Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Blessed by the Sky. Doubly Blessed.


It is ironic that she and juneau had spent most of the morning preparing a birthing wagon. She has never used one before, but in all honesty, she had worked on this one for maybe something to do. Even the girl seemed a bit puzzled by their labors, but perhaps she thought it just one of those vagaries of pregnant women.



The rest of her day had been within the realm of being boring in its' normalcy. The only thing out of the norm, were the occasional pains in her lower back, that told her it would be soon, very soon. That may have been what brought on the sudden nesting instinct in her.



After spending time with the boys, getting them settled she had been overcome by hunger and maybe the need for company. Ba'atar was still on patrol, and she was feeling a bit lonely. That is one of the beauties of being one of a group of people that lived in the open as they did, people that lived side by side, you could always find company if you wanted it.



With her food and tea in hand she had taken up her post on the platform of a wagon and ate, very aware of the twinges in her back that were becoming stronger and more frequent. She was not disappointed for soon Tarra joined her, and then right after that Jai. It was the presence of Tarra that gave her great comfort, and for a moment her mind flashed back to a time when she had not been at these fires long, when she had walked up to find Tarra in labor, with Shi assisting her. She was the first person to hold Arkus when he was born, and she had immediately fell in love with the baby, and still held great affection for him even now that he was on the cusp of being a man.



The pains grew more intense and she knew that it was time. No going back to a wagon, her babies were going to be born here, at the fires, as was right in some way. Tarra had assisted her to some furs piled up against a saddle, got her settled then had directed her attention to the sky. Radiating from one of the moons that was in its' crescent phase, were two arched lines of stars that she had never seen before. They seemed more brilliant than the myriad of stars that served as a backdrop for them. For some reason, the moons and these stars became her focus, gave her comfort over the subsequent ahn in which she gave birth to her babes.



Her babies, her daughters. Ba'atar had arrived from the herds when she was in full labor, and was there to lift what he thought were his sons, from between her loins. When the first was born, mewling into the air, he seemed confused, as if he were looking for something. What he was looking for, was not there. Kaeli and Tarra had to tell him that what he held in his hands was a girl child, a daughter, a tiny, perfect daughter.



She did not have time to enjoy his confusion and amazement, because she was busy giving birth to the second baby, which she was sure would be his son. There was that moment of fear, when Kaeli had told her firmly not to push, that there was a problem. She even heard that tone of fear, something she had never heard before in Ba'atar's voice, when he asked if there was a problem. Kaeli was calm, reassuring as her hands worked quickly to solve the dilemma of the cord being wrapped around the throat of the second baby.



Soon, she was giving birth to the second baby, Ba'atar's son. No, wrong again. Just imagine his shock as he pulled the second baby from between her thighs, and had to be told again....you have another daughter. She was shocked, and for the very briefest of moments, terrified. What would he do, how disappointed would he be in her for delivering to him two daughters instead of son? Joy quickly chased that fear away when he leaned to her, holding his second daughter in his hands and brushed a kiss over her lips, and telling her what a wonderful job she had done and that he loved her.


The moment when they had finally lay both of her daughters in her arms, she will never be able to describe the emotions that consumed her in mere words. It went beyond joy and happiness into something that she is just not able to speak of. There was peace involved, pride, trepidation, fear for their futures as women, then joy and happiness again.


They were so very tiny, so delicate, yet so beautiful. From the gentle curving of each tiny ear down to the curl of all twenty little toes, they were marvelous. Although they did not focus yet, the four little black eyes seemed to find hers. Four little fists curled beneath two perfect little chins. It was amazing to experience, to watch.


After all of the excitement, the congratulations, the adoration of others, he had finally taken the babies from her, helped her up and to their wagons. Her girl had been there to help her clean up and get into the furs, then had slipped out to allow him entrance. He had been showing his daughters off to Rook, with the same pride he had shown each of his sons off.



When he stepped into the wagon, he had stated firmly that his daughters were so tiny that they would be sleeping between their father and their mother until they were bigger. He had lowered to the side of the furs, and looked down to his arm. It was the most magnificent sight. The girls were actually laying in the palm of his hand, one on top of the other, one with her tiny hand curled around his thumb, asleep, safe and protected by the hands that would protect them for many turnings of the season to come. At that moment, gentle tears of love and happiness dripped from her eyes, as she smiled to him, needing no words to let him know how happy she was.



He had lay down, gently placing the girls between them, and a protective arm had extended to include her in his embrace. She realized at that moment, that the three of them had become a different facet to his world, as he whispered .....my beautiful women. As he fell asleep she smiled realizing that she was no longer a woman surrounded by a world of men, she now had allies.



When he and the girls were sound asleep, she had slid from the furs and dressed. Stepping out onto the platform she had looked across and in the shadows saw a movement, that for some reason did not startled or scared her. Rook stepped forward, offered her his hand and helped her to step down to the firm ground of her beloved plains. No words passed between them as he supported her arm and helped her to walk through the wagons to a clearing.


She stood there with her eyes closed, just allowing the feel of her home to wash over her. The wind on her cheeks and blowing tendrils of hair around her face, the feel of cold, frosted grass beneath her bare feet, the low rumbling of the herd of bosk, that was as gentle as any lullaby, all of it caressed her in a warm cloak of home, of belonging. It makes her feel alive, and at the same time a part of something so big, so huge that it is unexplainable.



No, she does not pray, it is not allowed. Praying was left to the men. What she does is open her eyes to look up to the formation of the moon and stars that had shone down on her as she gave birth to her daughters, and she opened her heart. The Sky would be able to read what was in her heart, and to her that was better than any prayer that she could have offered.




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