The midwife sailed in, looking determined. "Let's get this baby birthed," she said, importantly. She rolled up her sleeves, and began digging through a leather pouch. She stopped, and stared at the muddy children. "Is this how you raise your young'uns?"
"No," Alanna said through clenched teeth. "When a woman is giving birth it is hard for her to keep track of her other child who thinks it is funny to cover himself in mud and run from his babysitter."
"Hmmmmph," the woman said. "Well, here, eat this."
"What is it?" Alanna asked her, suspiciously.
"Grass root and dandelion stalk," the woman said, matter-of-factly, tying her frizzy auburn hair back. "You probably know, I'm Mistress Kemaile, but you probably haven't heard of my apprentice. This is Anyea Gathsem. She's Doi."
A girl of about fifteen appeared at the door, and bowed her head. She had long, black hair, tied into a thick knot. Her eyes were just as black, and she had onyx between her eyes.
"Well," Thayet said cheerily. "I'll go take care of the children, and you all go and...well...deliver the baby." She walked briskly out of the room. Kalasin, Roald, and Daine followed. Thom glared at his ma.
"Do I hafta go to the nursery?" he asked.
"Yes," she said curtly, hand on stomach. Thom sighed and trudged off. Mistress Kemalie took out a chart to mark contraction times. Anyea began to soothe Alanna.
"Have you ever had your fortune told?" the girl asked, kindly.
"Once," Alanna said. "Do you tell fortunes?"
"Hand fortunes," the girl said, taking Alanna's hand and turning it so her callused palm faced Alanna. The girl stared for a moment. She knit her brows, her eyes troubled.
"What is it?" Alanna asked, interested.
"You wanted an adventure and you'll get it. Don't listen to them, listen to your heart," the girl said, voice soft.
"What does that mean?" Alanna asked.
"Don't listen to her," Mistress Kemalie said, rubbing an oil on Alanna's stomach.
Meanwhile, in the nursery, Thayet and Daine had washed the children, and were putting them in bed.
"Wake me up when the baby's born. Or can I stay up?" Thom asked, sleepily.
"I wanna see the baby," Kalasin said.
"Me, too," Roald muttered, eyelids drooping.
"To bed now, and we'll wake you. I promise," Thayet said, kissing each one on the head. "Good night, my little monsters."
Three hours later, Mistress Kemalie grabbed Alanna's hand. She told her to push. She had all sorts of herbs, salves, powders, and medicines ready. Alanna pushed, eyes closed. She took a deep breath and pushed again.
Daine was conversing with an owl. It whispered to her, causing her to grin. "THAYET!" she yelled. "C'MON!" The Queen raced over.
"What, Daine?" she asked, looking nervous and hopeful.
"We have to go an' get Alanna!" she yelped. The two raced down the hall.
They raced in, just as Alanna pushed, and the baby's head appeared. Anyea caught it, and wrapped it in cloth, handing it to Mistress Kemalie.
"It's a girl," the midwife said. "What's her name?" she gave the baby to Alanna.
Alanna stared lovingly at her little girl. She opened her eyes to reveal eyes as purple as her mother's. Her hair was chestnut brown, just like George's hair. She seemed so perfect. "Hello," Alanna said, gently. The baby looked up at her, eyes wide. "Her name is Emilia," she said. "Emilia Iris."
"Not to interrupt," Daine said, smiling. "But an owl just told me that the war is over. The men are coming home!"
Thayet began crying, happily, and Alanna sat back and smiled. What a perfect end to her day. Or was it?
"No," Alanna said through clenched teeth. "When a woman is giving birth it is hard for her to keep track of her other child who thinks it is funny to cover himself in mud and run from his babysitter."
"Hmmmmph," the woman said. "Well, here, eat this."
"What is it?" Alanna asked her, suspiciously.
"Grass root and dandelion stalk," the woman said, matter-of-factly, tying her frizzy auburn hair back. "You probably know, I'm Mistress Kemaile, but you probably haven't heard of my apprentice. This is Anyea Gathsem. She's Doi."
A girl of about fifteen appeared at the door, and bowed her head. She had long, black hair, tied into a thick knot. Her eyes were just as black, and she had onyx between her eyes.
"Well," Thayet said cheerily. "I'll go take care of the children, and you all go and...well...deliver the baby." She walked briskly out of the room. Kalasin, Roald, and Daine followed. Thom glared at his ma.
"Do I hafta go to the nursery?" he asked.
"Yes," she said curtly, hand on stomach. Thom sighed and trudged off. Mistress Kemalie took out a chart to mark contraction times. Anyea began to soothe Alanna.
"Have you ever had your fortune told?" the girl asked, kindly.
"Once," Alanna said. "Do you tell fortunes?"
"Hand fortunes," the girl said, taking Alanna's hand and turning it so her callused palm faced Alanna. The girl stared for a moment. She knit her brows, her eyes troubled.
"What is it?" Alanna asked, interested.
"You wanted an adventure and you'll get it. Don't listen to them, listen to your heart," the girl said, voice soft.
"What does that mean?" Alanna asked.
"Don't listen to her," Mistress Kemalie said, rubbing an oil on Alanna's stomach.
Meanwhile, in the nursery, Thayet and Daine had washed the children, and were putting them in bed.
"Wake me up when the baby's born. Or can I stay up?" Thom asked, sleepily.
"I wanna see the baby," Kalasin said.
"Me, too," Roald muttered, eyelids drooping.
"To bed now, and we'll wake you. I promise," Thayet said, kissing each one on the head. "Good night, my little monsters."
Three hours later, Mistress Kemalie grabbed Alanna's hand. She told her to push. She had all sorts of herbs, salves, powders, and medicines ready. Alanna pushed, eyes closed. She took a deep breath and pushed again.
Daine was conversing with an owl. It whispered to her, causing her to grin. "THAYET!" she yelled. "C'MON!" The Queen raced over.
"What, Daine?" she asked, looking nervous and hopeful.
"We have to go an' get Alanna!" she yelped. The two raced down the hall.
They raced in, just as Alanna pushed, and the baby's head appeared. Anyea caught it, and wrapped it in cloth, handing it to Mistress Kemalie.
"It's a girl," the midwife said. "What's her name?" she gave the baby to Alanna.
Alanna stared lovingly at her little girl. She opened her eyes to reveal eyes as purple as her mother's. Her hair was chestnut brown, just like George's hair. She seemed so perfect. "Hello," Alanna said, gently. The baby looked up at her, eyes wide. "Her name is Emilia," she said. "Emilia Iris."
"Not to interrupt," Daine said, smiling. "But an owl just told me that the war is over. The men are coming home!"
Thayet began crying, happily, and Alanna sat back and smiled. What a perfect end to her day. Or was it?
