*Note: There will be references to September 11, 2001 (A very tragic day that shook the world to its core)*
Chapter 24
The months had passed rather quickly for both Meinrad and Ishild to count. Ishild's stomach grew bigger with each passing week and Meinrad would listen and feel the infant inside.
At times, he was worried that his child would turn out like him, but Ishild made him promise to love his child no matter its appearance. The dwarfs were finally brought into Meinrad's dream and they were ecstatic to see Ishild.
"The afterlife works in mysterious ways," Runa comments on Ishild's pregnancy. Meinrad, who was good at crafting in wood and fur, spent a lot of time making a crib and even made and stuffed a teddy bear. The dwarfs helped out in clearing a place for the crib.
"You are amazing," Ishild said to him when he finished the bear, "But why is this bear happy and wearing a bow?" she asks as she never seen a teddy bear.
"It's a teddy bear, children sleep with them. The first one was created in 1902 to honor the United States' president Theodore Roosevelt, but he actually loathed the nickname Teddy. The softer version was made in Germany a year later," Meinrad explains and Ishild caresses it.
Runa offered advise to Ishild on how to take care of herself and the baby. "Ishild, I never told Meinrad this, but I was pregnant once. Unfortunately, I lost the child in a miscarriage and when I saw Oda with Meinrad that night, I knew that he was meant to be my son," Runa explains to her.
Ishild took to long naps in the day-time and even asked for strange things to eat. Meinrad tended to her wishes, as he was her husband and a husband must honor a wife's wishes. There were times that Ishild would have mood swings and would sometimes lash out at Meinrad.
Both Oda and Runa assured that Ishild did not mean to hurt his feelings. After an episode, Ishild would apologize to Meinrad and he forgave her. "The last thing I want to do is to be angry at you," Ishild said to him and he would comfort her.
It was finally nearing the end of summer and Ishild's day was fast approaching. Oda checks on the progress and begins to think. "I say this child will be due at the end of September," she said to them.
"I hate to wait," Meinrad mutters, but Ishild insisted that he be patient.
A few days later, on a bright, clear morning, Meinrad heard the sounds of howling. He thought it was unusual for wolves to howl in the morning, but he then realizes that it was not howling at all.
He gently awakens Ishild from her slumber. "Do you hear that?" he asks and Ishild listens carefully. It became clear then, that the sounds were of horrific crying coming from the west.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Meinrad cries out in pain, grabbing his chest. He collapses to the ground and pants heavily as the pain in his chest grew ten-fold.
"Meinrad, what's wrong?!" Ishild pleads and she felt his pulse. His heart was beating hard and fast. He claws at the ground and continues to pant heavily.
Ishild orders some of the dwarfs to find Oda, but they didn't have to look far. Her face featured grief and horror. "Oh, it is awful!" she cries and breaks down in tears.
"What is it? What is going on?" Ishild asks. Meinrad then screams in pain, again, and he covers his ears and Ishild was terrified of what was happening to him.
Finally, after a few minutes, the pain in Meinrad subsided, but he looked dazed. Ishild comes to his side and she sees the agony in his eyes.
"Murder..." he whispers to her, "Two giants...in New York...have fallen..." he pants and Ishild's mind flashes with images.
She sees two tall skyscrapers, smoke and fire coming out, and then they crumble to the ground. She then screams in horror as she realized what Meinrad was feeling.
"There is...more...I see..." Ishild said as her mind features more fire and smoke coming from a smaller building and from an open field.
"I see it, too," Meinrad replies and the dwarfs begin to cry out in misery. The cries from the west grew louder and it was then that the east joined in.
"Evil...evil has...committed a horrific crime," he adds through his tears. "Someone's father, mother, children, their lives have been taken too soon by evil," Meinrad said and Ishild buries her face and they begin to cry.
All through the day and into the evening, the cries from the west continued. Meinrad and Ishild listen to the cries the entire day.
"You will send them to Hell, those who committed these crimes," Ishild said to Meinrad, but he does not answer.
"He can't," Oda joins in and adds, "These people do not believe in the existence of Krampus, they are different from the people they murdered. God will punish them."
Just then, they hear shouts coming from both the east and west. They sounded angry, but they could not understand, as the shouts were in tongues they never heard before.
They listened, the strange tongues continued to shout, as if they were accusing someone. The shouts then turned to sadness, they had joined in with the cries from the west.
"Those people...they know who committed the crimes, but they are powerless to stop them," Oda said to them.
The child inside Ishild moved around in her womb and both she and Meinrad felt the movement. They knew their child was listening to the horrific screaming.
That night, the group made a makeshift memorial and lit candles. They listen to the bells of churches as they play a mournful tune.
"This will be a day that all of humanity will remember for all eternity," Meinrad said, "And so will we."
Weeks later, the world slowly recovered from the horrific attacks and Meinrad felt the pain in his heart subside slowly. His heart had ached for those who lost a father, mother, brother, sister, and child.
He did realize on that day, all of the world came together like a family.
It was nearing the end of the month of September and Ishild's due date was approaching.
On a chilly autumn morning, the sun had not risen yet, but Ishild was aroused by sheer pain in her back. The child was moving and she summons Oda and Runa.
"You're in labor, we best get you ready," Oda said. They laid her down on a makeshift bed made of straw in Oda's hut and that was when the pain increased.
Runa had shooed Meinrad away, "You will see them soon," she assured her son. All he could now was to be patient, which he despised greatly.
Meinrad walks a bit further away, not wanting to hear Ishild's screams of pain. Minutes passed and his impatience was getting the best of him, but he was also worried.
Hartwig joins his son, "You remind me of myself," he said, "I was always impatient with certain things, but life is about patience."
"I am not just impatient, what if the child turns out to be like me?" Meinrad asks, but Hartwig gives a frown.
"Remember Meinrad, you are love your child no matter what," he reminds him. Just as he finished, the cries of a baby filled the air.
The other dwarfs came running toward Meinrad, shouting, "It's a girl! It's a girl!"
Meinrad's worry had turned to relief and he rushes back toward the hut. Oda opens the door for him and he sees Ishild cradling the newborn infant, her face was red.
He sniffs the air, there was a new scent and he walks over to them. "She is lovely," Runa said, rubbing her eyes, as if she was trying to control her tears.
Meinrad walks over to Ishild and looks at his newborn daughter. She had perfect pink skin, with black hair on top of her head, her eyes were a hazel color, but to Meinrad's relief, she did not have cloven hooves for feet.
The baby looks at Meinrad with a curious eye, but then begins to fuss. "She's hungry," Oda said and Ishild lends her baby her breast.
She suckles for some time and then looks back at Meinrad. The next thing they hear was their daughter's laughter. Her tiny hands reach for her father and Meinrad looks at her curiously.
"Oh, she likes you," Ishild said and hands her over to him. Meinrad never held a baby before, but he takes his infant daughter in his arms and holds her close to his face.
Her soft baby hands touch his face in a curious gesture and Meinrad cradles her. "What will name her?" Hartwig asks the two.
"I refuse to name her Linza," Meinrad said, referring to the birth mother who abandoned him.
Ishild takes his hand into hers, "What about Leofflæd? She loves you already," she said and Meinrad liked that name.
"Leofflæd, our beloved," he said and the baby girl falls asleep, again.
"I say it's time for a celebration!" Helmold exclaims and all of the dwarfs rush out of the hut. Meinrad groans as the dwarfs became their mischievous selves, again.
However, he feel at ease and the pain in his heart had turned to joy. While there was much pain and suffering in the world, there was a flame that burned bright. Meinrad knew it was the flame of love and it would some day rage like a wild fire, consuming the world.
Meinrad thought hard; if many people came together in times of grief, then perhaps evil will be extinguished, but he knew that evil was like a snake.
It would slither up to its unsuspecting victims and drain the life out of them. "Lucifer, you know nothing of love. I may look hideous, but I am nothing like you," Meinrad said aloud. "If you dare harm my family, I'll try my best to kill you. However, I believe it will be impossible to destroy all evil, but as long as there is love, it will tie people together, and you can't break it."
Far from the hut, Lucifer had heard Meinrad's words and he snorts. Every since Meinrad passed his test, Lucifer was forbidden to go anywhere near him. Lucifer was still furious over Meinrad's success.
However, Lucifer was not finished with Meinrad. He would continue to taunt him, at least try to break him, and now that Meinrad had a child, it would be easy to do so.
Lucifer then summons a shadow-like snake. "I am forbidden to go near Meinrad, but I know you can taunt him for me," he said to it, "Do whatever you want with him."
The snake slithers away and Lucifer leaves, letting the dwarfs to celebrate.
From the author: Meinrad is a father! How exciting is that?! But I am terrible, Lucifer still wants to break him. Let's just hope Meinrad goes through the temptation.
The name Leofflæd is Anglo-Saxon and it combines the words leof "agreeable, dear, beloved" and flæd "beauty". For the 9/11 reference, I wanted to feature what the characters thought of this horrific time in history. In the end, however, life renews and even new life begins.
I do believe that miscarried babies do get a chance to be born in Heaven, hence the reason why Ishild became pregnant, despite being an angel.
Looking forward to work on more of this! See you soon!