EPILOGUE: THE GIFTS TO THE MEDJAI
Ardeth rode in at full gallop. He had been summoned several hours ago. He was very concerned and upset. Leven had gone into premature labor, and the words scared him. It brought images he best not think of, not while trying to return as quickly as possible. In a panicked state, he would be no good to either her or the baby. When he rode into the village, he paid no attention to anything or anyone. He had one mission in mind, to get to his wife. No sooner than he commanded the horse to stop, he was tearing off inside. The sight he beheld was startling. Leven was attended by the mid-wife and Sahib. She was sitting up on the pallet and was obviously exhausted, but she held not one, but two babies in her arms. Two? Twins? For a moment, he stood transfixed and shocked. His worry and concern quickly changed to happiness and overwhelming love.
Leven looked up when she noticed him. "Drop your weapons, Chieftain," she said with a tired little smile. "Come see your daughter and son."
Unable to speak, he did as she instructed and approached, kneeling beside her. He couldn't tear his eyes off the tiny bundles. They were his children, little lives he had helped create. Of course, he had known and accepted that a life was growing inside her, but nothing compared to actually laying eyes on them. Nothing.
"Twins," he uttered. "Did…did you know?"
She nodded. "Yes, I knew, but I wanted to surprise you. Surprise."
Gently, carefully, as if fearing he would cause undue harm, he took one of the babies into his arms. "This one," he asked.
"Your daughter," she said. The baby's slight weight rested against him comfortably, knowingly. He didn't know what to say, but was afraid that if he opened his mouth to speak, he might cry. She handed him her twin. "And this is your son."
"They are beautiful, Leven. I have never seen anything more beautiful."
"Remember how we were tossing around names a few weeks ago?" He nodded without say anything. "Well, I guess we don't have to decide now, do we?"
He looked up at her with a smile. Unshed tears shined in his eyes. "No, we do not. Azizah and Adnan it is."
Shuraka fa'inn abadi. [Partners for eternity.]
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Present Day
"They lived, loved, and raised their family together and never lost their connection. Nothing parted them, even death." The young woman sat back and sighed. She glanced down at her two young children who had been watching and listening raptly. She smiled down at them and closed the journal, now yellowed with age. Her son was eight and her daughter a year younger. The boy resembled his great-grandfather while the girl resembled her great-grandmother. "So Ardeth and Leven," she said with a sigh, "that's the story behind your namesakes. One day, you'll inherit Grandmother's journals so you can share their story with your children."
FINIS
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: A HUGE thank you goes to Shelley and Deana who graciously read the story and provided feedback. THANK YOU for offering your much appreciated advice and assistance. You guys are the best!