“I’ve got to be thankin’ yew that much fer comin’ to see us Hepsie, we’ve been that worried over this I’ve been barely sleepin’”, Darina’s voice grated like the spinning wheel clicking rapidly between her legs.

Engin was well and truly sick of the creaking sound that damned contraption made. Lord knows Darina was at day and night, the wheel endlessly turning, her nimble fingers pulling the thread through with an soft, dusty dragging sound that made the hairs on the back of Engin’s neck stand on end. He was actually glad to get outside collecting the meager harvest they managed to get planted before it turned cold last year. Anything to get away from that confounded noise.

“Oh Darina! It’s bein’ no trouble at all. To tell yew the honest truth I’m just glad to get a bit of walk outside, I’ve been feelin’ that cooped up and Juzzy is watching Thaell for a few hours”.

Hepsie was glowing, her smile as genuine as it had ever been but perhaps a touch more radiant. Motherhood definitely suited her. Engin remembered the weeks after Aisling was born, Darina pale and wan, snapping at him from between thin lips. When she had finally let him bed her again, the skin on her belly had been stretched and flaccid, her breasts leaking milk.

He could see that Hepsie’s belly was still swollen but he thought the gentle rolls would be firm if one ran their hand along them. He could always ask Steen but he didn’t think the lad would be impressed. There were some men you could discuss these things with and some you simply couldn’t. Hepsie certainly had more energy than Darina had, had for months after. Though, Darina had eventually gotten it back. Unfortunately most of it was expended making dresses for the ladies and not nearly enough on being a good wife to him.

“Well then dearie… let me just be takin’ a little look at those ears of yers then”, Hepsie crooned reaching her hands out towards the small girl.

Aisling whined and clung to Engin’s arm, pushing herself away from Hepsie’s searching hands.

“Come on then love… it won’t be hurtin’. Hepsie just wants to be takin’ a little look”, Engin tried to pry Aisling from his arms but to no avail. She squealed and clung still tighter.

“Aisling love! Yer alright… she won’t hurt yew!”, Engin chuckled.

But Aisling was not deterred and she clung to him tightly with tiny bunched up fists and then, with a tearful sniff, buried her damp face in the crook of his neck.

He wrapped his arms protectively around her, stroking the soft hair on her head with his big, calloused hands. He had never felt anything like the downy hair that grew in patches, blonde as his own, on the crown of her head. She loved to be held like this, safe against his chest she would rub her nose sleepily against his stubbled cheek. Then he would kiss her, all over her face and neck, the warm scent of her baby skin in his nose. She was beautiful. His little girl. His Aisling.

And she loved him like no one ever had. He knew that Darina had some sort of love for him, in her own shrewish way but it was not like the soft innocent love of Aisling with her patting hands and her occasional careful smiles. She always clung to him when he had to leave, big tears rolling silently down her trembling cheeks.

“Sorry Hepsie… she’s bein a shy little thing she is”, he laughed as Aisling buried her face deeper beneath his hair. Her warm breath was tickling his neck, her hand tugging gently at his beard.

“Oh… it’s bein’ no problem Engin. I wonder whether Thaell is shy. I guess he’s still at the lyin’ about and lookin’ at nothin’ in particular stage. Though I tell yew, he’s certainly not shy about askin’ fer milk that’s fer sure”, Hepsie replied with a warm smile.

“Stop, foolin’ around Engin and let Hepsie be seein’ those ears”, Darina snapped from behind him.

“Alright love, hold yer horses”, he replied, prying Aisling’s hands from his neck and beard and holding her out so she faced him.

“Come on now Aisling, love. Hepsie just wants to be takin’ a little look an’ then yew can go back to yer hidin’. How does that sound? Will yew be good fer yer old Da?”, he asked with a gentle laugh.

Aisling replied with one her rare smiles. It had only been recently that she had learned, one day as he gazed down at her in her crib with what was possibly the most goofy grin a man had ever had the occasion to smile. She had blinked up at him and then smiled shyly. It was god’s own grace that she hadn’t copied his stupid smile, he wasn’t sure she would impress the boy’s much with that one. His heart gave a jealous ache at the though of boy’s and men in his little daughter’s future. He would worry about that later. For now he would be the only man she loved and that was the way he wanted it to stay.

“Well Darina, yew weren’t wrong. They are bein’ rather pointy aren’t they”, Hesie said, examing the tips of Aisling’s ears as she squirmed in her father’s arms.

“I haven’t been seein’ that before but Lord know I haven’ got as much experience yet as me old ma. But I shouldn’t think it’s anythin’ to be worryin’ yerself about. They’ll probably be growin’ rounder as she gets older. She’s bein’ perfectly healthy an’ normal”.

“Perhaps those old rumours about there bein’ fae blood in yer family are bein true after all Darina”, Engin teased with a wide grin at Hepsie.

“Don’t yew ever be sayin’ that Engin damn yew!”, Darina snarled the wheel grinding to a halt with a squeal of protest.

Engin turned in suprise,shocked by the ferocity of her tone.

“Yew don’t know what they been doin’ to my cousin Mable. She was bein’ born with ears like those”, Darina sighed heavily, her face pale through the haze of tiny dust particles that spun slowly in the filtered rays of summer light.

Her shoulders drooped as she continued, “But I seen what they done. She was bein’ the shame of the family. Them scars never did heal properly”.

His baby’s beautiful ears! He hadn’t thought anyone could be cruel to her because of them. He hugged her warm, heavy body closer to his chest, “But her ears are bein’ beautiful Darina… just beautiful like all the rest of her. An’ we ain’t ashamed… well at least I sure as hell ain’t. There the best damn ears I’ve ever seen that’s fer sure.

“People wouldn’ be hurtin’ her would they?”, he choked, the last sentence catching in his throat which was rapidly closing. He swallowed loudly.

“Don’t yew be swearin’ Engin. An’ don’t yew have anythin’ better to do than be standin’ around here. Get yerself outside an’ see to those crops!”, Darina’s voice was hard but Engin thought he detected something wavering beneath and it was this that made him answer kindly.

“Alright love, I’m a goin’. I know when I’m not bein’ wanted. ‘Cept perraps by yew little one… yer goin’ to have to be lettin’ go now”.

Aisling whined, desperately trying to cling to his tunic as he set her down on the floor.

“Yew shuffle over an’ give yer old ma a cuddle then. She be sore needin’ one”, he winked at Darina who scowled back at him.

“Now don’t yew too be worryin’ yerselves”, Hepsie said with a reassuring smile, “It’s a good bunch of folk we got ourselves stuck with on this here island an’ no one would hurt her that’s bein’ fer sure. yew really needn’t be worryin’”.

“Thanks fer droppin’ by Hepsie. It’s was bein’ awful kind of yew, ’specially with yer little ‘un waitin’ at home. I know how difficult it’s bein’ to leave ‘em behind”, he grinned down at Aisling who was sitting dejectedly on the packed clay floor, her lower lip trembling.

“Oh no Engin, it’s really bein’ no trouble at all”, Hepsie replied, ” I should probably be headin’ off though”.

“Oh Hepsie no!”, Darina interrupted, “Yew must be sittin’ down fer a cold drink while be tellin’ yew who the Baroness comissioned me to work on a dress fer. Yew’ll never be guessin. It think it’s bein’ a terrible idea myself but yew know these noble folk…”

“Alright then, but just for a little while”, Hepsie replied, lowering herself into a chair as Darina began to prattle.

Engin could hear them gossiping as he strode through the door into the hot summer sun.

Cade, Rawtharn