Chapter 1.3 Life Starts Like This

So Barsine had her child Hephastion and I hate myself for thinking hes so cute. The night after Hephastion was born, I went into labour.
Since everyone was so tired after Barsines labour I was all alone, in honesty I don't think anyone wanted to help deliever our future destroyer. After a long and painful labour I gave birth to my beautiful daughter Arcadia of the Cave.
Then my father blessed her

I was suprised at that, but I guess old habits die hard.

The next morning I looked down at my little Arcadia and I felt so proud.
I'm sure she could of melted Peritas's heart, but men are not allowed to acknowledge babies until they reach their year of childhood. Arcadia it was a perfect name, she was my favourite women out of my favourite legand when the sun fell down. I am so glad Father named her it, you see the head elder names all the children that are born in the village.

I tried to help out Barsine with Hephastion, but when I tried to pick him up she looked at me like I was infected with sickness.
After that I stayed away from Barsine and Hephastion, it seemed to her Arcadia and I were just weeds that needed to be taken care of.

The men had extended our sleeping huts to be able to fit the cots. Peritas even added extra roof over ours so we would be shaded when gardening

,even though the men had to say it was because we needed more room. After Peritas finished our hut I decided to try and talk to him again.
"Peritas how was your day?",I asked.
He looked at me and said,"Fine", then walked away.
I knew I was foolish to think that one baby that he couldn't even acknowledge would change anything.

A few months after Arcadia was born, I noticed Father giving her a hug.
I found this odd as men are not meant to acknowledge babies. I decided to ask him about it I knew relationship wasn't good but he was my Father and I know he cares.
"Father, why were you hugging Arcadia", I asked.
"Its about time you noticed", he repiled.
"But", I tried to say.
"I raised you didn't I, shes my granddaughter, you are my daughter whats the difference?", he interrupted.
It explained why Arcadia was never that responsive to my hugs. I truly loved my Father.

So the year of Arcadia's babyhood passed quickly, between feeding and caring for Arcadia, and doing normal chores I had no time left.
It certainly wasn't easy to keep up with everything, especially when Barsine refuses to help me even when I go out of my way to help her. Will she ever be punished for her disobedience?

There was one interesting occasion. I had walked up to the cooking hut only to see Seleucus and Barsine talking inside. I wasn't happy about what I heard.
"Seleucus, she's lazy,look how late breakfast was and its not like shes doing anything", I heard Barsine say.
I was annoyed it had been a particularly bad night with Arcadia
even Peritas had given up trying to sleep in there and set up a spare tent outside.
"I'll deal with it", I heard Seleucus reply.

Oh, no I thought trying to find a place to hide.
"Leptine", I heard Seleucus call.
I turned around coming up to him this was not going to be good, I knew.
Then Periats walked up,"Seleucus, I have to talk to you about matters of the village if you don't mind."
"Fine let us go", replied Seleucus.
Thank those above I thought, I hoped that Peritas had done it to save me.

Babies grow so fast, soon Arcadia and Hephastion will be entering their weaning year, then their walking year, then their talking year, and finally childhood when they can be acknowledged. How fast a year goes I think as Arcadia and Hephastion both enter their weaning year
and as I pick up Arcadia and look at her, I know the trails have been worth it.
For instead of asking questions of our trails, our trails are meant to ask questions of us...