Chapter 5 I'm what?!
Ayame sat up in her bed in a cold sweat, her heart racing. "Oh God." She groaned as she rand to the small bucket in the bathing room. All that she had eaten that night came back up and landed in the bucket. "Ayame, are you alright?" Koga asked as he walked towards her. "I think that I might be getting sick. I just lost my dinner." She spoke barely above a whisper. "Aw, hon. I am so sorry." He took a rag from the shelf and dunked it into the silver bowl of cool water. Koga rang out the extra water and walked to her. "Here, put this on your forehead; my love."
Without a second thought, she took the rag and put it on her forehead trying to relax, trying to cool off. "Thanks, babe." She said softly as she tried to get up and lost her balance, sending her hand into the bucket. "EW!" She squeaked as she tried not to gag. She stood rapidly and dunked her hand into the cool water. "That's so nasty." Ayame groaned unhappily. She cleaned off her hand, then dried it off. "I am going to try and get some sleep. I feel so sick to my stomach." With her left hand holding the rag to her head, she began her trek back to her bed. Koga walked with her, worried that she may fall again.
"Wake me later?" She said as she flipped back the skin blankets on the bed. "Of course, my dear." He smiled as he kissed her cheek. "Get some sleep. I will take the hunters out for the morning hunt and have the doctor come and take a look at you. I fear that it could be worse than we think it is. I would rather be safe than sorry. I love you, Ayame. Rest now." A smile crept onto his face as she began to drift off to sleep.
~Doctor's Tent~
"Doc, look; she is sick. I don't know what is going on. She was fine last night. It's been a month since her birthday, so I do not think that this has anything to do with the death of any of her family members." Koga said pacing with heavy frustration. "I understand, milord Koga." She spoke softly as she began looking through her tent for the things that she would need for the examination of Ayame. "I will head there now and see to her." She said putting a few things in her bag. "Inari, please; take care of her. I am unsure the last time she had her bleeding." His voice held so much worry, as did his eyes. "Worry not, milord." Inari spoke as she exited her tent, leaving Koga standing there for a moment.
~Center of the Village~
"Alright, boys! We are going to hunt." He said from the center of the village, echoed by the cheers of the hunters. Since the two tribes had joined each other there has been more need to hunt daily than normal. "Grab your gear and let's go." He spoke firmly, trying to get a smile to form on his face. The large group of hunters took off for the woods, where the often found the best prey.
~Ayame's Room~
"Ayame, when was your last bleed?" Inari asked as she began to examine Ayame's body. Ayame looked at Inari with confusion. "I uh- I haven't bled since the month before last." She was worried about where this was going. "I must say, milady; I believe that you are with child." Inari spoke as she touched Ayame's chest in a doctoral manner. "I…I cannot be with child, not yet. Please, I cannot be with child. It's too soon…isn't it?" Ayame sat up in worry and fear. "Well, milady; you are a married woman with high expectations as you are a leader. Not only of this tribe; but of your tribe as well." Inari said with a soft and tender tone. "Inari, I know. I just…I don't think that I am ready to be a momma wolf yet." Inari chuckled at Ayame's phrasing of her condition. "Well, I would not worry, milady. It is to be expected that you would be with child soon. Don't worry at all. You have plenty of time to learn what it is you will need to know." Inari said with a smile
The two of them continued their discussion of children and what Ayame would need to know before her baby arrived when the loud cheering of the hunters interrupted their talking. "Sounds like your husband and the hunters are back with food for at least two meals for today." Inari said as she stood to leave Ayame in her bed. "Be careful in what you do and eat healthy, no heavy lifting and try to keep food and water in your belly. You do not want to lose nutrients or even become dehydrated." She continued with instruction. "You will also need to get your husband to have someone make a few things for you or you make them yourself." Ayame sighed softly. "I will get things together right away. I cannot imagine what Koga will say when I tell him." Ayame spoke softly in slight fear as she stood up and went to leave her room.
The two left the building to get something to eat. "Koga?" Ayame said with a slight smile. She seemed to be feeling better. "Yea, babe?" He asked as he turned to face her. His face lit up as he saw how much better she was looking. "Koga, my love; we need to talk about what Inari told me." Ayame spoke nervously in front of the fellow hunters, wringing her hands. "Leave us, men. Go and bring the meat to the cooks and have them begin to cook the meal." Koga said taking Ayame's hand in his. "What's wrong, my dear?" He finally asked as the men had finally ventured off. "Koga, my love. There is something that is both exciting and yet scary all at the same time." She spoke softly and still nervous. "Love, don't be nervous. There is nothing to be nervous about." Koga said, having noticed that she was nervous about telling him what was going on with her body. "Well, Koga; my love. Inari has said that I am with child." Ayame spoke rather fast, because her of her nervousness.
"Ayame! Did you just say that you are with child?!" Koga said with some loud excitement that caught the attention of the entire village. Her heart raced and her face flushed with color. "Ayame…you're with child?" He asked almost in a whisper, but at that point a whisper was too late. Everyone was staring at her in curiosity that she might indeed be with child. "I am." She mumbled almost so softly that Koga almost didn't hear her. "This is great!" He exclaimed with so much excitement that he picked her up and spun her around. She laughed and tried to hold her stomach still.
"Koga. Koga…Koga!" Ayame called as she spun her around. "I'm going to be sick." He put her feet on the ground just in time for her to turn around and do just what she felt she needed to do. Be sick. Inari put her hand on her shoulder to help her keep steady, while Koga held her arm trying to keep her from falling over. "UGH!" She groaned as she regained her balance. "I am going to go and lay down. You bring me some deer or rabbit?" She asked her husband softly. "Of course, love. I will have them cook if for you special." He said as he kissed her cheek.
Ayame smiled her thanks before she turned and began to walk back to her hut. She took her sweet time walking to her home, she walked to the bathing room and washed her face in the clean bowl of cool water. After cleaning her face her rinsed her mouth out several times before she took off her nasty clothes and laid face down on top of the skin blankets. The fur warmed her skin just enough that she would not get over heated and feel nauseous again. Sometime later she heard what sounded like the door to her home, open and close. Then the noise came again, only closer. "Ayame? Love, are you awake?" Koga asked softly. "No. I am not." She chuckled lightly in her half asleep state. His laughter brought her the rest of the way out of her sleep. "I brought you something." He said, she could hear the smile in his voice. Ayame inhaled deeply. "Rabbit stew. Onion, peppers, potatoes and carrots." She said with a chuckle. Koga smiled. "Glad your nose still works, love." Ayame chuckled as she sat up. Her body completely bare. He handed her the large wooden bowl and a silver spoon. "Thank you." She smiled as she began to eat her stew. "Are you excited about the baby?" She asked before taking another spoonful. "Well, yea. I am really excited about the fact that our family is already growing." Koga said with smile on his face. "I was nervous earlier today. I thought that you may not want a baby." She said looking down at her empty stew bowl. "Why wouldn't I want a baby, Ayame?" He asked kneeling in front of her. "I don't know, babe. This just seems too soon for me, but I am excited now." She smiled as she set the bowl on the table beside the bed.
"I am really glad that you are excited now, love." Koga grinned happily. "Yea, me too. I do not want to know what it would have been like if I had given birth and still felt that I wasn't ready." Ayame said softly. "Don't worry, about it babe. You will be ready, we will be ready when our baby arrives." He said with a smile, before he placed a kiss on her cheek; then her lips. Ayame broke the kiss with a smile. "I love you."