From The Inside

34

It wasn't long, perhaps a few days, that an improvement could be seen within Urška. Walking in the garden, Ylva had managed to create a little sling for her to be cocooned in, and then this would be draped and tied around herself. "You have a good set of lungs! You've been keeping these a secret for a while haven't you?" Ylva asked while looking down at the crying girl. "Come on...be quiet now, there's nothing for you to cry over. You are turning out to be as greedy as Torben...and that's saying something! He's a boy who loves his food. Perish the thought of a wife, she'll be forever cooking for him." Ylva despaired, her rambling seemed to enthral the girl, her crying stopped and she stared up at her with wide dark brown eyes. Ylva raised an eyebrow and smiled slowly, reaching within the sling she lightly ruffled the small sprouts of curly light brown hair and turned around when she heard footsteps coming her way.

She put a hand to her mouth and had to stop herself from laughing suddenly. The sight before her was rather funny, to her it was funny, to Beorn...clearly he thought otherwise. It had actually been a month since Radagast's visit, therefore the babies were all growing very quickly, apart from Urška, and as such their development was vastly different to that of a mortal's child. By now, after a month, they had all started to find their feet. Or at least, find the floor and try and crawl and wiggle across it.

But this new found sense of movement had caused problems, they had naturally all wished to explore. And though neither Beorn or Ylva were against this, they had to supervise them. But there was one child which was particularly sneaky. And this sneakiness and secret agility at such a young age, as well as being adept to hiding, came in the form of Lyall. And as if that wasn't bad enough, Raul had caught onto what she was doing and followed after her. Torben, it seemed wanted to do his own thing, and seemed to not wish to follow his younger siblings. Perhaps this is why one day he was discovered in with the sheep and curled up in their pen while Raul and Lyall were managing to traverse the back door.

Right now, Ylva tried not to laugh over the sight of Beorn standing with Raul loosely hanging in his jaws, while Lyall clung to one of his legs. It was hilarious, and Beorn's unenthusiastic look just made it funnier. She couldn't help it, she laughed. Ylva laughed so hard, Urška didn't know what was going on and let out a strange yelp which seemed to turn into a giggle.

Beorn let out a low snort, lowering his head, he placed Raul on the ground before her, swiftly before turning to Lyall. Gently holding onto the back of her dress – which Ylva had hurriedly made for her, as well as the other children – he pulled her up and off of his leg. Though she did cling to his dark fur unwilling to move and let him go. Kneeling down, Ylva turned Raul over, he was rolling around on his stomach and now laid looking up at her wide amber coloured eyes. "Don't look at me like that, young sir." Raul merely smiled and held his hands up to her. Carefully picking him up, she sat down properly and placed him in her lap. Soon Lyall joined him, though she wished to peer in at Urška, who was now sleeping again.

"I think we're going to have to make a barrier," Ylva frowned while looking to the playing children in her arms. "They can't keep coming out here...I know there aren't any immediate dangers, but that doesn't mean it's totally safe."

"I know," Beorn knelt down in front of her. He reached out and pushed the dark hair from Lyall's face. "She's like you."

"Hm?"

"The need to just up and go without thinking, she's like you."

Ylva frowned and looked at him. "I do think...thank you."

He raised an eyebrow, "You knew what I meant."

"What's wrong with a little curiosity?"

"It's that curiosity that's going to get her into trouble if she keeps wandering off." Beorn commented simply.