How Faerinn's Parents met

In the dead of night a woman walks down the cobblestone path, the candles flickering in the lanterns. Clouds cover the sky as it begins to sprinkle rain, she sticks to the shadows, clad in an evening gown she rips away at revealing more peasant clothes and a cloak of rich green. She scowls at it baring her teeth angrily as she stomps on it trekking the mud from her boots over its red silk. As the heavens begin to open pouring rain on her, her braid of silver gray unfolds showing her curled hair. She holds her stomach and sits hidden in a hidden part of a shop, clad with bits of furniture, hay, and barrels. With a slow roll and thud as she settles herself down, she looks at her stomach feeling a kick. A small sigh escapes her as she places a hand to where the kick was. “It’s just you and me then huh little one?” She offers a smile and reclines watching the rain.

A door squeaks open disturbing her rest as she backs away reaching to her side gripping her rapier with white knuckles, stilling her breathing she watches as a man with a dark tan and brown hair cropped short and shaven holds out a lantern, ducking his head down with shoulders as the building is too short. “Hello? Is there anyone there? We’re sort of closed right now-” he walks around trying to look before he comes face to face with a rapier. He pauses, staring down at an elven woman, pale with pale hair and dark eyes, obviously pregnant. His eyes widen “Hey lady I don’t mean you any harm-” “Silence you insert elvish for bastard here. I just want to stay here for a few moments I’ve been on my feet all night and you’ll allow me to do s, won’t you?” Her arm shakes but she holds firm. “Woah woah hey” the man holds up his arms in defeat and surrender.
 
“I don’t mean you any harm! I just.. If you’ve been on your feet here allow me to help!” As he lifts up the woman gently and carries her inside. She hisses beating on him with weak arms clawing her nails and teeth into his form “PUT ME DOWN YOU SAVAGE! I’m-”
“Hey hey It’s alright I’m not going to hurt you! It’s cold outside and if you’ve been on your feet you’re probably in pain, with as far along as you are.. It can’t be good for you or the baby- when was the last time you’ve eaten!?” He sets her down gently on a chair as she flinches and tries to move from him, the man stands crashing his shoulders into the roof with a grunt “We’ll have to be quiet, my master of the craft is sleeping, but I’m not one to turn away a woman in any pain, what do you eat?” The woman gawked at him a moment as she crossed her arms baring her teeth to the man about to tell him off but she looks down at her stomach and holds it in some pain. “A warm soup would do me wonders I suppose.. But don’t think this gets you any special favor..”
“No ma’am of course not!” He puts his hands up crashing them into the roof again with a wince. “You klutz.. Give me your hands” she demands and he holds them out, sitting on the floor with his legs criss crossed. She pulls out bandages and wraps his hands now bleeding and scraped from the wood. “Sorry about this ma’am.. I’m still not used to things built for smaller creatures, no offense..” She smiles a slight smile “No offense taken.. Mr?” She raises her eyes in confusion.
 
 
“Koragun! Koragun Daylogger Vemothea ma’am, logger and furniture crafter by trade day and night!” He smiles widely and happily. She half chuckles and half scoffs. “Asphodelia O’Delia-Xavire.. Protector of forest by day and night.. Hunter by trade.. Unfortunate prisoner of the lord by accident..” Her smile fades as she sighs. Koragun looks up confused “Is that why you’ve been running? I’ve heard a little about that man and not much of it has been good..”
She laughs with this hatred in her face, “When you treat a woman like a piece of meat and property you earn yourself the deepest circle of hell.. Especially after what I’ve been through..” She reclines with a sigh, her features thinned and almost starved. Koragun looks her over, “So I take it you probably need a doctor as well.. Lucky for you I know some backwoods medicine from the mountains!”
 
As the night goes on the soup cooks and Koragun tends to her wounds, helping her to eat and making sure she has a safe spot to rest and hide in a bed rather than a hay covered stone floor. The next day Koragun thanks his craftsmen and says he wants to sell his wares in another city, to be pleasant with the old woodworker and his wife, maybe even set up trade, he’s sad to see them go but he has to continue on with his trade and make his own living. The old couple look to Asphodelia curiously but not saying much, they’d learn from Koragun she was a refugee needing some help to get on her feet again, still oddly thin. They wished them both well and off they went.
 
A few weeks later the two had built a fine cabin for themselves wide and two stories tall, with a shop for Koragun to build his wears, in which he was already busy building a crib and many wooden toys for the child. Asphodelia had taken no orders and was up helping despite needing to stay and rest. She reclined against a tree holding her stomach a moment, the two had gotten to know each other rather well, Koragun spending the nights entertaining Asphodelia and her unborn child with stories of his home town, the city and his furniture, whittling, playing a flute, recipe sharing, and making sure she was as comfortable as possible. It made her think of an old love she had a long time ago back in her party before they fell. She sighs happily thinking of the fond memories, for she had told him her story as well, how they were trying to fell a lord at the request of a wealthy noble but how it had failed, ending up with her being prisoner and a favorite of the man for a while, her almost under a spell before breaking it when she was sent to the dungeons, how her and her friend still alive, a woman of half wood elf and half another race she couldn't recognize, both fled one night splitting and vowing to meet again when they were safe. As much as Asphodelia didn’t like to admit it, she’d fallen a bit for the Goliath, who had a habit of carrying her around and tending to her every waking moment when he wasn’t working.
 
He could hold his own, hunt for himself, forage well.. She thought he’d be a good father figure for her baby in place of the man that truly was his father, as she wouldn’t allow herself to fall for him entirely just yet this early and if Asphodelia had any will left she wouldn’t allow that man to come for her child, she wouldn’t let him know far until adulthood. Koragaun walked over holding a crib under his arm, made of rich pine wood, “How’s this Asphie?” A nickname he’d given to her fondly, Asphodelia’s cheeks went pink a moment as she tried to cover her face with a cough into her elbow. “It looks lovely Koragon, I’m sure he’ll love it.” Koragun smiles widely, “Are we sure this baby is going to be a boy? You keep talking like it is” he pushes his face to her stomach as she smacks the back of his head harshly “One way or another I have a feeling.. Call it a hunch from someone in tune with the forest and nature..” She looks at Koragun who rubs his head in pain as she left quite a red mark from the smack. “Ok Ok I trust you Asphie but you don’t have to smack my head around like a watermelon”
 
She smiles down at him “I think he’ll take a liking to you Koragun, I think he’ll think you’ll be a great father..” Koragun stares at her for a moment before scooping her up as fast as he can making her dizzy “Hey put me down-” she begins, “YOU HEAR THAT FOREST!” Koragun roars out shaking the birds from the trees “I’M GONNA BE RAISING A MINI ME! I’M GONNA BE A FATHER!” Asphodelia sighs as she looks at Koragun with a bit of admiration in her eyes “You’re such an oaf sometimes Korie..”