A Gift

The days seemed to grow longer and hotter, and her heavier. She still went to the pens every day and worked. Not quite as much as she used to, but she found that it relaxed her just to be with the animals. She watched over the pregnant mares carefully, paying very close attention to Tone and BlueSky, who were both doing very well, and she figured they would both foal before it came time for the move back north. So would she, if you got right down to it.


The rest of her time was spent with the boys, and with visits from Birmmah, who was having a difficult time with most of her sons gone, and long over due. She tried hard to put on a cheerful face for the woman, but inside she was getting beyond worried. Two hands had stretched into over two full moons, and she was worried. Had it not been for his brothers going with him, she might have harbored thought that he had left her for another. But she knew him better than that. He loved his people too much to leave them. And that brought about an entire new set of worries for her. Was he injured? Oh skies, she hoped not? Were they lost? No, Tuchuk do not get lost. Had they been captured? Well that was a possibility, but one she did not want to dwell on. She kept telling herself, that he was a man. A man that was on a hunt with his brothers. They had lost track of how long they had been gone, due to how successful they had been on this hunt. A hunt where her man had not taken his arrows, but she pushed that thought out of her mind.


She had found herself sitting on the platform of her wagon, hands running slowly over her swollen middle, feeling the joy of the baby moving. Birmmah had come to sit beside her, and without even asking, reached a hand over to lay on her stomach, smiled then said she had always felt a great deal of joy and comfort feeling her babies move in her womb. She went on to ask how Cana was feeling, if she needed anything, if she was eating right, getting enough rest, that type of thing.


Cana had assured her that she was fine. The girls were keeping her fed, Rook reminded her to rest, and the boys had a way of easing her doubts and fears. She was fine, but she longed for Ba'atar to return. She said nothing about having a fear that he would not, or that he would not return until after the baby was born, that he would miss that wonderful event. Birmmah had enough to worry about, including the mate of another of her sons, that was also with child, younger, and scared. Cana has reached a hand over to lay gently on her arm, telling her that she would walk over the next day, and try to calm the young woman's fears. Birmmah had smiled and thanked her.


The woman surprised her by laying something in what little lap she had. Lifting it up, she smiled and looked at the woman. It was a doll, but not just any doll, it was a female doll. Birmmah had gone on to explain that she had made it long ago, when she still had hopes of having a girl child of her own. But, she had been blessed with nine fine sons, and has given up her dreams of having a daughter and she wanted Cana to have it. Maybe the skies would see fit to give her and Ba'atar a daughter someday.


She was moved beyond measure, and beyond words. All she could think to do was lean her head to the woman's shoulder, and whisper a thank you to her, in a quivering voice. The older woman had slid an arm around her shoulders and held her, both of them not wishing to put a voice to the fears they both had in their hearts.


The woman could be a true pain in the backside, but there was another side of her, that was loving, and comforting, and that was the side that was showing as they sat there, watching the Central Fire slip down below the horizon. Birmmah had finally lifted to her feet, leaned to place a kiss to Cana's temple, and promised to check on her everyday. Her parting words were words of assurance, that then hunters would be home soon, and it would be time for a celebration.