Childbirth Recollections

A/N: thank you to everyone who wrote reviews. No, Kel wasn't cursed, and you'll find out pretty soon why Kel didn't change her name. It will be a while before you find out who she did marry. As always, reviews are appreciated!

Chapter 4: Rescuing Dom

Duke Baird was worried. He knew Alanna, and he knew his son. They were both highly competent healers, and both were more than capable of performing a normal birth. But he'd seen the look on Alanna's face, and it did nothing to reassure him. If Lady Alanna of Trebond, Olau and Pirates' Swoop was scared that badly, that worried him.

But he couldn't do anything. Alanna would probably call on the Goddess, and all Baird could do was heal. He hadn't even been able to save Queen Lianne. Quickly, he sent a prayer to Mithros for guidance. Kel was going to need all the help she could get.

In the next room, Eleni was having similar thoughts. She, too, had grown fond of Keladry, and couldn't bear the thought that Kel mightn't conquer this obstacle as well.

Everyone who had ears had heard of the time that Kel had gone to save Dom.

It was around two years after Eleni's granddaughter Aly had married Nawat Crow.

Peace had at last settled between Scanra and Tortall. Lord Raoul had taken Third Company to get the official peace treaties signed by all of the Scanran clan leaders. Sergent Domitan of Masbolle had been scouting ahead when he was snatched by one of the very few clans still loyal to King Maggot.

'Maggur,' Eleni quickly corrected herself. It wasn't a virtue that the Goddess liked to stoop to the level of soldiers and fighters.

Anyway, Lord Raoul had spent three days searching the area for signs of where his favourite Sergent was before he found a very cleverly disguised trail a mile or so from where Dom had been snatched. The tracking that followed gave Third Company a strong sense of déjà vu. The kidnappers used techniques to cover their tracks similar to a group of rouge centaurs Third Company had rounded up when Kel was a squire. On both occasions, the groups being tracked stuck to rock or water wherever possible. Again, this got so bad that one man broke into hysterics at the glimpse of a patch of rock or stream.

Then, someone, or something, would make a set of false prints, often leading to a cliff or something similar.

On this occasion, however, the kidnappers had used braches to attempt to brush away any tracks that were left, with varying degrees of success. While the Third Company trackers couldn't see any actual tracks, they could see where the earth had been disturbed recently, thus they could follow this absence of tracks. Third Company followed to the base of a very high cliff. Three quarters of the way up was the entrance to a cave. Upon closer inspection with a spyglass, Lord Raoul could spot several sentries.

By this time, Kel and several other knights had joined forces with Third Company. As soon as Third Company had found the first tracks, Lord Raoul had sent for help. General haMinch had sent Kel, Neal, Merric, Seaver, Cleon, Vinson and Faleron. The whole of Third Company (minus one man), Lord Raoul and seven other knights against two full clans and whoever else ex-King Maggur had sent from his hideout weren't great odds. Scanran boys were trained for battle from the cradle. Before battle, some ate inedible fungi, which sent them into a trance. While in this trance, they didn't think, didn't feel, didn't die, or at least not quickly enough for the liking of the Tortallan knights peace of mind.

'Not that I should be wishing that they should die at all. Honestly, I don't know what's come over my thoughts today.' Eleni was getting rather distressed at the way her thoughts were going.

There were rumours and speculations about how the 'Great Escape' had happened, some more likely than others. Eleni simply did not believe that Kel would have seduced a guard; and she thought it ludicrous that Kel could knock the whole cave out cold simply by looking at them.

But the fact still remained that it was remarkably easy for the other knights and Third Company to capture all those in the cave, including the clan's warlord, and question them for the whereabouts of ex-King Maggur's sanctuary. With the help of the peaceful clans, Third Company was able to capture the ex-King once and for all. As the King's local representatives, the watched as the Scanrans carried out the execution. The horror was over.

Eleni was suddenly brought back to reality when someone proposed a toast to Keladry.

"To an easy birth, good health, more children, and a life blessed by the Goddess. To Keladry of Mindelan."

"To Keladry of Mindelan!" the other guests repeated and everyone drank from their respective cups and goblets.

"Mama?" asked one child, tugging at his mother's sleeve. Eleni recognised the boy as one of Anders' children, Matthias. "Mama, why're they calling Aunty Kel Keladry o' Mindelan? 'Cause she isn't. She's Keladry of—"

"Darling," his mother broke in, speaking quietly. Eleni was just close enough to the pair to hear what they said. "Do you remember how Mama told you how some nasty people were talking about Aunty Kel and calling her mean things? Well, if they knew that Aunty Kel had gotten married, they'd call her even worse names, and Aunty Kel didn't want that. That's why she wore the pretty necklace, and that's why she's asked everyone to call her Keladry of Mindelan. When she's got her own little baby, then she'll tell people what her real name is. But until then, we just call her Keladry of Mindelan, or Aunty Kel. Understand? Just Aunty Kel. There's a good boy. Now go tell the others for Mama, alright?"

'Ah,' thought Eleni, realisation dawning. 'So that's why she's still called Mindelan. Nobody wants the conservatives to find out her real name, or at least, not until she announces it. She's going to have to tell them soon, especially when she's got a babe to look after.' Eleni refused to consider the act that the babe mightn't make it through this ordeal. Kel mightn't either. From the looks on other people's faces, they too were trying to block out unpleasant thoughts. Duke Baird also had the same, pained, expression on his face. She thought she knew why. The charm Neal had made, as well as doing everything that she'd listen for the King, it was also supposed to help Kel have an easy childbirth. But Kel hadn't worn it at all today. Everybody at the party knew that Kel was married, and who she was married to. They all knew that she was pregnant, so she hadn't bothered to hide her pregnancy, not knowing what else that charm did.

Neal wouldn't risk putting the charm back on her. It would be too dangerous to do that now. Its magic could interfere with the magic that he and Alanna were performing. To put the charm on Kel now would risk killing Kel and the baby.

But something had to be done.

Baron George Cooper was thinking. Now was a difficult time, and a lot was riding on how his wife and her former squire were doing. He wished that all these people would stop praying. That was how he, George, got saddled with Kyprioth, the Trickster. Praying in times of great stress was a bad idea. You never knew who was going to answer in times like those, and Kel didn't need the help of a Trickster.

As if on cue, Kyprioth appeared. "Did I hear you thinking about me? My, my, such flattery! What can I do for you today, George? By the way, Aly's going well. Dove is a superb queen. I thank you for raising your daughter in such a way. It has been very useful."

"Kyprioth, I need you to stop any tricksters, major or minor, from interfering today." George didn't look it, but inside he was frantic.

"Well, now George, that could be tricky."

"You were saying that you wanted to thank me? This is how you do it."

"I could say that if I do this, I no longer owe you." Kyprioth pointed out.

"That's hardly friendly, is it? You'd still owe me for Aly."

"Alright, George, if you insist. No trickster will interfere with the birth of Keladry's child. No, I cannot tell you how this is going to end up. It's a crossroads. Happy?" With that, Kyprioth disappeared.

George sighed. That was a load off his chest. Now, he had other worries to take care of. This day was going to be easy for nobody at this party.