I did warn some of you to expect a twist...

Married Life

Chapter Sixteen: Expecting The Unexpected

"I know that I'm prone to make fun of long-ears, but she's stronger than she looks." Dwarf Shaman sat on a chair he'd brought from the kitchen, his feet dangling far above the floor, "And if you don't stop pacing back and forth like that, you'll wear out the floorboards."

"Two days." Goblin Slayer shook his head, his face a grim mask, "Shouldn't be taking this long."

"Elves never do anything quickly if they can take their time over it." his friend tried to reassure him, "And you heared Priestess: everything's going fine, just rather slowly."

Goblin Slayer grunted and resumed his pacing up and down the hallway.

It had been two days since Farmer had arrived at the Guild Hall to inform Goblin Slayer that High Elf Archer's waters had broken, and that she was going into labour. Goblin Slayer had immediately taken a horse and ridden back to the cottage while Priestess had gone to fetch the midwife, only to discover that she'd been called away to a nearby village to assist with a particularly difficult birth. That left Priestess and Apprentice Cleric as the best qualified to assist the Elf while Rookie Warrior was sent to inform the midwife and find out how soon she might be able to return.

In the meantime, Goblin Slayer had found himself rendered worse than useless: his constant fretting over his wife had only gotten in the way of the two makeshift midwives, and Priestess had displayed an iron resolve he didn't know she had by banishing him from the bedroom. He had known that she had a strength that belied her small stature, but he had never previously been the object of her anger, and it had been unpleasantly like being attacked by a kitten that had suddenly discovered that it was in fact a lion.

Lizard Priest sat at the far end of the hall, deep in meditation. Dwarf Shaman wished that Goblin Slayer would follow his example.

"Any change?" Cow Girl appeared in the doorway from the other bedroom, yawning: she'd been up most of the night before with the children.

"Not for the last hour or so, no." Lizard Priest spoke, surprising everyone.

"I'll go make some tea." Cow Girl padded her way down to the kitchen, eager to find something, anything, to take her mind off of what was happening.

The thick, wooden walls had been built to help keep the rooms warm in the depths of winter, but they also provided a certain amount of privacy. Not enough to completely down out the screams of both pain or pleasure, but enough to at least allow one to sleep through them. Having been through the ordeal herself, Cow Girl was better equipped than her husband to deal with the stress of waiting for High Elf Archer to give birth, but that wasn't to say that it didn't take a tole on her. Far from it, and what little sleep she' d managed had been fitful to say the least.

Still, she was able to operate at least somewhat normally, filling the kettle and lighting the stove while hunting for enough clean cups for everyone. She had no idea how Priestess and Apprentice Cleric had been able to keep going, but felt sure that they'd need at least some refreshment after so long.

"Morning." Guild Girl walked in, covering her mouth as she yawned, "You should have woken me."

"But you looked so peaceful." Cow Girl put an arm around her wife and kisses her on the forehead, "Anyway, I only just woke myself. How are the little ones?"

"Still asleep." Guild Girl lent into the embrace, "They're young, but I aware that they're picking up on all the tension in the air right now."

"They're their fathers children. Still, I can't say I blame them..."

A scream of pain echoed through the cottage, and the two women almost fell over themselves as they rushed back into the hallway. Goblin Slayer stood leaning against the door, his face unreadable.

"Apprentice Cleric just told us that it shouldn't be long now." Dwarf Shaman informed them, "The baby's started to crown."

The tea didn't get made, as nobody wanted to leave the hallway. The muffled sound of Priestess' unwaveringly calm voice could be heard amongst High Elf Archer's cries of pain, but after what felt like an age, they were joined by the birth-cry of her firstborn. Apprentice Cleric opened the door,ooking ragged but happy.

"It's a girl." she beemed, "Both mother and daughter are doing fine."

"Perhaps we should start calling you Abu El Banat, my lord Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest smiled.

"Aye, daughters are the gods punishment for being born a man." Dwarf Shaman laughed, earning him self a punch to the shoulder from Guild Girl.

Ignoring them, Goblin Slayer slipped silently into the room, and his blood ran cold when he saw High Elf Archer laying on the bed: her body, normally so vibrant and full of life, looked drained and pale, as if the colour had been drained out of her. At her right breath lay a bundle of pink skin and grey-green hair, greedily enjoying her first meal.

"Look what we made." the Rangers voice was soft and week, but full of joy, "Look at our daughter, Orcbolg."

"You did it again, beloved." Cow Girl appeared to his right, Guild Girl at his left, "You sure do make some beautiful children."

"Fawn." High Elf Archer brushed a few strands of hair out of her daughters face, "Her name is Fawn."

Far to the East

"Well, this is... unexpected." a tall, greying man in a sage-green tunic sat at the head of a large table, hands steepled beneath his chin.

"Unexpected is certainly one word." a second man, dressed in the robes of a member of the Sorcerers Council, sat back in a chair to one side, cleaning his glasses, "I'm still going over all the texts I have on the Rite, but I believe I may have found a possible explanation."

"Then please, enlighten us." Sword Maiden sat across the table, cradling her newborn son in her arms, "Because I am as confused as anyone."

"It's actually quite beautiful in its simplicity." Mage smiled as he put his glasses back on, "You had sexual relations with an Elf while performing a Fertility Rite. She fell pregnant by her husband, and you fell pregnant by... her."

"So his father is actually a woman?" Lord Paladin asked, looking at the pointed ears on the newborn: they were unmistakable those of someone with Elvan blood running through their veins.

"Whoever said that the Gods don't have a sense of humour?" Minotaur Blacksmith asked from where he stood by a large fireplace, "I thought that nothing more in this world could surprise me. I should have known better."

"So he is not Goblin Slayers child?" Sword Maiden asked, unsure if she felt happier or sadder at the revolution, "That High Elf Archer is his... I don't even know the right word."

"Sire may be the best choice, under the circumstances." Mage shrugged, "The truth is that we are in uncharted waters. I would have to contact the Council to be sure, but I do believe that this is a first."

"The question then is, what do do next?" Lord Paladin turned to Sword Maiden, "We will, of cause, support whatever decision you make, but it won't be long before your superiors within the church expect to hear from you. What do we tell them?"

"I'd advise against telling them the truth." Minotaur Blacksmith rumbled, "Tell them that they have a truly undeniable miracle on their hands, and they'll want to make the most of it."

"I would like to think that my uncle would stop them, but he is but one Cardinal among many on the Council." Sword Maiden admitted, "But I will not give him up." She looked down at her sleeping child and smiled warmly, "I had long ago come to terms with the idea that I would never be a mother. If the Gods saw fit to change my fate... no, that's not true. I want this, I want him, more than I thought it was possible to want anything in life."

"Children have a way of changing your way of looking at the world." Lord Paladin agreed, "As I said, we will do all we can to support you in any way we can, no matter in what manner that help may be needed."

"Be nice to be fighting for a truly noble cause again." Minotaur Blacksmith agreed, "It's been far too long."

"Then we are in agreement." Mage nodded, "Just like old times."

"Well the, my lady, it seems you have yourself a bodyguard." Lord Paladin looked at his old friend and grinned, "Where to first?"

"Frontier Town." Sword Maiden looked more than a little worried, "I owe it to High Elf Archer to tell her about this in person."

To Be Continued...