- Year 172 vc -
Viggo's early years would prove every bit as fulfilling as Epifany imagined motherhood would be, and more. She was a simple woman, naturally finding her source of joy in the small things, the humble, everyday moments of life.
In her teenage years she had treated ambition with caution, noting its power to allure the soul and rob life of its pure simplicity. Young people especially, including herself, she found to be drawn into a desire to do big things, often to the neglect of the humbler but more important matters of understanding themselves, brightening the lives of those closest to them, and making the most of the remains of their childhood before it would slip away forever.
But this is not to say that she didn't have big dreams. At 16 she became determined to one day travel to another land to be of help to those in need there. Shortly after this, Hapak's family traveled through her area. He was 17 and shared the same goal. They became friends, fell in love, and made a home together when she was 20 and he was 21.
Of course they had left their own country of Miras and had made a strange land their home. They were devoted to their gods and shared their beliefs with the natives when it seemed appropriate. Often Epifany would read bits and pieces of the Legends and Narsil aloud to baby Viggo, though he obviously wouldn't understand them for quite some time. But she wanted to raise him right and thought it was never too early to introduce him to their gods and the instructions for a holy life.
Her days were filled with the humble duties of keeping a home and family. Hapak had woven a sturdy basket to serve as a portable cradle for daytime use, so Epifany could go about her chores while keeping an eye on the baby. Whether she was kneading bread dough, sweeping their small home, adding wood to the fireplace, or bent over a barrel washing their clothes or dishes, Viggo was within sight, much of that time listening to his mother singing to him. He rarely cried and it wasn't very hard for her to keep up with the normal chores on top of being a new mother, especially since she loved everything she was doing.
It was not uncommon for the routine of everyday life on the Akylas family farm to be interrupted by visitors with illnesses or injuries needing attention. Epifany was familiar with the remedies of nature, from plants to water to clay, you name it. From the time she was a teenager she made special efforts to understand nature's art of healing, and over time and with experience she was becoming a resourceful and reliable healer. Her calm demeanor had a soothing effect on those she treated, and sometimes she sang to them Miran songs of Gadriel and his ways and peace. Hapak was a likable, outgoing fellow, usually jumping at the chance to talk to people, and often including in conversation plenty of quotes from and explanations of the Legends. Usually they didn't mind his enthusiasm, and at any rate they were grateful for the company as well as the treatment.
The Akylases also made connections with people through their cashmere business. Hapak tended their cashmere goats and took the final products into nearby towns and villages to sell. Between the tending and the selling, the soft undercoat fibers had to be harvested by combing the goats every year, then it had to be cleaned, and finally spun into yarn and woven into fabric. It was a tedious process, but Epifany helped where she could, and the end result was a quality product. So they made enough money to pay for whatever necessities they couldn't produce on their own, and then some.
Viggo became quite an interested observer of life from his basket. His mother often brought him outside to see his father and their large, gentle dog, and to watch them round up the goats. The dog, Carlyn, especially made him giggle. His dad wasn't so bad at that himself, but the giant fluffy dog never had to try to amuse Viggo to elicit squeals of delight from her miniature lumen. The laughter was contagious - when Viggo laughed, his parents laughed, and then when they laughed, he laughed some more.
Since Viggo was so fond of the dog, Hapak's inner genius decided to come out to play, combing out and gathering the dog's extra fluff. Soon it was clean, dry, and spun into a soft yarn, which Epifany wove into a small, basic dog shape and stuffed with - well, fluff. Viggo probably didn't realize when he first met his cuddly new toy that it was supposed to represent a dog, but he loved it just the same and certainly caught on soon enough. "Dog" was one of his first words, and he ended up saying it on a regular basis in reference to the real dog as well as his favorite toy. "Da" and "Ma" came before that, as could be expected. But the first words Viggo spoke were not expected.
It was not uncommon for the routine of everyday life on the Akylas family farm to be interrupted by visitors with illnesses or injuries needing attention. Epifany was familiar with the remedies of nature, from plants to water to clay, you name it. From the time she was a teenager she made special efforts to understand nature's art of healing, and over time and with experience she was becoming a resourceful and reliable healer. Her calm demeanor had a soothing effect on those she treated, and sometimes she sang to them Miran songs of Gadriel and his ways and peace. Hapak was a likable, outgoing fellow, usually jumping at the chance to talk to people, and often including in conversation plenty of quotes from and explanations of the Legends. Usually they didn't mind his enthusiasm, and at any rate they were grateful for the company as well as the treatment.
The Akylases also made connections with people through their cashmere business. Hapak tended their cashmere goats and took the final products into nearby towns and villages to sell. Between the tending and the selling, the soft undercoat fibers had to be harvested by combing the goats every year, then it had to be cleaned, and finally spun into yarn and woven into fabric. It was a tedious process, but Epifany helped where she could, and the end result was a quality product. So they made enough money to pay for whatever necessities they couldn't produce on their own, and then some.
Viggo became quite an interested observer of life from his basket. His mother often brought him outside to see his father and their large, gentle dog, and to watch them round up the goats. The dog, Carlyn, especially made him giggle. His dad wasn't so bad at that himself, but the giant fluffy dog never had to try to amuse Viggo to elicit squeals of delight from her miniature lumen. The laughter was contagious - when Viggo laughed, his parents laughed, and then when they laughed, he laughed some more.
Since Viggo was so fond of the dog, Hapak's inner genius decided to come out to play, combing out and gathering the dog's extra fluff. Soon it was clean, dry, and spun into a soft yarn, which Epifany wove into a small, basic dog shape and stuffed with - well, fluff. Viggo probably didn't realize when he first met his cuddly new toy that it was supposed to represent a dog, but he loved it just the same and certainly caught on soon enough. "Dog" was one of his first words, and he ended up saying it on a regular basis in reference to the real dog as well as his favorite toy. "Da" and "Ma" came before that, as could be expected. But the first words Viggo spoke were not expected.