands everything about me. Everything I say is thought to be dramatic or childish. He's not ancient. He's only seen one war and he lost. He lost everything and he stands to do so again if he doesn't open his eyes."

"Shush now. Don't get yourself worked up. He was right to come and get us. We've both been through this sort of thing before. I with Vylrath, and your mother with quite a few different men over her centuries of life. I do not envy you that, Kahlan." Isabella smoothed Igraine's hair back from her forehead and willed the girl to relax. When she felt the resistance fade she smiled at Kahlan.

"He's really no different than your father when it comes to attitude. The only difference is that your father loves you very much and would do anything for you. Thorin will understand that some day. It may be too late to fix things, as it was with Vylrath and Isabella -- but they care about each other, even if they don't love each other. It is a caring born through similar situations and necessity. I know it's hard to wrap your head around now, especially since you were going to marry him today, but please don't let him get the best of you. You're stronger than him." Kahlan cuddled close to her daughter and smiled against her shoulder.

"You're stronger than me. Vylrath hit me the day I went into labor with him. The shock and the anger actually caused me to give birth to him a month earlier than we had planned. I loved him dearly as my son, and I still do, despite all of his problems and imagined faults. He's a good man. He is lost right now, but he's a good man and he'll get himself together. Sooner, I hope, rather than later." Isabella laughed and squeezed Igraine's hand. "I suppose I should formally welcome you to our royally screwed up family. You are a daughter of my heart, you always have been. You are loved so greatly by a man that I have grown to respect, even if half the time I want to grind his face into the dirt." Isabella laughed, thinking fondly of Vylrath for the moment. It was not something that happened regularly. "You have given Vylrath a conscience when no one else could. You and your mother must be borne of Angels if you can do that."

Igraine laughed for the first time in what seemed like days. She was content. She was proud to be having a daughter borne of these two incredibly strong women. Little did she know that her daughter would grow to be proud to be borne of a woman like her. Right now that seemed like a long, long way off.

"I suppose I have to talk to him sometime." She said quietly, seeing the back of his head through the window.

"You do. You can't leave bad blood between you. Forgive him for not knowing the difference between faking and you truely being ill. At least he thought to get us. By the way, are you feeling any better, my sweet?" Kahlan looked at her daughter, lifting her chin and checking her. She placed a hand over her belly and smiled.

"This baby is going to be strong. She will be borne of a line of three strong, willful women. I dread the day this baby finds a man. He will be in so much trouble. Just look at her father and grandfather!" Kahlan laughed with Igraine and Isabella.

"I'm fine. I feel much stronger. I promise to get more rest now that I know that I am pregnant."

"What are you going to name her, now that you know you're pregnant AND it's a girl? At least you don't have to wait for the birth like those poor human women do." Isabella smiled and pulled the blanket aside to let Igraine stand.

"I think I'll name her Morgana. It's a strong name for a strong woman." Kahlan and Isabella nodded in agreement. The girl would be more fae than angel this time with the angelic blood diluted. She would be a powerful little girl indeed if taught the proper use of her magicks. That would be for another time entirely, though, considering that she was a long way from being able to learn magick anyway.

Igraine smiled at the two powerful women sitting on her couch and stepped outside and stood next to Thorin. She still wore the ring he had made her. She hadn't bothered to take it off.

"I'm better now. Thank you. They knew what to do." Igraine indicated the women in the house and she reached out and took Thorin's hand, looking at it carefully in the brilliant sunlight. It was greyer than her own, but it didn't surprise her as much as she thought it would. He was warm to the touch, soft, and somewhere in that messed up head of his he still loved her. He had a screwy way of showing it, but he still loved her.

"We will wait for Morgana to be born before we think of marriage. It is only fair to you. You have a lot to learn about being a Vuri and I can't burden you with anything that would come with marriage to me. Our daughter will come first. I can't stay here through the whole pregnancy though. I do have to run a Kingdom. I can't come back from a hiatus to anarchy. I can't let that happen to our daughter. She deserves to have Ulster for her own one day." Igraine squeezed her hand around Thorin's and looked up at him. She reached up and touched his hair, feeling like silk in her hands.

"I'm not leaving you. I don't think I could if I tried. I actually do love you, no matter how much you break my heart. Losing you hurt worse than anything else ever could. Not knowing if you would come back..." Igraine rested her head against his arm and sighed. "Not knowing was the hardest part. We have to stop fighting so that Morgana can have a chance at life. She was made in love and she needs to be born into it as well. You can call me a child for thinking such things, but I believe we can make it." She squeezed his hand one more time.

"I'm not saying we never get married. I'm just saying we wait to make sure it's the best thing for us and for our daughter."