While she was seeing to the final details of Tengfei's wagon, the pains had started. Nothing regular, just the pains in her back and occasionally in her middle. She knew the time grew closer. Women just know these things. Kaeli had bought her some extra time with the little blue bottles, but the Sky and her baby had deemed that the time was upon her.
What remained now was the waiting, and she did not want to wait alone so she had gone to the fires and tried to get as comfortable as she could. Conversation flowed around her, the voices caressing her like an old, comfortable blanket. The only irritation was the sleen at the fires. She understood Jai wishing to give it to Tengfei, but at the fires? As usual there was talk about the prospects, what was expected of them, what they had learned. Would they make tribe?
Time grew short. The move was almost here and there were several different thoughts on prospects. Those that came from the back wagons, they would make the move, whether with the first wagon group or the back wagon group. They were tribe, it was simply a matter of what group of wagons they traveled with.
It was those that came from outside the tribe that presented a problem. When you have a kaiila that carries your burdens, you do not make him carry items that are not absolutely necessary. Prospects are much the same way. The trip was difficult, many did not survive it, why waste food, clothing and effort to transport someone all the way north, that was not going to make Tribe, that quite possibly would be killed. Decisions would be made before the move, most probably. For some, it might be the simple matter of whether they would ride in the wagons or on kaiila back on the trail, or whether they would be walking with the slaves. She realizes that some just don't get this yet, but they had better get a clue soon, for time drew short.
The pains grew stronger and she would shift from time to time to try and find some sort of comfort. When Ba'atar arrived and sat beside her, she relaxed and allowed for the Sky and her baby to have their moment. He had missed the birth of his first son, and there was this stubbornness in her, that was not going to allow him to miss the birth of this child.
She sat there massaging her belly, listening to them discuss her a bit like she was not there, talking about what she could or could not do, when her water broke. There was no time to get her to their wagon, it was going to happen right there. Had she not been in the middle of a contraction, she would probably have laughed to see Ba'atar jump up at the rush of fluid that soaked his leathers, unknowing of what it meant.
To her, the birth of each of her sons' has been a beautiful event, and this one was no different, but there was an added beauty. His father was there to pull him from her loins, to welcome him into the world. She will always remember the look of wonder on his face and the tears of love, joy and pride that wet his cheeks, or the gentleness in how he held him.
Her own heart swelled with love and pride. To her there was just something very fitting about the first child born to them after Ba'atar had become Ubar being born at he fires, surrounded by family, by their people. There was a justness to it that filled her heart.
Ba'atar rode our to introduce their son to the Sky. This was a moment for father and child. Would she have liked to have been there? Of course she would have, but she also knew that she had no place there.
Later that night she lay in that circle of his arms, her head on his shoulder, and watched the baby that lay on his chest rise and fall with his breath. An almost overwhelming feeling of peace and contentment flowed through her. His words of love were written on her heart by the look in his eyes. She was his, he loved her and all was right.
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