[A/N] Graphic depictions of children's births follow. Trigger potential.
Book 4
Siha: Rise of Rakhana
Part II
A baby's piercing cry breaks through the forest's ill ease, the spray of blood coming from the tebris of the first Al'Kin as Tetonbaum's menjaga slips through the neck, and he drops the soldier of The Chosen from his crushing arm, turning from the ceasing-to-breathe towards the second and third hunurs ( hunters ). Blood slaps onto the fronds.
"That's it, baby," Casnar coaches as the infant struggles out, Braith pulling in a breath at the gut-wrenching scream ready to tear from her lungs.
She sobs as the hips corkscrew out, the newborn squirming, slick in Casnar's hands trying to support its violent efforts to acquire life and air.
"…Casnar!" She finally screams, "…Never…again!"
Thus did Jaspin, son of Braith and Casnar, enter the world amid the violence in the forest bogs that darkness of night, screaming to expel fluid from his strong lungs before he could finally pull in air to breathe.
The infant kicked and struggled until Casnar fell backwards, wrestling it tightly to his chest and smearing afterbirth fluid, blood among the rest over the silks of his ba'tran…He sits on the rocks and roots staring at the bawling child in his viselike hands, lifting its tiny chest as it strains to be freed from his grip.
"By Kala…" Casnar looks up at Braith, still in grips, "…He's a fighter!"
Braith opens her eyes back at him. Agony in her expression between her splayed knees, she pulls up on the front of her shift and tries to massage her stomach as the Kerhasla taught her to do, "…Casnar," her breaths are weakening, "…the rest…you have to get the rest out…"
She lays her head against a pile of wrapped roots clinging to the ridge they are nestled inside, closing her eyes from a gap in the canopy where stars twinkle back at her…She is listening to the call of the night, the silence following the cries from her first-born, her body still in waves of robust contractions, "…Casnar…" she whispers urgently, "…there's more, I can feel…"
She also feels the need to sleep…
Blood covers the rocks and stains her legs as Casnar crouches to see by what light they have…
"Stay with me, Braith." Looking from her face to the mess spreading like black darkness over the striated rocks, to her legs' own darkness between, "…By mithras," his eyes are wider as he clutches Jaspin with one arm holding the child like a doll to his chest and shoulder, the first of twins he now learns. "There's another!—Push, Braith!" His voice is tight for the cusp of death and life is nigh, and either or both mother and child-to-emerge may become inextricably trapped with one another, "…Push, baby, push!"
She does once more, and by the grace of Ara, the second is born, meekly twisting out into his father's waiting fingers and palm…The crests are barely formed, only pale wrinkles in the light…
"Thank Ara," Casnar whispers, relieved he does not have to juggle two struggling newborns on the ridge of rocks, though Jaspin has settled and clings to his sire's broad shoulder for heat…
The second-born wriggles a little in his father's hand as Casnar's fingers walk-grip-guide the infant out…Pulling itself up his long forearm until spent, it releases a sigh, resting its swollen cheek against Casnar's forearm muscles.
The legs dangle from between Casnar's wet, blood-stained fingers as he starts to laugh, his first heirs feeling that vibration from his belly...Braith relaxes finally, having allowed her body do what it must.
Through the trees Tetonbaum emerges soaked in blood, relieved and climbing up towards the laughter, smiling yet…