#shraley

Shraley’s head jerked toward the hallway as she spied her ten-year-old son sneaking in the front doorway.“What do you have there, Falran?” she asked.Falran froze at her tone.  "Nothing,“ he said, trying to slink into his room."Falran.”The boy sighed and reluctantly revealed the contents of his hands.  A very muddy, but very smug Briggs took up the space on his palms.  The whites of the Liraiphe’s teeth shone brilliantly through the grime all over his face as he gave Shraley the biggest grin he could muster.Shraley slapped a hand to her forehead.  "Go wash up, you little troublemaker.“~"Okay, ready Falran?"I don’t think this is a good idea,” said Falran, holding two sticks to the ground in the shape of a V.Briggs had found an elastic material buried somewhere in the house.  Of course he had to test it somehow.  Currently he was sitting in the crook of the long, stringy material, either end attached to the sticks Falran was securing.“Oh don’t be such a wimp.  Now watch this!”  He pulled back on the elastic, keeping his feet rooted in the ground, before leaping in the air and allowing the string to fling him past the sticks.  He tucked his wings close to his body, sailing at faster speeds than he had ever flown in all his fourteen years.His elation was short lived, however, as he realized he was plummeting straight toward a tree.  No wait…a hand.  He calmed down right before bowling directly into Falran’s outstretched palm.“Briggs, are you okay?” Falran’s voice shook the air around him.Briggs laughed.  "Let’s do that again!“~Gilrod searched in frustration.  He never misplaced his hunting knife.  It was such a vital tool for the family’s survival, and he had no way of making another.He grumbled to himself for a good ten minutes before hearing a snicker from beneath a chair in the living room.  He held still, closed his eyes, took a handful of deep breaths, and counted to ten.  When he finished, he turned to the source of the noise."Briggs?  You wouldn’t happen to know where my knife is, would you?” he said in a voice that demanded a truthful response.“Oh I think I saw it somewhere in the kitchen,” came back a small, but mischievous voice.  "Or was it the garden?  I can’t keep all these places straight.“In one swift movement, Gilrod pushed away the chair and glared at the tiny figure revealed beneath it.  Briggs’s beaming face stared up at the man, but Gilrod had eyes only for the knife the Liraiphe’s little body could never conceal.  He reached down and wrapped his fingers around the hilt."I’ll take that,” he said, dislodging the fifteen-year-old’s perch.  "I would appreciate it if you leave my knife alone, son.“Chuckling, Briggs gave Gilrod an enthusiastic thumbs up before taking to the air and zooming out of the room.

~

Prompt: Spirit

“Bring that over here, please, Falran,” Shraley told her five-year-old son.  The boy obeyed, dragging his little bag of clothes her way.  Shraley gave him the brightest smile she could manage and took the bag from him.  She placed it in the cart along with what few things they were able to take from their home.Much to her chagrin, tears once again welled in her eyes, as they had been doing ever since the tax collector informed them of the eviction from their home.  Gilrod had built the house with his bare hands.  It was the proof to Shraley’s parents that he was able to take care of a family.  It was his proposal of marriage to the young teenaged girl.They lived in that house for around six years.  It was all their son knew.  They had planned to raise him completely in that house, and had hoped he would someday raise his own family there.As Shraley paused in her packing to reminisce, Gilrod came up behind her and planted a kiss on her jaw.  Her sentimental reverie ended, replaced by a new pleasure.  It was just a place to live.  Her real home was the man currently enveloping her in his arms along with the offspring their love produced.“We’ll be just fine, won’t we?” she breathed as she melted into her husband’s embrace.“Of course we will, love,” he responded.  "Arlan will provide, like He always has.“The woman turned around to face him.  She pressed her lips against his.  "He has, hasn’t He?” she agreed, not happily, but contentedly and joyfully.

~

Prompt: Ending

"That's it, sweetie, kick your legs.  You got it, see?"

"Mommy, don't let go!""Mommy's right here."Shraley had a firm, but gentle grip on Falran's arm, keeping the five-year-old above the water.  Though, unbeknownst to the boy, it was mostly his doing.  She snickered at the mild look of concern on his face, but kept her hand on him."Sweetie, I'm going to let go now, but my hand will be right there if you need it, okay?"Falran whimpered, but nodded, keeping his chubby legs going.  Ever so slowly, Shraley uncurled her fingers from Falran's arm.  Immediately, Falran's legs started kicking more fervently."Falran, you're doing it!" she praised with a smile.  "Look at you!  Gilrod, look at what your son can do!"Gilrod looked up from where he sat on the bank of the river, fiddling with a trap.  His eyes lingered fondly on his wife, but soon shifted to where the five-year-old splashed sloppily in the water."Well, done, son!" he called.  He set down the trap and crawled to the river's edge.  "Can you swim to Daddy?"Gilrod held out his hands to his son, giving him a beaming smile.  Falran tried to twist himself to face his father, and succeeded with minimal help from Shraley.  He grinned, then sputtered when a splash of water entered his mouth.  The concerned look crossed his face again, but he set his little jaw in determination and began to paddle his arms with all his strength.He completely ignored Shraley when she let him leave the safety net of her reach.  Gilrod kept his eyes on Falran, not wanting to spook the boy into finding out his mother was no longer right beside him."Good job, Falran," he said.  "You're almost there!"Falran struggled, fatigue reaching his arms.  He gave a tiny whimper.  "Mommy, I can't do it."When she did not answer, he twisted his head around and noticed she was a ways off.  Immediately his arms faltered.  Water swooped up over his head as his little body began to sink."Mommy!" he cried before going under.  He flailed about in the water, unsure of which way was up.  He kept his mouth clenched shut, refusing to let any water in to seal his fate.After what seemed to the five-year-old child like an eternity, he felt a pair of strong hands grip around his waist.  He flew upward into the safe arms of his father, who held him close.  Falran snuggled into the man's now soaking chest, wrapping his little arms around Gilrod's thick neck.Gilrod let out a tender chuckle, knowing the boy was perfectly safe the entire time.  Shraley soon joined them, giving Falran a kiss on his cheek."Look how far you swam dear, and all on your own!" she praised.  Falran glanced at her, at where the two of them had been practicing, then finally at where they were standing now, a mere arm's length from the shore."I did that all by myself?" he asked, in awe."All by yourself," Gilrod confirmed.  "I'm so proud of my boy."

~

Prompt: Swim

This story takes place right before the Quents were evicted from their home in the Thrae.

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[This is one of my favorite questions to answer for the OC’s, as it really gives a glimpse into their overall character.  How you view yourself shows how you are going to treat others.  Also, my Christian worldview will permeate the answers for a few of the characters.]

15: Does your OC consider themselves a good person?

Gilrod: While he tries to be as good as he can, he knows it is impossible for any person to be fully good.  He knows he needs Arlan’s forgiveness to be counted as righteous.

Shraley: She believes the same as her husband, but struggles with guilt for not being good enough.

Falran: His brain knows that what his parents believe is true, but it’s tough for him to know he doesn’t have it in him to be perfect. He is very conscious about how others feel about him and at least wants those around him to believe he is a good person.

Aloria: She grew up thinking she was a good person, then after hearing about Arlan/the Only, realized she wasn’t perfect and was in need of someone to take the punishment for any wrong thing she ever did. She gratefully accepted the Only’s gift of His Son’s sacrifice.

Haethin: He’ll be the first to tell you he is not a good person, and that’s not because he believes he’s a jerk. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” He knows that he is inherently evil and in dire need of a Savior, thus believes that the Only’s Son died to take the punishment of his evildoing.

Briggs: Briggs lives on comparisons, and compared to the Featherheads in the city, he believes he’s a saint. Of course, like everyone, he is not perfect and has a lot of issues. A lot. He does actively try to be a good person though, since he places a lot of his self-worth on his own efforts.

Grittal: She would consider herself a good person because she always tries to accept anyone as a friend.

Ashlig: He thinks he’s a good person, but he knows he’s not perfect. His autism causes him to be self-conscious and whenever it makes his body do something he can’t control, he feels helpless and guilty that he can’t restrain what his body does.

Rahar: She believes herself to be a hopeless wretch, which is why she was so open to hearing about the Only and His forgiveness. She grew up hearing she was worthless, which takes a toll on a person. Hearing she actually had value to an all-powerful Creator was almost unbelievable to her.