by Eric Vall
They were also just so fucking sexy when they were fighting.
“You girls were so incredible,” Elowise gushed as she hiked. “Balabar and I were ready to help you out, but you didn’t need a thing.”
“Don’t forget Wilfrim,” Nicola reminded the old woman. “Your husband was pretty great, too.”
“I did kill a goblin,” the ancient gnomish man said with the hint of a proud smile on his face, but then his lips pinched downward into a frown. “Someone had to save me, though, so it wasn’t all glory from my side.”
“I’m just happy you’re alive, dear,” Elowise said as she squeezed her husband’s hand. “That’s the most important thing. And you looked handsome out there with your weapon.”
The two old gnomes exchanged a playful, personal glance, and I was unfortunately reminded of their sex life again.
When the group got back to the living quarters, Nissa jumped up with a mix of terror and relief in her eyes.
“What happened?” the blonde gnome gasped as she clasped Roza tightly against her chest. “Oh, Father, you’re covered in blood. I was so scared!”
“He’s okay,” a ghostly-white-faced Balabar told his wife, and I realized this was the first I’d heard from the younger gnome man in a while. “Everything turned out fine. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” Nicola scoffed. “We just spilled blood back there, Balabar, and partially for your sakes.”
“Don’t be harsh, sister,” Penelope said as she put a gentle cerulean hand on the brunette’s arm. “We have promised to protect our beloved friends, the gnomes, and that is what we shall do. Whether or not their gratitude is expressed.”
“Well, I suppose I do owe you my thanks,” Balabar said in a gruff voice as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Once again, if we won that battle under Jack’s direction, I have to praise your lord as well. He seems to be a decent leader who has now brought us to victory more than once.”
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re finally seeing his true, holy worth,” the naiad said with shining eyes. “Perhaps you would like to pray--”
“Don’t push it, Penelope,” I warned her. “He’ll come around in his own time.”
“Yes, my lord,” the blue woman said as she flashed a pretty smile at Balabar and the rest of the gnomes. “Well, should we try to have a more normal day now? That was… disruptive, but I always find working hard helps clear my mind.”
“Of course,” Wilfrim said. “Just as you swore to protect us, we have sworn to help you build.”
“I know what would make you happy, Penelope,” Nissa said with a sly smile, and she gestured at the baby on her chest. “I’ve been holding this little girl for a while now, and I might need some help.”
“Oh, my, I would love to,” the blue woman gasped as she clasped her hands under her chin. “I’m supposed to be digging today, but…”
“You can hold the baby,” I chuckled. “I know how much you want to.”
“Nissa, I would love to hold her,” Penelope confirmed before she looked down with a shy expression. “If you truly need help, that is.”
“With four little ones, I always need assistance,” the blonde gnome laughed. “The other three have been playing ball, so you could do that, too.”
“Oh, that sounds fun!” the blue woman chirped as she gazed at Morrick, Lorifer, and Olwin, who were standing in a circle tossing a leather ball around. “I love children…”
“But you’re really drawn to babies,” Elowise cut in with an eyebrow sharply raised, and I wondered if she suspected something.
“I do love babies,” Penelope admitted. “Oh, Elowise, there’s something… never mind. Let’s talk about what we need to do today.”
“First, we’re digging a ditch where this line is cut into the grass, and then we’re going to build the wall there,” Nicola cut in to explain.
“It’s going to surround a large area,” Wilfrim observed as he looked around at the outline of the wall and waved his shovel in the air. “It will be good for protection if those goblins ever come around again.”
“Yes, that’s the plan,” the brunette agreed. “And I have to say again that we are so grateful for your help today.”
“I hope this wall serves us well someday, too,” the old gnome said in a hearty voice.
“So, here are the steps,” Aleia began. “First, dig the trench. Second, fill it with half a foot of sand. Third, build the wall using limestone from the quarry. I’ll be flying over to get the rocks--”
“You can carry limestone all the way from the quarry?” Balabar asked, and the gnomish man actually looked slightly impressed.
“Of course.” The fairy shrugged. “Any fairy could. There’s already a pile of limestone over there that I collected yesterday. Someone could also start making cement in the kiln, because we’re going to need a lot.”
“What is that?” Morrick asked with wide eyes as the young boy pointed at the modern ladder, which was a sturdy, aluminum A-frame that I’d requested as a tool when the women were building the roof. I could definitely understand why the shiny silver item had caught the small gnome’s eye. “It looks like something from-- something from--”
“I don’t have the words to describe it either, Grandson,” Elowise laughed. “If I hadn’t seen the… torch… before, I wouldn’t believe it. I assume it’s another gift from Jack?”
“Oh, yes, it was,” Penelope gushed. “Isn’t it wonderful? It would take many hours of work to construct something equivalent, and even then the wood wouldn’t be as durable as the metal.”
“It is nice,” the old gnomish woman said with a nod. “So, as you can see, we brought our shovels, because we thought we might be digging, and chisels for the stonework, and some more fruit from our garden, because we just have so much…”
“We can’t even eat what you gave us!” the naiad laughed. “Your crops are so bountiful. I haven’t planted my garden yet, Elowise, but perhaps you could help me today.”
“Why don’t the two of you spend time in the garden firing the limestone and gardening?” I suggested. “You might even get to hold Roza the whole time, if you’re lucky.”
“That sounds like a good idea, Jack,” Penelope responded with a nod. “I’ll ask Elowise and Nissa.”
“Ask us what, dear?” The old woman flicked her long, gray braid over her shoulder and cocked her head at the naiad.
“Do you want to go to the garden with me?” the blue woman asked the two gnomes. “We could work on the mortar, and you could help me with my garden.”
“Of course, sweetheart,” Elowise agreed. “That sounds nice.”
“Yes, rest your backs,” Wilfrim said with a nod. “I didn’t really want you digging after that battle anyway, Elowise.”
“I’m fine, Wilfrim,” the gnome woman said in a dry voice. “But I would like to spend time with Penelope, as well, so I will garden. Penelope, please lead the way.”
Penelope, Elowise, and Nissa, along with Roza, walked the short distance up the hill to the garden, and Wilfrim turned back to Nicola.
“And Nicola!” the gnome man boomed. “Thank you again for your service in battle.”
“You’re welcome, Wilfrim,” the dark-haired woman responded. “And how are you feeling after the whole ordeal?”
“I’m good, sweetheart,” the old man sighed. “You’re looking lovely today, by the way.”
“Are you going to leave me for him?” I laughed in Nicola’s head.
“Well, he’s pretty small,” the dark-haired woman whisper-snorted. “He probably doesn’t have a very big--”
“What’s so funny?” Balabar asked in a suspicious voice. “Were you speaking to your god again?”
“Yes, I was,” Nicola sighed. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Of course not,” the younger gnome man sniffed. “I respect your god greatly.”
Huh. Hearing him say that almost made me feel sorry I’d called him a douche.
Alm
ost.
“We all do,” Wilfrim chimed in. “We’re always interested in learning more about Jack. But for the time being, let’s start digging.”
“First, though, I wanted to let you know we marked out the spaces for the doors,” Nicola explained. “You’ll see one down the hill, closer to the stream, and one up by the road. We’ll all need to take those into account while we’re building.”
“Do you have the metalwork for the gates?” the old gnome asked. “If not, you may be in luck. I told you we used to have a home, many years ago? We have saved much of the hardware from that time. You might have noticed all of that in our storage tent, I’m sure.”
I could tell by the stunned look on Nicola’s face that she was thinking the same as me. There were so many goods in that tent, I doubted either of us would ever have noticed something so simple as hardware supplies.
“That would be wonderful,” the brunette quickly recovered, and she grinned at Wilfrim’s generous offers. “And we even have a godly hammer and nails that we can use to complete the work.”
“That sounds perfect.” Wilfrim nodded, and then he, Balabar, and Nicola grabbed their shovels, and they all started to work on the trench the brunette had begun with Penelope the day before. The gnomes were hard workers, and they were also surprisingly fast despite their height.
“I’m going to go to the quarry now,” Aleia informed the group, and when she started to fly upward, I knew I would never think of her purple, glimmering wings the same way again after last night. They sparkled almost white in the morning sunlight, and I’d never seen the fairy look so beautiful.
My strange little team continued to work on the trench for a while as Aleia flew back and forth from the quarry, and we were beginning to develop a good-sized ditch as well as a nice stockpile of limestone. Aleia was moving even faster than usual due to her sex boost, and that was helping the rocks pile up more quickly.
I was impressed with the way Nicola could direct Wilfrim and Balabar with ease, and the two gnomes seemed to be deferring to the brunette. The three of them were working on the westernmost wall that would run along the far side of the kitchen, and they’d already managed to dig several feet.
“Jack,” Penelope suddenly hissed. “Are you paying attention to me?”
“Of course,” I said. “I’m watching over everything, including the garden.”
“Oh,” the naiad said as she rocked a sleeping Roza in her arms. “I was going to tell Elowise about the baby, and I wanted your help.”
“Sure,” I responded. “What can I do?”
“I don’t know,” Penelope sighed. “Just tell me if I say the wrong thing.”
“I doubt you will, but I’ll let you know,” I assured the blue woman.
Penelope kept a careful grip on the baby, but it was obvious the naiad was tired from her drooping eyes and the slight frown on her face. Her glow had temporarily faded, so I hoped the blue woman was feeling alright.
“Penelope?” Elowise asked in an alarmed voice as she looked over at the naiad. “Are you okay? Here, have some water from your canteen.”
The old woman rushed over to Penelope with the water, and the naiad took a long drink before she wiped off her mouth and sighed. Nissa walked over to stand next to her mother-in-law, and they both frowned with concern at the blue woman for a moment.
“Elowise, Nissa, I have something to tell you,” the naiad told the two gnomes. “I hope you don’t find it too shocking.”
“Tell us, sweetheart,” Elowise responded as she leaned in closer to the pale blue woman. “Why aren’t you feeling well? Are you sick?”
“No… well, a little upset in my stomach, I suppose, but I… I’m having a baby!” Penelope announced with a grin on her face, which quickly faded at the gnomes’ apprehensive expressions. “What is it?”
“It’s just… how do I say this kindly?” Nissa began, and I wondered what was coming. “There aren’t really any… men… out here? So, are you actually sure that’s what you’re experiencing? I have to say, you don’t look very different.”
The blonde gnome gestured to the naiad’s flat belly, and the blue woman shrugged.
“It hasn’t been very long, but I don’t think you understand.” Penelope put her palms together in a prayer position. “Our lord, Jack, has blessed me with a child. A daughter, in fact, just like Roza.”
Chapter 12
“Okay…” Elowise responded with a dubious expression. “Honey, even if you are pregnant, are you sure it’s Jack’s? You know how babies are made, right?”
“Of course!” the naiad insisted. “When Jack comes down in person, he can grant us a baby. It was my greatest desire.”
“A god baby…” Nissa mused. “The idea is interesting.”
“So, you’re a believer?” Penelope asked as she gazed intently at the blonde gnome. “You actually believe I’m pregnant?”
“Only time will tell about your pregnancy,” Nissa mused. “Do you know when the baby will be born?”
“I don’t.” Penelope shook her head sadly. “I don’t know any naiads to ask, since I don’t really know where I came from.”
“Aw, Penelope,” Elowise cooed as she squeezed the naiad’s hand. “That must be hard. I only know about gnomes myself, but I have served as a midwife on several occasions. I will be there for you when the time comes, so please, don’t worry.”
“Oh, Elowise, that’s such a relief,” Penelope sighed. “I suppose I will know when the baby is coming. At least, I assume my belly will get big first.”
“Yes, probably, dear,” the old gnome woman said as she nodded her head. “I’m sorry you’re so sick already, though. It seems like Jack didn’t come down here too long ago. Perhaps that is the mysterious way of the naiad.”
“I wish it weren’t,” Penelope gulped. “I feel tired much of the time, and I hate that. I love to work, and I want my body to cooperate.”
“You need to rest when you need it, though,” Elowise informed the blue woman. “It’s important to stay healthy. I know the others are building that wall, but perhaps you shouldn’t do that right now.”
“No, Elowise.” The naiad shook her head firmly. “I can do everything my sisters do. I’m not going to abandon them just because I have a baby growing in my belly.”
“That is admirable, my dear,” the old gnome said in a kind voice. “I always wanted to work through my pregnancies, as well. We don’t want to lie around, do we?”
“No!” Penelope replied with a grin on her deep red lips. “Definitely not. So, speaking of work, I’d love to garden now, if you’d like to help me.”
“I’d love to,” Elowise responded, and she patted the naiad on the arm. “I’m going to help you get through this, Penelope, so please don’t worry.”
“Thank you,” the blue woman said, and gratitude shone in her cerulean eyes. “You are so wise, and I truly appreciate it.”
“This is the one subject your god probably doesn’t know about,” the old gnome chuckled. “Womanly things.”
“I think he prefers to leave feminine matters to me and my sisters,” Penelope admitted. “But he’s going to learn a lot!”
“He certainly is,” Elowise laughed. “So, where did you want to start the garden?”
“I’d like to plant it in this corner over here, right next to the wall,” the naiad said as she gestured to a spot. “It will get some sun in the morning and more shade in the afternoon. I hope it will work for the carrots and the green beans.”
“I think that looks perfect,” Nissa chimed in. “I hope you don’t mind my helping a little, too. I love to work in the gardens back at our camp.”
“Of course, Nissa,” Penelope responded. “I would love any help you can offer me.”
“Oh, I almost forgot, sweetheart,” Elowise said as she reached into her pocket. “I brought you some cucumber and broccoli seeds, as well. You’ll have a nice fall harvest.”
“Thank you, Elowise, Nissa,” Penelope said, and she glanc
ed between the two gnome women with a big smile on her face. “You’re always so good to us. My sisters will thank you, too.”
“Do you have a hoe?” the old gnomish woman asked. “What kind of garden tools do you have?”
“Only a shovel,” Penelope said with a slight frown. “I know it’s not the best of circumstances.”
“Perhaps my shovel would be better for planting since it’s smaller,” Elowise suggested. “We can even use it to break up the dirt. It will be fine!”
“Oh, we also should put some limestone in the kiln and light the fire,” Penelope said. “We will have to make mortar tomorrow, and we’re going to need cement.”
“I can also set that up,” Nissa volunteered as she took Roza back from Penelope and strapped the baby into a sling on her chest . “I always made pottery back when we had a kiln.”
“That would be amazing, Nissa,” Penelope gushed. “You’re so helpful!”
“You’re fine now, right, Penelope?” I asked the naiad, who nodded. “I’m going to go talk to Aleia and Nicola, then. I’m glad you told Elowise. It seems like she’s going to be a big help.”
“Yes, my lord.” Penelope smiled and nodded again, and I focused my attention on Aleia, who was soaring through the air with a huge pile of stones in her arms.
“Hey, Aleia,” I said to the fairy, who was whistling as she flew. “You seem like you’re in a good mood.”
“I wonder why,” the strawberry-blonde said in a mischievous voice. “I think you know what’s going on, Jack.”
“I suppose I do,” I chuckled. I couldn’t directly tell her about her numbers, of course, but there was no doubt dream sex had done her a world of good. “It looks like you’re carrying those easily.”
“I’ve never felt so strong,” Aleia marveled. “Jack, be honest. Is it because of you?”
“Possibly,” I admitted. “I do think spending time with me can make you stronger.”
“Well, I feel incredible,” the fairy giggled. “My wings have never felt better.”
“I’m glad,” I laughed. “I hope I helped a little.”