Chương 184: Chapter 179 - Scares

Alric knocked on the door, heard a soft affirmative inside, and then walked in. Mara was lying back on her bed; she had a blanket pulled up to her stomach and a pillow behind her, propping her up. What stood out to Alric most was the irritated expression he was getting, which made him grin.

"You too then?" Mara said, narrowing her eyes at his grin.

"Even me. The curse of being cared about. Terrible, really," he said, spreading his hands in mock despair. Mara just rolled her eyes and gestured to the nearby chair. Alric could see the small smile she was trying to hide, though.

"How are you feeling?" Alric asked, pulling the chair out and sitting down.

"I've told everyone I'm fine. It was just a little…" Mara said, giving him a bored expression.

"That's not what I asked. The midwife says you're fine, and I'm sure she's never lied in her life. How are you actually feeling?" Alric said, leaning back like a man settling in for a long story.

"Sorry, it just feels like the same question over and over." She said, with a sigh. She settled back slightly.

"I'm just tired, Mister Alric. I've been struggling to sleep the past few days."

"It's just us, Mara. No titles, no audience. Done anything new and exciting lately, like sleeping?" Alric asked, glancing around as if the answer might be hiding behind the furniture. Mara gave him a deeply flat look that Alric felt a bit of pride over. Mara and Hal had been given one of the larger apartments. One of the spare rooms would become a nursery, and they would likely need a child minder.

The room they were in now was the largest; it had shutters opening to the courtyard, the bed, a chest of drawers, and a cupboard. It felt a bit spartan to Alric, but he knew they were paid well enough to furnish it how they wanted.

"Tarrow gave me a lecture, and I stopped drinking." She said, glancing at the shutters with a frown.

"What? Completely, right?" Alric said, his eyes widening as he leaned forward. Mara blinked and turned her head away from him slightly. She took a deep breath.

"Tarrow told me three days ago that Minerval takes a dim view of pregnant women who drink. Never thought of it before he mentioned it, but you don't make offerings to her with drink, ever." Mara said. She pointed to a small shelf above the bed that Alric hadn't noticed. It had a small statue.

"That's pretty sensible, you know," Alric said, looking up at the statue. When he glanced down, Mara had narrowed her eyes at him.

"Alcohol, like beer, whisky, and such, can affect a baby in the womb. Messes with their growth, their brain, issues after they're born." Alric said, tilting his head to the side and giving her an equally flat look. Mara was silent for a long moment, just blinking at Alric.

"Tarrow just said Minerval hates it."

"Well, she has good reason to." Alric said, glancing up at the statue, "It's not smart to drink while breastfeeding either." He said, looking back at Mara and shrugging. Mara's shoulders drooped; she looked up at the shelf.

"Great, best news today." She let out a breath before turning back to Alric.

"How do you know all this?" Mara asked with a frown.

"One day we can talk about that, first though. How much have you been drinking daily?" Alric asked, his lips moving to the side as he frowned at Mara. Mara looked away from him, staring at the opposite wall.

"Two tankards before bed normally." She said with a slight frown. She turned back to him.

"Why?" Alric nodded.

"That's not too bad. Since you stopped, any shaking? Hands mostly? Seeing things that aren't there?" Alric asked, studying her expression. Mara's eyes widened, and she shook her head.

"Sweating badly for no reason? I'd say vomiting, but you are pregnant." Mara kept shaking her head, but her eyebrows lifted after each question.

"And seizures?" Alric asked finally.

"No, Alric, but what the hell?" Mara asked. She tilted her head at him while staring.

"Good. It's complicated, but if you drink too much for too long, quitting suddenly can make you very, very sick. The sort of sick that makes you wish you'd stuck to water. If that happens, you have to wean off slowly, and then never touch the stuff again." Alric's shoulders slumped as he let out a deep breath. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Mara nodded slowly; she turned her head to look down at the blankets.

"My grandpa used to get the shakes, just like you said, he'd sweat in winter too," Mara said, her hands squeezed the blanket.

"I don't think you need to worry, two tankards is alright. Just don't while you're pregnant, of course." Alric said, moving his hands to his knees to stand.

"So, I don't sleep?" She asked with a frown.

"That will pass, I'll be back in a minute. I just want to sort something out." Alric said with a smile he hoped was reassuring. Mara just nodded, still looking down at the blankets. Tarrow was still watching the guards when Alric came outside.

"You mind staying here for a quick while, Tarrow?" Alric asked. Tarrow glanced at the sky and shook his head. Brannick was busy shouting at someone about shields. The groups were changing exercises, or just running in circles. Alric would not have been the least bit surprised if Brannick made them run in circles occasionally.

"Brannick!" Alric called. Brannick's head snapped to him; he nodded and approached.

"Tell me something, can adventurers get potions easily?" Alric asked when he got near. Brannick tilted his head to and fro.

"Sort of, I understand they're just not very good. We have to buy sets." Brannick explained with a frown; his gaze went to the shutter at Mara's room.

"Sets? And how much is a set?" Alric asked, closing his eyes.

"Hmm. Mana potion, stamina and healing potion. Antidotes cost extra, but seventy silvers for the set." Brannick explained, glancing to the side with a frown.

"Ooof, get two sets then," Alric said with a pained expression he felt deeply.

"That's smart thinking, it's the sort of thing that is easy to forget till you need it," Brannick said with a nod. Alric used his item box to get the coins he needed. As Brannick left, he turned to Tarrow.

"You can stay till Brannick gets back, right?" Alric asked, to which Tarrow nodded, but he glanced at Mara's shutters.

"I can do that. I don't think Mara wants me sitting in there, though." Tarrow said with a frown at the shutter.

"You'd be surprised, people can be forgiving when they know you are actually on their side. While I have you, though, I need you to do a favor." Alric said, watching him. Tarrow narrowed his eyes at Alric. Alric chose to consider the gesture playful.

"I need you to make sure there is always water available at the brewery for the staff, o and tea. But like barrels of water. Hal knows how to make good clean water." Alric explained, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

"Easy enough, I can do that. Why though?" Tarrow asked, relaxing his expression.

"It occurred to me that staff doesn't know a few things about drinking. If you drink, say, four a day every day for years, you can get sick when you try to stop. Shakes, sweats, seeing things that aren't there, seizures." Alric counted the points on his fingers; Tarrow's expression widened.

"How many is fine?" Tarrow asked, tilting his head.

"Oh, two a day I don't think is an issue. You can have more on a special occasion, the problem is your body gets used to it, then struggles without it." Alric explained. Tarrow nodded slowly.

"I think I knew a few like that. I'll make sure there is water and tea." Tarrow said with a nod. He glanced at the sky again before looking back at Alric.

"Is this because I told Mara about Minerval and pregnancy? I didn't expect it to lead to this."

"Yes, it is, and it's all your fault," Alric said, pointing at him. Tarrow scoffed and grinned, "I'll be sure to let Minerval know." Alric opened his mouth, then paused.

"On second thought, leave me out of that conversation," Alric said. He gestured toward Mara's room before heading that way. Alric paused just before going through.

"Shouldn't you ask her why she likes you?" Alric asked with a huge grin. Tarrow hunched over before turning to Alric, wide-eyed. Alric just laughed and went into Mara's room. Mara was sitting with a grin of her own.

"I heard much of that." She said with a chuckle, gesturing to the shutters.

"Well, as much as you like having Tarrow around at the moment, we're getting some potions, please keep them on you for if you need them," Alric explained, gesturing to the shutters. Mara's eyes widened, and she blinked.

"Alric, that's nearly more than I make in a season?" Alric nodded, slowly.

"Is this your way of telling me I don't pay you enough?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. Mara scoffed and grinned. She settled back into the pillow with a wide grin.

"If Hal asks about the potions?" She asked with a raised brow.

"Then blame me. That's the fun of being pregnant, isn't it? It's always someone else's fault." Alric said, tilting his head and shrugging on one side, "It was my idea after all." Mara laughed, "Is it? I never knew. I will be using that at the brewery." She said with a slow nod.

"Remember when we were in the first brewery, you won a competition and Hal was pretending he was happy for you?" Alric said with a grin, pointing at her. Mara chuckled and nodded.

"I had an apron with a mark. I still have that apron. I should wear it sometime." She said with a wide smile.

"He needs reminding now and then. I'm sure he'd love another competition, especially if he loses again," Alric said, smiling at the wall.

"I miss those little things we did, you know," Mara said, tilting her head at him.

"I know, I do too. Too many staff now, though, and too many people rely on us. You know about the party?" Alric asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I do, everyone is quite excited. I won't be drinking, though." Mara said with a flat expression.

"That's true, but you get to point and laugh at people doing stupid things." Alric gestured to her.

"I liked doing stupid things, you know." She said with a shrug.

"I still do stupid things, wait till I need your help at the distillery." Alric used both hands to gesture to her. Mara gave a big nod and a grin.

"I'm gonna send Lessa down to hang out with you, alright? I know you're fine; I just don't want you bored and alone." Alric explained, standing up.

"Thanks, Alric. This was nice." She said with a smile.

"We will have plenty of time to reminisce when we get older. Stay safe, alright?" Alric said as he left. Mara nodded. Alric found out a few days later that Lessa was deeply grateful for this time with Mara; she had a lot on her mind as well.