The Birth of a Race

[Jen]

Caela stretched her arms over her head as she stared at the clouds beyond the thick pine branches. It had been three months since the death of Vylrath and the complete disbanding of the family. Where Trydian was, the heavens alone only knew. Sebilla had come with her to their shelter and volunteered her freedom for three months of hell.

Of course it was hell. Any spawn of Vylrath's that was male tended to bring only pain and suffering wherever he went. Caela groaned slightly as she rested her hands on her greatly distended belly. Normal gestation periods for women were nine months, but all of that growth and development had occurred within what seemed like the blink of an eye. Three months. Caela's flesh was black and blue in places where the child pressed hard, or kicked. He was quickly outgrowing his confines, and at times Caela felt she was going to split in two. It was almost as difficult as carrying twins in a court of spies and thieves.

"Mother?" Caela propped herself on her elbows to look at her daughter and smiled at her concern.

"I'm fine. Your brother is kicking smartly this morning. He is restless." Caela's belly squirmed a little, tilting somewhat off center, as the child moved within her. It was like an alien had implanted itself in her womb and there was nothing Caela could do to get rid of it. But no, Caela would never harm a child no matter the parentage. She sat upright for a moment, winded from the effort. The boy in her belly squirmed relentlessly still, as if Caela's movement caused him to have even less room. Today was going to be a long, very long day.

As Caela leaned forward on her knees to get up, she felt her belly brush the ground and closed her eyes. She was sore in ways that she knew her body shouldn't know. This Vuri heritage was new for her and she had no guidance by anyone else, or any way to know how her body would work. Perhaps, if she had children after this one she would find it easier to bear the incredibly fast gestation period. Her mind filled with dark thoughts, Caela got to her feet and took a deep breath. She waddled with her hands pressed firmly against her lower back, hoping that the support would get to her spine and not allow her belly to break it. She made it to the well with little difficulty and held herself above the dark water for a moment, drinking in the hollowness of her eyes and the paleness of her cheeks. She looked worse than horrible and hoped that she would get her color back after the birth.

As her mind wandered, as often it did during the past three months, Caela didn't notice the blood oozing down her leg -- seeping into her faded blue gown and saturating her hips.

"Mother!" It took Sebilla's horrified voice to break her reverie and realize that the pain she felt was worse than ever before. It was a feeling that she'd known before and swore she never wanted to feel again. With a gasp, her midnight blue eyes opened wide and staring back at her through the depths of the well, Caela sank to her knees. She felt the soft loam accept her weight as she laid her body back for the birth of her son -- so eager this morning to free himself from the body that had nurtured him so briefly. Caela's eyes glazed over for a moment, seeing only blurs of green and brown as her body prepared itself to give birth. She heard Sebilla's patient whispered prayer and felt the blankets being put on her body and under her head. She was aware of everything and yet nothing as the baby worked his way toward freedom.

-----------------------

They had gone over everything that was to be done. Her mother had told her everything, every last minute detail of what would occur and how to help. Her time spent in the Faerie and working with the doctors there had helped her understanding a great deal, and Sebilla was very proud of herself as she learned.

Now, well now it was her mother writhing in pain and bearing a burden greater than she could imagine. If this was what it was like to give birth, well Sebilla didn't want anything to do with it. Her mother's line would end with her if she had anything to say about it! All feelings aside, Sebilla adopted a quiet and composed look and bent to do the duty her mother had trained her for.

The blood! Could there be any left in her mother if it was all splayed on the ground, in her skirts, and in the blankets? Sebilla held back a choked sob as she played midwife to her mother as she had with the Faerie women while being trained. It could only be the fact that the women were of a different race that their blood did not flow as thickly or greatly as did her mother's at this most vulnerable of moments.

Her eyes widened as she looked around, hoping that nothing would be drawn by the scent of blood -- for she was just a girl and her mother had all the strength and power to wield.

When her mother gave a great cry, and a smaller more fragile scream broke the air, Sebilla shook from her core as she wrapped the bloody creature in clean cloths. When her bloodied hand brushed his she gasped, seeing things that had happened in the past -- how this baby would be a hopeful creature if brought up properly, and his name...she could just see his name...Soren.

Sebilla placed the child in her mother's arms and bent to the work of cleaning blood away from her mother -- drawing the blankets and other cloths away from her. All bundled in her arms, clothing and blankets were easy to generate when her mother was able. They had plenty for the birth and for their own uses, so when Caela murmured an order in a small quiet voice, Sebilla piled the bloodied blankets up and began stacking wood for a large fire.

It took all of five minutes to feed the bloody blankets and clothing to the fire. It wouldn't do to have animals come snuffling around for hand outs when they were at their weakest. Besides, if anyone were to look on the scene with anything remotely like a human mind -- they might find it odd for a woman caked with drying blood to burn her own clothing. Standing there, naked like her mother and her brother -- Sebilla sighed, letting all the stress melt out of her body. She leaned against the temple and breathed in the cold morning air. This close to the inferno that she had created her body was warm and not frozen. It would take her some time to find her legs again to help her mother and her new brother back into the temple, and to dress each of them and herself. For now, being naked seemed entirely acceptable.

[Soren]

What light filtered through, would shock the newborn. The shock wouldn’t be from being just born, but from the fact that his eyes would appear blind. He knew who he was and had been entirely aware of his surroundings. The smell of blood relaxed his nervous and new body and the voices helped to comfort his worried mind. The boy could speak to his mother, grandmother and siblings. When he did speak, it was a cautious voice filled with a hint of contentment:

Soren….you will call me Soren…

Even as he spoke to his mother, he could feel his body growing in strength and years. He would be a shadow child, adept to darkness with an uncanny sense. Even though his body had been made for darkness, his heart had been made for the opposite- he would not follow in his father’s footsteps.
It would only be a few weeks before he would be at a child’s age.