Hello dear Terrans. I hope the conditions on your world continue to improve despite the best efforts of politicians. I haven't been over much recently. Exploring the realm over here takes much longer than I originally thought. It's huge! Miagi did good. Anyway, there is news since I wrote last, and this story won't leave me alone. So, naturally, I am foisting it upon you as well.
It's not about a dragon that I may or may not have accidentally trapped underground. It's not about culture clash between elves and dwarves. It's something more down to earth. I met a man who was expecting a baby. None of that terran nonsense, no. A real biological man, so I suppose his woman does most of the “expecting”. Anyway we met, talked, and I extended my best wishes, but when I made to go, he asked me for parental advice! I wasn't sure what to say. Nothing came to mind until after the fact (of course!). So, I thought I’d share a few of them suggestions with you all for practice.
The first thing to come to mind was the importance of a good woman. Growing up, the ol' man was gone, maybe dead, since before I can remember. For many years, the family lived deep in a labyrinthine cavern. (It had once been a refuge from the seafolk that raided the area and abducted people.) We were there so long that my earliest memory of open daylight is as a young man. I mention all that to say that we would not have survived without her fortitude.
A good strong mother is important. So, I'd ask myself: “Can the woman can be happy with less, or is she was the type of wench to put comforts before kids?” And: “Should I get slain or abducted by pirates, would the little ones go without? Would they have to endure a mother soured at her lesser situation, or would she show grace under fire and be their heroine?” Wenches ruin everything, their own houses, their man's work, and they rob their boys of an example of qualities to look for when they grow up. No wenches. Heroines.
Hey, I’m sorry. I just going I know, but I have to wrap this up! Gryph and I flew further than planned, and it is cold cold cold. I have to tend to that fire, so let me just add that probably most men have already chosen their mate, so what can be done in their case? Well, that's why I like how, often, terrans will use the same the word for married man that they do for vineyard man: husband. A man can’t make his mate grow in womanhood anymore than he can force the grapes to grow in grapehood, but in both cases, he isn’t exactly helpless either. Also, when there's truly nothing to do but pray, that seems to work sometimes too.
I hate to cut it off there, but it's cold. Got to go. More later perhaps.
-Pen
58 Ar 7381