Daine got her breakfast soon after that, and her and Kit watched as Numair tried to unsuccessfully communicate with Lindhall on his scrying stone. Daine passed him her empty plate and offered to try for the badger. Wrapping her fingers around the claw, she was about to speak his name when silver light bloomed on the floor and he appeared.

—Just what have you gotten yourself into this time, kit?— he demanded.

"Hello to you, too," she told him. "Did Ma finally spy on me and see what's going on?"

—Yes, after a very loud call by one of her supplicants. Then she berated me until I came to be her messenger, which I reminded her that I am not.—

Daine hid a smile. Over the past eight years, after Numair and her's trip to the Divine Realms, the badger god had taken on the roll of messenger. While he was free to still roam around the mortal realms, her parents were not, and it became the easiest way for Daine and Sarra to keep in contact with each other. Mostly, it was messages sent by Sarra fussing at Daine over various things, but it was still nice to have a way to talk to her Ma when she needed to.

"Of course you're not a just messenger. You're very special to us both, you know." The animal god sneezed a badger laugh at that. "What did Ma say?" she prompted.

—Your mother says you need to rest. The child will be fine. Once it is born she will help you sort it out.—

Numair choked a bit as Daine said, "Rest?! For five months? Is she daft?!"

"Surely Sarra can do something," Numair said, his usually calm voice edged with panic. "She can't expect Daine to lie about for five months."

—She expects just that,— the badger told them.

"Does she even know her daughter?" Numair murmured as Daine pushed herself up to sit.

"Tell her I will not rest for five months! Tell her she has got to think of a way to get this baby to pick a shape or I am going to lose my mind!" Daine looked up to the ceiling. "Ma, if you're listening, I don't think this funny! I've got things to do! I can't be penned in a room until this baby comes!"

The badger stomped his front claws. —If you are finished with your tantrum, I will go consult Sarra.—

"My tantrum?" Daine yelled. Numair slid an arm around her in an effort to calm her.

"Please, go consult Sarra," he said. "We will await her answer before we make any decisions. Remind her that Daine is not one prone to resting."

The badger snuffled and left them. Daine kicked the blankets from her legs and pushed Numair away so she could sit on the edge of the bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking at her warily. She glared at him.

"Something. Anything! I can't be in the bed a moment longer." She stood, and the baby suddenly shifted to a heron, giving her stilt-like legs that had a hard time balancing her uneven proportions. She swayed and Numair braced her.

"Perhaps a bath?" he offered. "You could at least sit in it."

She fell back on the bed again and sighed. "I guess so," she answered moodily. He went to fetch a tub and have someone bring up water.

She sat sulking in the bath a long time, Numair reheating her water with his magic whenever it became too cold. The badger did not reappear, much to her vexation, but Numair finally did contact Lindhall. The older mage was unsuccessful in finding any new texts on pregnant wild mages, which surprised none of them. He did offer to leave Corus and bring a cart to help them travel back to the capital if needed, which seemed to relieve Numair a bit. It just made Daine more cross.

Daine soaked until her fingertips looked like raisins, then donned her dress again and transcribed messages from her spies, who came to the window. Alanna checked in on them a few times, but there was nothing she could do. Numair seemed content to rest and worry over Daine. He had spent the week working on setting up complicated spells and was now exhausted after his all night ride.

Cassa came back that evening, and Daine relayed her mother's message. Cassa checked the baby again, and after reporting all was well, Daine sent her back to her family. She didn't need another person worrying over her.

The next morning, as they were eating breakfast in their tiny barracks room, the badger reappeared. He held a folded parchment in between his teeth.

"Well, it's about time!" Daine said, glad she could finally air her frustrations. Kitten fussed at him in dragon from the bed.

—I haven't been gone that long. Flatten your fur, kit.—

"It's been a whole day!"

—I had things to attend to. As I told you yesterday, I am not your messenger. And as you know, time passes differently in the Divine Realms.— The badger dropped the letter on the ground. Numair bent to pick it up and handed it to Daine, sitting beside her to read the words as she did. —You should listen to your mother, kit. She knows what she is talking about.— With that, the badger disappeared.

"Lovely," Daine muttered, and unfolded the parchment.

Daine,

I am fair serious about resting. There is nothing, at this point, you can do to stop the babe from shifting. You should not have been shifting while with child to begin with, but it is far too late to fuss over that.

As far as your pregnancy goes, you should not have been surprised. I have written to you before about your bad habit of forgetting your charm. I taught you from a young age what happens when you lie with a man, and the Goddess knows you certainly lie with yours often.

Drink your teas. Listen to your midwife. When the babe arrives, we can sort it out then.

Also, please tell Cassa the blueberry cake she left was by far my favorite.

Your Ma

Daine started to crumple the letter up in disgust, but Numair plucked it from her fingers and used his magic to disintegrate it to ash instead. "Much more effective," he said quietly, but she could tell he was annoyed by Sarra's words as well.

"She is one to lecture me about lying with a man," Daine seethed. "She didn't even know my Da when she got pregnant with me!" Daine looked to the ceiling. "And I hope you're listening to me, Ma!" She rubbed her face in disgust. "I just don't believe there is nothing we can do!"

Numair rubbed her back. "Perhaps we should return home and consult the palace midwife. She is very experienced, and trained at the university. She would be the expert on childbearing." He looked to the ashes on the floor. "Not that your mother isn't."

"My mother likes to vex me, I am certain." Daine sighed in defeat. "Alright. Call Lindhall, and let's tell him to bring a cart."

It took Lindhall a week to reach them. He brought a covered cart, pulled by his own horse. Numair had sent for Mangle, who he had left behind at Giantkiller, to pull them back to Corus.

Lindhall thankfully brought her more dresses from her wardrobe. She had been wearing the same one for days, only washing it once. She had to spend the day it was laundered in her cloak, as Numair's shirts did nothing to cover her ever changing lower half.

She had not left the tiny barracks room until the day they departed. She had desperately wanted to, but every time she reached the door, the baby chose an animal that made walking a long distance nearly impossible. Not only that, she really did not want any of the soldiers or knights at the fort to see her. People already talked about how odd she was even if she wasn't changing shape constantly from the waist down.

Numair offered to carry her, but they both decided that would be a bad idea, should the baby choose a heavy shape. Instead, they slowly made their way to the stable yard, Daine leaning heavily on him. Lindhall came down behind them with packs that had not been carried down earlier, Kitten following. Daine noticed a small crowd of men gathered to watch her progress and stiffly ignored them.

Thankfully, and surprisingly, she was saved by Lord Wyldon. He came down to the stable yard and sent the men who had gathered there running with one look, then came to Daine and Numair as the last of their bags were loaded.

"We will miss you, Daine. The both of you. You have been invaluable to our campaign here."

The baby gave Daine the momentary relief of choosing human shape. She stood up taller, but didn't let go of Numair just in case it shifted again. "Thank you," she told Lord Wyldon. "I hate to be leaving, but I have set up a system for while I am gone. You should still get decent reports from the birds, it just may take longer for you to see them. I will hopefully be back by next summer to sort out any loose ends."

Wyldon gave her a lopsided grin. "You won't come back. You'll have a new job then."

Her face fell as she thought about that. Was she going to have to give up her work forever?

"We should be going," Numair said, no doubt sensing her realization. "We want to make good time before dark."

Wyldon bid them farewell, and Numair helped her into the wagon and then sat down beside her. Kitten climbed into her lap, her forepaws on Daine's chest as she gave her a worried peep. Daine felt not unlike a penned animal as Mangle pulled off.

"Is he right?"

Numair gave her a sad grin and took her hand. "Yes and no, my sweet. Things will be different, that is sure. It will be different for the both of us. But also…" He was quiet for a few seconds, thinking. "Your work is a part of you. It isn't as easy for you to let it go as other mothers. Also, I think he underestimates you."

She rested a hand on her changing middle. "My ma worked everyday, and she had me to care for. My grandda cared for me when he could, but mostly I just tottered around with her and helped."

Numair smiled down at her and smoothed away a curl. "As I am sure our child will." He looked at her belly. "Assuming it totters, that is."

Daine bit her lip. She hadn't even thought about what they would do when the shape shifter was outside of her.

The trip back to Corus was long and rainy. Daine insisted that they camp at night so they could take the most direct route; Numair outright refused to let the mother of his child sleep on the ground while pregnant. They argued over it until Lindhall diplomatically said he, as an old man, would prefer to sleep in a bed to save his back. Daine knew he was lying — he had camped his entire way to meet them — but she finally relented.

Some of the inns they stayed in were ones they had been to before. The innkeepers knew that Daine and Numair shared a room despite not being married, and now eyed her growing middle as they showed them to rooms. Daine was just glad that her skirts hid most of the shape shifting from their eyes.

One particular night, they found themselves at an inn they had frequented before on journeys. They had arrived in the pouring rain, soaked to the skin. The mages had kept a magical cover over them all day, but the rain had blown sideways, and the canvas covering on the cart had been no help at all. They were all tired, irritable, and cold.

Lindhall had offered to take Kit for the night, and the dragon was too tired to protest. Daine went to their bedchamber as Numair sorted out dinner, stripping out of her wet dress and hunting for a dry one to sleep in. The baby shifted less when she was walking or riding in the cart, thankfully, and she had been able to get out of the cart and into the room with her lower half staying the shape of a lioness. She decided it was because the motion lulled the child to sleep in her womb. That also meant that whenever she tried to sleep, the baby was awake and ready to try out new shapes, much to her vexation.

The bed was larger than the barracks ones, thankfully, and she happily chose the side farthest from the door and climbed in, pulling the thick blankets around her. The maid who had shown her the room had stoked the fire, and she felt like she was slowly unthawing from the chilly rains.

Numair came in a little while later, a tray with two bowls of soup and extra rolls balanced on it. "All they had was venison stew, dear. I'm sorry. You can pick around the meat, if you want to."

She held out her hands eagerly. "I'm so hungry I don't mind."

He brought her the tray, and before he set it down, he paused. "Is…is that your legs, I see?"

Daine looked down at herself and let out a tired laugh. "It is! I hardly even notice anymore. Guess we want to try out human shape for a while."

Numair arranged the tray to sit on her round belly and went to change into dry clothes himself. Daine ate the broth and the vegetables from the stew and two of the rolls. Her stomach rumbled even after that, and Numair gladly offered her his extra roll as he started in on his own dinner beside her.

They sat in comfortable silence a while, too tired to talk. Daine watched her belly, which was still in human form under the blankets. Once Numair had finished eating, she elbowed him and pointed. "I don't want to say anything too loud in case the babe changes its mind," she whispered.

He smiled. "May I take a look? I haven't seen your lower half in a month."

She rolled her eyes. "Numair," she chided.

"Not like that." He kissed her cheek. "Though that would be nice, too - but I have to admit, I'm not brave enough a man for that in your ever changing state." She made a face as she thought through the logistics of that. "I just want to see how much your belly has grown. I don't get to admire it at all."

"Just…don't make any sudden movements. It would be nice to be human again for as long as we can manage."

Numair gently eased the blankets back, revealing the small swell of her stomach. Slowly, he pulled up her skirts to her ribs, then ran his hand gently over her belly, seeming to be mesmerized. She smiled and brushed his loose hair back behind his ear.

"Beautiful," he told her, and bent down to kiss her softly above her navel. She shivered. "Cold?" he asked, looking up at her in concern.

"No. I just…miss you, is all."

He nodded, understanding. "We could try something, if you would like?"

"Perhaps—" she started, but then felt a pop of magic in her mind and shifted, this time to the unattractive legs and underside of an ostrich. Numair started, then rubbed his face and laughed. He continued to laugh until it became so infectious Daine was laughing, too. They snickered as he put out their light and he took her into his arms.

"I think the baby has an opinion about canoodling," she told him, and he chuckled again.

"It would seem so." He kissed her in the dark. "Goodnight, magelet."

It took them nearly two weeks to reach the palace. They had arrived a week before Midwinter celebrations, and the city was bustling around them as people flooded the capital for celebrations, despite the on going war.

It was nearing an early nightfall by the time they pulled up to the Rider's stables. A small welcoming party of Onua, Tahoi, and Sarge awaited them. Numair stepped from the back of the wagon and then reached forwards to give his hand to Daine, who scooted awkwardly on the wooden floor of the cart until she could reach the edge. She stepped onto the ground and swayed in Numair's grip as her lower half suddenly shifted to the thin legs of a pink flamingo. The bird shapes were the ones she found the most annoying.

Onua saw and winced before wrapping Daine in a tight hug. "Just what have you gotten yourself into this time?" she asked when she let her go.

"You sound like the bagder," Daine told her. "I promise, if I knew it was going to happen, I wouldn't have been shifting."

"I don't believe that. You can't stay human too long," Sarge said, and also gave her a tight hug. "Can you make it up to your rooms alright, or should we get a wheelbarrow?"

Daine gave him a sour smile. "I should be fine. It may just be slow."

"We will carry your things," Onua offered. "Thayet sent a team of maids to clean your rooms today, so it is all ready for you two."

Daine was thankful for that. They hadn't been here in almost a year, when they had been given a two week reprieve during the thick of the last winter. She had already worried about a layer of dust covering everything in their rooms.

The progress up to the palace and then to their rooms was slow. People greeted them happily, but eyed her obviously changing lower half with wide eyes. Daine didn't feel like she could explain what was going on to every familiar face they encountered. Besides, the way the gossip flowed in Corus, everyone would know by the morning that she was bedridden with a baby shape shifter.

Numair opened the door to their rooms, unlocking the key spell with just a simple turn of the knob, and their small party entered. Their friends dropped the packs behind them as Daine stared at the familiar walls of their keeping room. The couch, the large armchair Numair always sat in to read, the shelves of books and warm rugs on the floor. There was already a fire in the fireplace, and she wanted to cry with how warm and inviting it all looked. She turned to find Onua, Sarge, and Lindhall gone. Only Numair and Kit remained. Her mate came forward to wrap his arms around her from behind and kissed the top of her head. Kitten came to nuzzle against her shifting legs. "I think they wanted to give us some privacy to settle back in."

She nodded, tears at the corner of her eyes. Dratted baby! she thought. Always making her cry.

"What about a bath, while I get things unpacked?" Numair asked quietly.

"That sounds wonderful," Daine sighed, and he guided her into the bedroom and went to fill the tub.