"I am sure she would be delighted to meet you!" 

"That sounds very nice." 

Then after lunch, they can all wander over so Lucy and Wilbur can drop off whatever belongings they have, and meet Snowlight! 

Snowlight is a tall, strong-looking woman with hair dyed in a weird camouflage-y pattern, wearing gorgeous embroidered silk robes. She's visibly pregnant but not that big, yet.

She smiles at both of the strangers and reaches to grip their hands when introduced, then beams at Vanyel and hugs him. Puts his hand on her belly. "Your babes-by-blood are coming along well, I think!" 

"His what."

Vanyel's cheeks are crimson. "I. Um. Long...story..." 

"Moondance and I longed for a child," going by Starwind's glance at his partner, the longing was mostly Moondance's, "but - could not perform with a woman as would have been necessary, and also we try to bring outside blood to the Vales when we can, so we asked our good friend Vanyel for a favour. It was an incredible kindness from him." 

Vanyel is even redder. 

"Couldn't perform, okay, that answers, like, most of the questions I had. Congrats?"

Starwind hugs his partner and looks very fond and proud. 

Snowlight pats Vanyel's shoulder. "Why so sheepish? It was a wonderful thing you did!" 

(Oh gods can they please just change the subject already.) 

"So I'll be leaving my stuff with my brother, mostly, but I don't sleep much. But it's really nice to meet you, I've never--I mean I've been in cities, I've seen pregnant women, but I spent a lot of my life isolated and I've never met a baby or anything since I was one and I can't remember that."

"They are not due to be born for another five months or so. It is a little too early to feel them kick, but - you can touch my belly, if you like. Everyone likes to touch pregnant women's bellies." She seems amused rather than annoyed about it. 

She tentatively places a hand on the other woman's stomach. 

It's surprisingly firm, solid. 

"I will tell you when I first feel them kick," Snowlight promises. "I hope you will still be here, then; it is a wonderful thing, an unborn babe's kicks, to share with someone for the first time." Her smile broadens. "If you are still here when they are born, of course, you may hold them too." 

"That sounds really nice. Thank you."

And Snowlight can help them get settled, just before a gaggle of other Tayledras youth show up and start introducing themselves all in a rush. Most of them don't speak Valdemaran; some have Mindspeech but some don't. 

Vanyel can translate, but he's starting to look pretty overwhelmed. 

Moondance watches, smiling slightly. :Would you like to speak our language?: he says eventually to both Lucy and Wilbur. :My lifebonded can give it to you - probably, that is, your minds are rather different from human ones: 

:That sounds awesome!!!!:

:Um--yes. How does it work?: