I do not own the places or Kharjo but I do own Anita and Rathmeynau, along with some future characters.

Chapter 2

I headed back to Markath to inform the Yarl that I did not find a dragon. The Yarl thanked for my time and I left, heading home to Lakeview Manor. Thankfully I liked living alone, so there would be no awkward explaining to do.

Arriving home, I found some bandits about to enter my home and won the fight easily. My back ached from the weight of the eggs and riding for three days on a horse. A bath would be wonderful right now. I wandered down to the lake to fetch the water, warmed the water to a suitable temperature before relaxing.

By the time I got out of the bath, the water was cold. Deciding I needed to eat before bed, I cooked up some salmon fillets to eat along with a baked potato and some grilled leaks. I cleaned up the dishes from dinner before heading upstairs for some much needed sleep. I removed all of my armour, sleeping naked is a guilty pleasure of mine, before climbing under the furs of my bed which I found abnormally uncomfortable tonight. Sleep did not find me until dawn that morning.

-ONE WEEK LATER-

I slowly awoke from my slumber, which was much more peaceful since I bought some more expensive furs for my bed. An explorer had travelled North-West and found a Forgotten Valley with mysterious creatures and plants, unlike anything he had never seen before. He had some deer hides from his journey and sold me ten pelts for ten thousand gold. Luckily, it was now easier for me to sleep during the day.

The first of my pregnancy symptoms had started, I had thrown up every meal except for goat, which had been my craving. Luckily, I had a lot of food and water stored so I'd never have to leave my house.

My stomach was now a noticeable size, with a normal pregnancy, I would say I am two and a half months along. Being in the house all day gave me lots of time to learn new potions, tend to the garden in my greenhouse, and perfect my archery skills.

-TWO WEEKS-

I sat in a rocking chair I had crafted the other day, out of some spare pine boards I had leftover from the construction of my house. My hands were smoothly rubbing my now quite large belly which looked about four months along. The eggs would often shift inside me, which was an alarming sensation at first, since it was completely new to me, but now was comforting.

Most of the days now I would read and imagine having children of my own some day. I might have to go meet with Kharjo, who was an old friend of mine and now guarded a caravan in Skyrim. His darker fur always attracted me, most of all when he had courted me, shortly after we arrived in Skyrim.

I thought back to the adventure we had sneaking onto a ship bound for Skyrim, both having run away from our families who had arranged marriages for us with seperate people. As teenagers, we thought life in Skyrim would be easier, from all the stories we had heard. Sadly, when we arrived we had to part ways since I was a keeper at the Windpeak Inn while he joined the caravan.

We had both dreamed of adventures in other lands but when our parents had discovered our dreams, we were both set to "marry". Mine was to a well respected shopkeeper, while his was to the prize lady of the town. She was the most beautiful, most sought after female in the town. Why he had chosen me over her, had always been a mystery to me.

Marriage was very different in Elsweyr as opposed to Skyrim. In Elsweyr, a couple was only married after they had a child together, since we put family above all else. There is a ceremony that allows for two khajiits to be soul bound and they can only breed with each other.

Females, however, are rated based on appearance. The more attractive ones get bound to their mate, which is the more attractive males. While the less attractive ones, get passed around the village, during their heat, for all males to share, regardless of who they have a child with. Most of the females have more than one husband as a result, the children often never knowing their father for this reason, but the mother was guaranteed to be there. It was a heavy crime for a mother to neglect a child she has birthed. Anyone guilty of neglect was tied up in the center of town, to be entirely shaved and tattooed on their left paw is an ancient symbol of betrayal. This was done so that when their bodies go on to the spirit realm, our wise ancestors will know of the crime and refuse them entry to sanctuary.

With a large yawn, I decided it was time for a nap. Standing up, the ache I had been trying to relieve, resurfaced and spread from my chest down. Everything hurt now n' days, and the only thing that relieves the pain a bit was corkbulb root and moon sugar. I hoped ja-Kha'jay would bless me with the powers of the moon, to give me the strength I will need.

-THREE WEEKS-

My stomach was now the size of a seven and a half month pregnancy. The eggs were sitting lower and lower each day. Mobility was nearly impossible these days. I could feel my body preparing itself for the birth but it wasn't quite time yet, that much was for sure.

I had sent a letter to Kharjo a few days ago, and was awaiting the reply. Spending most of my days daydreaming about the children I could have one day. Children had never appealed to me before, however I now had an uncontrollable desire to breed.

Images of Kharjo taking me as his soul-bound mate and all the ways we would consummate our marriage. Fantasies were a common occurrence now and a permanent wetness was left between my legs, having no way to satisfy it in my current state.

-FOUR WEEKS-

I am walking to the greenhouse, to get some corkbulb root for the drink that relieves my pregnancy pains, when I feel water gush between my legs. A sharp pain in my abdomen follows shortly after. I waddle as fast as I can outside and shout "Rathmeynau!" before heading down to the lake, ignoring the fact that it was dawn and someone could see me. I feel an egg enter the birthing canal as I reach the water, squatting down on all fours I prepare for the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

The pain is unbearable but I know I must do this in order to be free of these demons. My vagina stretches to allow the egg to pass, but it is definitely uncomfortable. How my mother gave birth to my eleven siblings and I, is a miracle. I keep pushing with every contraction until I hear a splash, I don't have time to check on the first egg because as it exits me, the second one follows the first.

After two more eggs are born, one after another, Rathmeynau shows up. He lands gracefully in front of me, seeing the eggs he grabs the three bringing them up to his body and curls around them. I see them and they are huge, the size of my leg if I was standing.

"How many did you put inside me?"I yell angrily for the pain is causing me.

"I am not sure, I wasn't exactly counting."

This process continues for hours, egg after egg is birthed. I start to lose energy after the eighth egg but Rathmeynau encourages me and gives me strength.

By the thirteenth egg, my labour slows a little allowing me a period to rest. I look at the eggs I have birthed so far, which are a variety of colours; feeling a connection to them that I wanted to deny but couldn't, I felt like they were part of me. Khajiits usually had litters of two to eight kittens more than that was uncommon, similar to triplets in humans.

All too soon, the contractions picked up again as another egg prepared to meet the world. I pushed until it popped out of me while another egg was behind it. Each egg was getting more exhausting to deliver.

I soon lost count of how many eggs I had pushed out of me. Ready to pass out I felt one more egg ready itself, this one felt slightly smaller than the rest.

"I can't do it anymore," I cried. "It hurts too much, just kill me and get it over with."

Rathmeynau shoved his tongue in my vagina, massaging it and relaxing me a little. He went all the way into my uterus by the feel of it.

"You can do it Anita, this is the last one." Rathmeynau stated. Pushing one final time, I collapse from complete exhaustion as the final egg exits my body. I pass out from the exertion.

I awake the following night to find I am amongst the eggs, Rathmeynau's tail and neck wrapped around us protectively. He stirs hearing my breathing change.

"I am glad you are awake, Anita. You went through an exhausting birth and I was unsure if you were alright." Rathmeynau stated. "You birthed twenty six eggs, one of them is concerning me however." He nudged a small one with his nose closer to where I was sitting. "It did not grow like the others when it hit the water. I suspect it is your child, one of your eggs must have been fertilized by accident."

I stare at this egg in shock, all the other eggs ranged in colour but were the same size. This egg was the size of a newborn baby and was a nice colour orange, reminding me of the beautiful sunsets back home. A million questions raced through my head. What would the child look like? Would it be able to survive?

"How could this happen?" I asked angrily.

"I am not sure," he replied, "however I do know this, the child will not be in the body of a dragon since it didn't grow like the others. You will have to raise it."

"I don't know the first thing about parenting a half breed." I growled.

"And you think I do?" Rathmeynau growled back. "I am taking my eggs and leaving, as promised." With that he swallowed the eggs whole, to carry them in the stomach used to carry food, similar to birds, and flew away.

I walked up to the house and sat on my bed, contemplating what to do with this egg. They were a part of me and had grown inside me, I couldn't kill a child of mine even if it was a half breed. Deciding I was going to keep it and raise it as my own, I curled up around it to keep it warm. Excitement filled my chest at the thought of a part of me growing in this egg.