Chapter 4 * Earthborn
On the third day after the Winter Solstice Diane hurriedly dressed Earth in a cream colored baby gown. She herself donned a navy gown and a silver ankle length overcoat. At the palace, she resided in her room. Soon a pair of footsteps were heard down the hall. A running, pitter patter ran down the hall followed by a heavier walking creature. The footsteps stopped outside their room and a high trill started. The lock popped of the door steaming but the spells put by Numair held. A small slited eye looked through the hole and whistled, clucked and trilled. Diane smiled and rose to meet Kitten by the door. Quickly undoing the spells the door burst open and Kitten jumped into Diane shrieking. Laughing she unlocked the small limbs from her arms and legs. Tkaa the baslik warmly greeted her with a hug. Suddenly Kitten became silent and walked to the cradle. She peered in and murmured a dragon gasp. Tkaa, closing the door, asked
"Is she yours?"
After a moment of hesitation,
"Yes."
"She is beautiful . . . for a mortal"
Diane laughed. The door opened.
"Diane I thought I told you to lock the door with my spell. Oh! Tkaa! Kitten!" Kitten chortled as she sniffed Numair all over, and Tkaa and Numair embraced.
"Welcome back Numair, you have a lovely baby."
Numair glanced at Diane.
"Thank you Tkaa" he said mildly. In a stronger tone he added "I spoke to King Jonathan, I have anounced our baby to him and it is being recorded. We can present her to the court at dinner tonight.
Dinner was quite. Diane sat with her child between Numair and Alanna. After the baby was introduced to the court. Alanna leaned over in her chair and whispered to Diane
"Well, you sure got your figure back in a hurry"
Diane looked at her wide eyed and forced out a laugh. Alanna ginned.
"Since you're a first time mother I'll be glad to help instruct you."
"Thank you Alanna but, you forget, my mother was a midwife, I'v grown up around babies."
Slightly offended Alanna supplied "Oh, why did you name her Earth?"
"My mother, Sarra, wanted it so. To remember the world she left behind. Alanna, I love you like a sister, but you're prying and I don't apprecite it."
Alanna sighed and lifted the godesses ember from underneath her shirt.
"I can see it, the magic, because of this. No one else can, or someone would have spoken up by now."
Diane sat flabbergasted almost letting the child slip off her lap. Earth did not in the least want to end up on the floor so she broke Dianes melencholy by crying. This cry was not just any baby's cry but a thin high wail that shook the palace to the ground. All the residents looked up from their conversation, obviously flustered. The Queen, who was never confused clung to her husbands arm like a small child. King Jonathan stood up, shook off his wife and wove between bewildered people, running to his room. Minutes later, after several pauses in the tremors where Earth had to take a breath, King Jonathan arrived with a velvet pouch. He dumped the Dominion Jewel into his palm and spoke in a language only few understood. The Dominion Jewel stopped the tremors, or they stopped because Earth silenced herself to listen to Jon. She then giggled and cooed in the most baby like way. Alanna was the first to speak. She hoisted herself onto an chair and took inventory of the mess. Then in her most diplomatic voice.
"On behalf of master Numair and I, we apoligize for the mess made to the dining area and the inconveniance to your dinner. We were preforming some experiments it seems the gods have deemed unauthorized. No real damage has been made.
After a short uproar from the audience. Alanna flared and spoke in a more normal tone.
"Oh for the sake of Mithros! overturned chairs, ruined dresses. The gods spared all our lives. We should be grateful for that."
The crowd silenced. King Jon stood up.
"So mote it be Lioness. So mote it be"
"So mote it be" replied the guests as Diane and Numair fled to their room.
Chapter 5
©Lady_Silver_Astri_Amaroq 2001
