On Talyn, an Arn earlier
Crais had needed a little time alone to think after K'Tahli had left. He
went to the exercise area he had fashioned on Talyn. The repetitive motion
of weight training often affording him time to think, and kept him strong.
He lifted a set of weights and began a series of arm curls and flexes. As
the rhythm of the motion began, he started thinking about his baby. His
thoughts drifted to fatherhood, and all of the opportunities it afforded
him. His life had once been happy, as a child himself. The Peacekeepers
did not give the conscriptee's the option of homesickness, nor unhappiness.
He learned to squelch those very quickly. Tauvo had clung to him, and
they weathered the training together. He closed his eyes and let his
brother's loss wash over him. That pain would never leave him, but it
would fade. He could not keep his thoughts from venturing to Ashan. If it
were true, it would explain the affinity Crais felt toward K'Tahli, the
brotherly affection. Rainne seemed to have the same bond with Ashan. The
surge of possessiveness made him increase the weights and launch into a
more rigorous routine. He was not ready to examine this further. He
concentrated on the exercise and let the exertion wipe the thoughts from
his mind.
"Rainne?" Talyn called to her.
"Yes Talyn?" she answered. She had been trying to rest, and trying to figure out how to approach Crais with the notion of the graft. She was as torn by the hurt she saw on Crais' face and being part of saving a life.
"I have an idea."
"An idea? About what?" She asked him. He sounded excited, like a child who had figured out a puzzle and wanted to share it. At her inquiry, Talyn explained his plan. Rainne agreed with Talyn, it was their best shot. Rainne got up and went in search of Crais.
She found him coming out of the quarters they shared, freshly cleaned up from his workout, gloves in hand.
"I thought you said you were going to nap? Are you feeling all right? Is the baby giving you pain?" Rainne smiled at him.
"No, no the baby is fine. I wanted to talk to you." Rainne took the gloves from his hands and walked back into their chamber and sat down on the chair. She motioned for him to sit with her.
"Bialar. I need to ask you a favor. I am under no one's vow not to ask you this." He stiffened and sat back a bit when she said that. She had his hands in hers so he could not withdraw completely.
"I could not begin to understand the suffering that Ashan's claim places on you. I won't even try. But I am not asking you to rush into accepting him as your brother." Crais visibly flinched at the word brother. "But for me, for your child, please allow this graft."
"What makes you bring the child into this?" He asked, now clearly torn. He could not deny Rainne her request; he would fall on his own blade if she but ask.
"Watch this."
At her words, she went over and put in the vid chip Talyn had made for her. It began when the container had slammed into Rainne and sent her sprawling to the floor. Crais had nearly leapt from his seat watching her be hurt. She lay there, still as death for several moments before Ashan found her and hurried to her side.
She watched Crais' face as he heard and watched.
"Shh. Relax Rainne. Let me see where you are injured."
She winced when Ashan pressed a tender spot on her ribs. His fingers gently traveled her midsection, assessing damage. For Ashan it was a slow journey, he had never touched or tried to heal a human before.
"Ow!" She could not help but cry out. His hands stopped over the cracked ribs. Closing his eyes, he called on all of his training. He wished for K'Tahli's amplification, but she needed to go get Crais. The name caused his concentration to falter, briefly. His need to heal this woman overrode any concerns Ashan may have with his brother right now. He could feel the bones begin to knit beneath his hands. Rainne heard the humming sounds in her mind.
Ashan continued his examination. He found no other internal injuries, some light bruising he soothed. His fingertips tingled, and his eyes went wide. He splayed his fingers over her lower abdomen.
"Rainne, give me your hand." He said through his concentration. "Put your hand on mine. I am going to draw from you." He seemed a little frantic, but she complied. She knew now why there was an instant rapport between Bialar and K'Tahli. It existed here with Ashan. She looked down at their hands. Her hand began its familiar glow, but somehow the light was softer, it pulsed. It echoed her heartbeat. She noticed Ashan's hand seemed to have a tiny, fragile light. As her light pulsed, the faint light under her hand brightened, and began to pulse very quickly. Ashan's face broke into a relieved grin and he let out the breath he did not realize he was holding.
"What was that?" Rainne whispered, although she did not dare hope.
"Your first communication with your unborn child." Ashan smiled gently down to her.
"You saved its life?"
"No, sweet sister." He kissed her forehead, "You did. I just knew where to direct healing. You healed the child yourself." Rainne squeezed her eyes closed. Emotions washed over her relentless and powerful as tides. She curled her body, reflexively shielding the precious life she and Bialar had created. The life that could have blinked out before she knew it was there.
Talyn had zoomed his watching close to the hands and the last image on the vid screen was on the two hands, one small and injured, the other larger, stronger.
Crais was still as a statue. His heart was pounding more than when it had working with weights. He felt if he moved or spoke he would disintegrate, or simply cease to exist.
Rainne watched him during the vid chip. Talyn had played it for her when he explained his plan. She knew the images were intensely powerful.
"Beloved, Please. For me." Rainne whispered.
"And me." Talyn echoed.
Crais looked up sharply.
"For our son. I can tell you now that the child is a son."
Crais took her face in his hands, stared into the clear green eyes that looked at him like none ever had before. He bent forward and touched his lips to hers, just a whisper of contact.
"Yes."
"Rainne?" Talyn called to her.
"Yes Talyn?" she answered. She had been trying to rest, and trying to figure out how to approach Crais with the notion of the graft. She was as torn by the hurt she saw on Crais' face and being part of saving a life.
"I have an idea."
"An idea? About what?" She asked him. He sounded excited, like a child who had figured out a puzzle and wanted to share it. At her inquiry, Talyn explained his plan. Rainne agreed with Talyn, it was their best shot. Rainne got up and went in search of Crais.
She found him coming out of the quarters they shared, freshly cleaned up from his workout, gloves in hand.
"I thought you said you were going to nap? Are you feeling all right? Is the baby giving you pain?" Rainne smiled at him.
"No, no the baby is fine. I wanted to talk to you." Rainne took the gloves from his hands and walked back into their chamber and sat down on the chair. She motioned for him to sit with her.
"Bialar. I need to ask you a favor. I am under no one's vow not to ask you this." He stiffened and sat back a bit when she said that. She had his hands in hers so he could not withdraw completely.
"I could not begin to understand the suffering that Ashan's claim places on you. I won't even try. But I am not asking you to rush into accepting him as your brother." Crais visibly flinched at the word brother. "But for me, for your child, please allow this graft."
"What makes you bring the child into this?" He asked, now clearly torn. He could not deny Rainne her request; he would fall on his own blade if she but ask.
"Watch this."
At her words, she went over and put in the vid chip Talyn had made for her. It began when the container had slammed into Rainne and sent her sprawling to the floor. Crais had nearly leapt from his seat watching her be hurt. She lay there, still as death for several moments before Ashan found her and hurried to her side.
She watched Crais' face as he heard and watched.
"Shh. Relax Rainne. Let me see where you are injured."
She winced when Ashan pressed a tender spot on her ribs. His fingers gently traveled her midsection, assessing damage. For Ashan it was a slow journey, he had never touched or tried to heal a human before.
"Ow!" She could not help but cry out. His hands stopped over the cracked ribs. Closing his eyes, he called on all of his training. He wished for K'Tahli's amplification, but she needed to go get Crais. The name caused his concentration to falter, briefly. His need to heal this woman overrode any concerns Ashan may have with his brother right now. He could feel the bones begin to knit beneath his hands. Rainne heard the humming sounds in her mind.
Ashan continued his examination. He found no other internal injuries, some light bruising he soothed. His fingertips tingled, and his eyes went wide. He splayed his fingers over her lower abdomen.
"Rainne, give me your hand." He said through his concentration. "Put your hand on mine. I am going to draw from you." He seemed a little frantic, but she complied. She knew now why there was an instant rapport between Bialar and K'Tahli. It existed here with Ashan. She looked down at their hands. Her hand began its familiar glow, but somehow the light was softer, it pulsed. It echoed her heartbeat. She noticed Ashan's hand seemed to have a tiny, fragile light. As her light pulsed, the faint light under her hand brightened, and began to pulse very quickly. Ashan's face broke into a relieved grin and he let out the breath he did not realize he was holding.
"What was that?" Rainne whispered, although she did not dare hope.
"Your first communication with your unborn child." Ashan smiled gently down to her.
"You saved its life?"
"No, sweet sister." He kissed her forehead, "You did. I just knew where to direct healing. You healed the child yourself." Rainne squeezed her eyes closed. Emotions washed over her relentless and powerful as tides. She curled her body, reflexively shielding the precious life she and Bialar had created. The life that could have blinked out before she knew it was there.
Talyn had zoomed his watching close to the hands and the last image on the vid screen was on the two hands, one small and injured, the other larger, stronger.
Crais was still as a statue. His heart was pounding more than when it had working with weights. He felt if he moved or spoke he would disintegrate, or simply cease to exist.
Rainne watched him during the vid chip. Talyn had played it for her when he explained his plan. She knew the images were intensely powerful.
"Beloved, Please. For me." Rainne whispered.
"And me." Talyn echoed.
Crais looked up sharply.
"For our son. I can tell you now that the child is a son."
Crais took her face in his hands, stared into the clear green eyes that looked at him like none ever had before. He bent forward and touched his lips to hers, just a whisper of contact.
"Yes."