Completed Promises Must be Kept

[Aidara]

Timestamp: 9th of Fall, 511 AV
Location: the Tasuma Baths
Status: Closed
Tagged: Sira


"Okay so I am going to go there before you. I don't think he knows who you are so...so... if you're there, I don't think he will see you. 'Cause he doesn't know who you are... Wait, I said that already...But you have to stay where I can see you."

Utterly strung out, Addy paced around and around their common room, ringing her hands together as she spoke. She had been doing this all morning, Sira coming and going as she pleased and it didn't effect the healer one bit; she just kept repeating herself.

"This was a dumb dumb idea. I don't know what I was thinking. Well, obviously I wasn't thinking. I didn't know he was serious! I thought we were just flirting. Who would honestly ask that in trade for goods? I'm not a whore" The anger had surfaced again, turning her hands into fists while her lips curled in a snarl at the offending memory.

It was the morning after Addy had presented Sira with their new saddle along with the information that she had gotten herself in over her head in the process. Since it was very common in Wind Reach to barter rather than pay, Addy was used to flirting her way into greatly reduced in price or free things. This case was no different, as the glassworker with whom she commissioned the beads seemed nice enough and responded to her advances in an appropriate manner.

The difference was that where Addy's suggestions were superficial for the most part, she had not realized that the Avora had meant what he said. And so the bargain was struck. Addy was to meet him in the baths that morning to... get to know each other, where after she would treat him to a meal of his choice on Endal rations before they went back to his place for some... fun.

"I swear. The way he looked at me was like he was undressing me with his eyes." The creepy look in the mans eyes gave Addy a shiver. The surge of anger was replaced with disgust now and her pacing resumed. Sure, Addy liked to be looked at and her statement was more than just a little hypocritical. Everyone knew Addy loved to love the human body. The difference was, almost everyone else knew her tactics and the only reason she got away with them was because she had endeared herself to so many.

Never, ever would Addy actually trade her body for goods. Just because she slept around didn't mean she didn't have any self respect, and that is why she couldn't follow through with her deal.

"I really, really petted up, didn't I?" Finally stopping, Addy realized she was talking to an empty room. Sighing and scratching her head, she realized she couldn't put it off any longer. "Alright. I'm going to head down there. Remember Sira, the fourth pool. The one in the corner."

With the air of one walking to their own demise, Addy left the Aerie and meandered down towards the baths. Though she knew that Sira was going to be there to help her if anything went wrong, Addy couldn't shake the feeling of trepidation that hung over her like a cloud. She had a feeling that this was going to go terribly wrong.

By the time she reached the baths the city had already awoken, the sleepiness of dawn being burned away by the rising sun the same as the low hanging fog that covered the city. Unsurprisingly, the baths were modestly packed; a few naked bodies occupying each pool, Inartans relaxing before a days work or cleaning up after a long night shift.

Following her normal routine, Addy stripped her clothes and stored them, moving without a word to anyone or any request for a towel or soap to the coolest of the soaking pools. She slipped in, settling against the side that was cradled by two walls, her back protected as she watched the door for her... business partner... to arrive.

[Sira]

Sira did not like it. Not one bit. It wasn't that Aidara was going to be having sex with another person, Sira didn't care about that. That happened all the time. It was why, and how, and the fact that Addy didn't want to. She was an endal now, she didn't have to pay for things, but Addy just didn't seem to understand that fact. And a deal had been made, and endal didn't break their deals. So, no matter how much Sira hated it, she knew it would be even worse if Addy back out, and so the kelvic remained silent on the topic and only continued to assure Addy everything would be okay and that she would be there if needed. On and on Addy went, repeating the same concerns over and over. Sira knew the words by heart now, but she had preparations to make as well. So Sira left before Aidara, her plan already formulated in her head. Sira reached the bath several chimes before Aidara, though the healer didn't know it. As far as Addy knew Sira was still in the aerie not listening to her. When the dek approached and offered to wash her clothes Sira shook her head. "No. Take off your clothes." With a confused look on her face, the dek did as she was told, and Sira undressed herself as well. Once they were both naked Sira handed her outfit over to the dek and traded clothes. "These are yours now. Take the pinions in the right pocket and go treat yourself to something nice. You have the rest of the day off.. tell them Sira ordered it if anyone questions you." The dek was very confused, but she did as she was told and started to dress, only to pause and look at Sira in concern. "But... Endal Sira, if you dress like that people will think you are.. Well, like me." Sira chuckled and patted the nameless dek on the head, "Exactly." When Aidara arrived Sira was fetching a towl for a bathing avora. She made sure to keep her hair in her face to hide who she was, in case anybody should recognize her, and as soon as she could she made her way over to the healer and knelt next to the bath, her head bowed. "Did you need anything, my lady? A towel, maybe? Or perhaps some soap?" Sira looked up then, flashing Aidara one of her impish smiles, before lowering her eyes once more. "Or I could just wait here in case you need anything." Keeping a dek on call next to your bath was common practice for endal, since they always seemed to require this or that. It was perfect, it allowed Sira to be right next to her as their 'personal servant' and ready if anything happened. The only flaw in her plan was if another Endal who knew her joined them, as her disguise was certainly not flawless, but Sira was counting on the fact that most endal did not even look at the dek, even when they were ordering them about. When the man arrived Sira would offer him the same things she had Aidara, informing him that Endal Aidara had made her their official bath servant for the night.

[Aidara]

As the chimes slowly passed Addy’s nervousness increased until she was wound as tight as a spring and fit to explode, every little sound producing a violent reaction. A less than careful Avora slipping into a neighboring bath with an overloud splash had the healer jump out of her skin. The normal bang and clang of the men and women putting their clothes in the Shute and their valuables in the cubbies seemed magnified, as if they were all standing behind her, slamming things around right next to her ears. All of a sudden it seemed like everyone was watching her; they knew why she was here, alone and waiting. Their stares seemed to be accusatory, amused, or judgmental as they splashed around, enjoying the warmth of the water. No longer did the baths seem a comfortable and reassuring place to… negotiate. This bathing group of her peers could, and in her mind would, likely turn into an angry mob that would force her to complete her deal.

And so she sat, trying to be casual as she lounged against the edge of her bath, though her head snapped back and forth at a ridiculous speed, as if she was trying to pinpoint the location of every sound made in her vicinity. The welcoming Dek, free of any current duties as the influx of bathers slowed, chatted loudly with another drudge as she folded fresh towels, the sound of their voices making her eye twitch. Overreacting was an understatement.

Oh, and not to mention that every single male, Dek, Avora, or Endal in dress looked like the man she was supposed to meet. For a woman that constantly appraised the male (and female) body as often and unabashedly as she could, it was odd to see Addy avert her eyes whenever a strapping male strutted along the stone paths between the pools. It was as she was avoiding looking at a group of three men who hovered at the edge of her pool, possibly hoping for an invitation to join them, that Sira appeared in her disguise. Afraid to glance up and possibly meet the eyes of the man she was trying to avoid before she was ready, Addy turned her head and spoke to the “Dek” as she studied the ripples her movements made in the water.

“Wine, maybe. Two glasses… no, just one. One glass. And a larger towel, too.”

When she didn’t hear the obedient scuffle of feet as the Dek hurried to obey, Addy glanced up to see what the problem was.

“Sira!” She hissed, clapping her hand over her mouth as she apparently no longer had control the octave of her voice. Luckily, the group of hopeful males that had lingered on the edge of Addy’s pool had gotten tired of waiting, one of them pushing another into the adjacent pool. The resulting splash neatly covered the healer’s outburst.

“Oh my god, you came. I didn’t know if I was going to see you before he got here, if I was just going to have to know that you’d be hiding somewhere out of sight…” Her voice was a whisper now, low and intent as she leaned towards her disguised love. Only when Sira glanced up, her golden eyes firm, did Addy realize she was going to spoil the plan if she kept up the gush of words. Nodding her understanding she turned her back on Sira, leaning back on the lip of the pool again as her heart rate started to slow down towards it’s normal pace.

Somehow, Addy had managed a cool, calm, and collected exterior by the time the Avora made his appearance. Only after asking around had the healer found out that the man’s name was Gwain. He looked much like he did the day she went to pick up the beads: Greasy, self confident and sneering. She saw more of him now, as he strode naked towards her, and had to bite the inside of her lip to stop the giggle that threatened. If she started laughing it would be harder for Sira to blend in, as she would most definitely find humor in the stringy, awkward, and unappealing man that strutted towards them.

“Do you need anything, sir? A towel or some soap?” Amazed at how well Sira had slipped into the subservient role, Gwain didn’t even give her a second glance as he raised his hand and flicked his fingers at her, shooing the woman away as he slipped into the steaming waters directly across from Addy.

“I need nothing, this is a business deal, so leave us.” His tone was nasally and pretentious in it’s dismissal, watery blue eyes glued to Addy’s face.

“Actually, I’ve hired her for the day. I like to luxuriate in the baths when I actually have the time between jobs. She says because she fetches my things.” Usually failing at acting like a proper Endal, the little woman actually managed to pull it off; Gwain’s cocky smirk fell away as he bowed his head in acquiescence.

“Fine then. To business.” There was only a brief reprieve from the smirk, as it quickly fell back into place as his eyes wandered down to Addy’s naked body. She suddenly felt very vulnerable with only hot water to shield herself from his dirty gaze. “You know what I am here for. Where will we fulfill the agreement?”

“We won’t be.” With her breath hitching in her chest after she spat out the words, Addy tried to rid her face of all unwanted emotion. Right now, she just had to be strong. “The agreement is null and void because I say it is.” Of course, Sira and Sai had both told her many times that she needent explain herself to the lower caste. However, despite all of the reassurences that this guy would back off when she put her foot down, Addy felt a sinking in her stomach as she watched Gwain’s face. It wasn’t goin to be that easy.

“I don’t think so. I gave you trade. My time, my effort, my art. You owe me.” His voice had lowered, and though the annoying drawl made it so he could never sound intimidating, Addy was nonetheless apprehensive.

Holding her breath, her knuckles white where she gripped the edge of the pool tightly, it was harder than she thought it would be to keep the quaver from her voice. Sira had coached her on what to say, so now it was only a matter of pulling this off with the snooty confidence she perceived the Endal to have. “No. I was wrong to offer something I was not comfortable in offering just because you guilted me into it. This issue is closed. Please leave me to my bath.”

With what she hoped was with an air of finality, Addy turned her face away from Gwain and looked up towards where Sira stood guard. She didn’t dare let any recognition enter her expression, instead intending to request some unimportant bobble that she simply had to have for her bath. It was all to waste time while Gwain gathered up his dignity and left.

That’s not at all what happened. When a long fingered hand closed around her upper arm, Addy couldn’t help but cry out. Gwain yanked her from the edge of the pool, pulling her against his frail looking chest. He was a lot stronger than he looked, tugging the healer towards where he intended to exit the pool despite her flailing. Again her stature limited her; the pool was waste deep and Gwain was continuously pulling her off balance. Addy’s only option was to call out and scrabble with her nails at his arm.

“Sira!”

[Sira]

It wasn't easy for Sira at all. When the lanky man dismissed her with a flick of his fingers an unseen frown swept across Sira's face before she remembered she was a dek and was supposed to be accustomed to such disrespectful actions. Studying the man behind a veiled gaze, he wasn't exactly the usual choice in men for Aidara. Even without his attitude Sira wouldn't have expected Aidara to want to sleep with him, he didn't have much to brag about. The forward way in which he spoke to the healer angered Sira as well, but she kept her rage in check. It was Addy's battle, she needed to deal with the man herself. "We won't be. The agreement is null and void because I say it is." Sira couldn't help but smile at that. Addy had pushed past her fear and said what needed to be said. The matter was over, and Gwain would leave, and Sira would join her lover in the bath instead. Sira would tell her how amazing she was and the day that had been reserved for the vile man would instead be a wonderful off day for the pair of endal who had so little free time. But that wasn't what happened. The man stood up to her, defied her. He said no. Sira's smile went away and her anger returned, but Addy made her proud and held her ground and told him again that it would not be happening. She turned her back on the man and that should have been the end of it. No Avora would dare defy an endal twice. That was why when the man grabbed her and yanked her back Sira was so shocked that she was unable to react to stop it. What was he doing!? Avora didn't put their hands on endal without permission, what was he thinking? It wasn't until Addy called her name that the kelvic snapped out of it. "Sira!" Snapping into action, Sira jumped into the pool and waded across, latching on to Aidara's other arm. "Let go of her!" The man either did not recognize the name Aidara had called, or he was completely insane because once again Sira was shocked into inaction by his response. The man let go of Aidara's arm and spun around, his closed fist swinging around and slamming into the side of Sira's jaw knocking her off her feet. "Don't touch me you filthy bitch!" The man grabbed Aidara's arm and kicked the downed Sira twice, once in the head and once in the stomach before turning and trying to yank her out of the bath again. If anybody was watching they had either decided not to interfere or they didn't recognize the two damsels in distress as the endal they were. Nobody came to help and as Sira struggled to her feet clutching her belly with a mixture of fear and rage on her face. Blood dripped from her nose and mouth as she fought to regain her senses, the splashing and shouts coming from Aidara making her head hurt even more. "Addy.. wait," she stammered, stumbling forward in a weak attempt to catch up. Word Count531

[Aidara]

As fights always did for the unprepared, everything was happening extra fast. It seemed like all at once Gwain was grabbing at Addy’s arm and dragging her through the water while Sira was plowing quickly after the panicked healer. Addy couldn’t remember any of the warning signs of Gwain’s imminent attack. He had been angry, yes, as anyone would be if she had told them so rudely to go away. When the woman turned to share this small victory with her lover, however, the attack took her completely by surprise. Addy was shocked into inaction by the anger and strength of the Avora as he grabbed at her.

Of course Sira was quick to her rescue. Gwain hadn’t even managed to reach the opposite side of the pool before Sira had hold of her other arm. Like a game of tug o’ war between the two, Addy was pulled back and forth as each tried to gain the upper hand. The water hindered everyone’s movements and made each action sloppy. This was an advantage to Addy who had barely ever been in a fight before.

Using the leverage that Sira’s grasp on her arm provided, Addy started leaning into the Kelvic, helping her to pull Gwain back into reach and off balance so that the healer would have her arms back in her own possession again. Surprising them both, the Avora let go of Addy’s arm and dove towards Sira. The two women collided and went down in a splash, the hot water cascading up over the lip and spilling onto the already slick stone. Caught unawares, a towel Dek walked right into the splash puddle, his feet immediately flying out from under him as he fell hard on his back.

Addy saw none of this, since when Gwain let go of her the momentum of her resistance sent her flying into Sira and then smacking against the stone edge of the pool. There was a sharp pain in the back of her head as it knocked against the pools edge overhang, causing her to bite down on her tongue as she slipped under the water, gasping only a moment too late and getting a lungful of water.

Gasping and scrabbling for the surface, Addy pulled herself over the edge of the bath, coughing and gasping for air. She was completely unaware of the blows Gwain had landed on her lover, distracted by the pain that trickled down her spine and the blood that she tried to spit from her mouth. Her tongue seemed to fill her entire mouth; throbbing and swollen from where her teeth had punctured the muscle. It wasn’t long before Addy was taken by surprise yet again as that familiar hand closed around her wrist again. The Avora was still there and relatively unharmed and he was once again pulling her away.

“Addy… wait!” The pain that laced Sira’s voice made the healers head whip around. The Kelvic womans face was crumpled in pain, a stream of blood tracing her jaw line as it flowed from her nose and down her neck to pool in her collar bone.

“Sira! NO!” This wasn’t supposed to happen! Sira was more fragile now then ever, and not only had Gwain defied her but he had hit a pregnant woman. Roaring in a fury that her shock had previously held at bay, the sight of bloodied Sira sent the healer into a protective frenzy. Whirling she lept upon the man that pulled her along, climbing onto his back and wrapping one arm around his neck. While she clung there, her legs going to tightly clamp around his waist, Addy dug her fingers into the most sensitive spot she could reach: His eyes.

“How dare you touch her! How dare you hit her! We are ENDAL!” The bath was silent now as the news of the brawl rippled through the bath-goers. All turned now to watch them, many mouths hanging agape while a few people even rushed to gather their things and leave. Clawing at his face, nails gouging and leaving bright red welts across his cheeks, Addy glanced up to see the almost completely still bath house.

”Do something! She’s BLEEDING!” And that was all it took, half a dozen Dek and Avora rushing from where they ringed the pool to drag Sira from the water. Why weren’t they helping her? How could so many strong men leave two women, Endal women to fend for themselves. The indignation of it all caused another surge of anger to rise like bile in her throat. Ready to renew her attack, Addy returned her attention to the man to whom she clung, belatedly realizing why no one had jumped in to intervene.

Gwain was no longer fighting back, his hands held above his head, trying to protect his face with his upper arms as he made it clear that he was no longer touching Addy, whimpering “Stop it, stop it, please stop it” over and over again. And just like that, the fight left the healer. She loosened her legs and dropped with a slurping splash back into the pool. Gwain was instantly up and out of the water, his hands moving to feel his face only for him to cry out and jerk his hands away. His cheeks were gauged and bleeding, one of his eyes already blackening where she had jammed her thumb.

“Get him out of my sight.” The Avora didn’t deserve her attentions and if Addy had to suffer for denying her need to heal him, so be it. She would deal with that later. For now, she spun and searched for where the men had taken Sira.

[Sira]

Sira was too stunned to realize what was happening as a group of Avora and Dek alike rushed to her aid at Aidara’s command. Her body ached all over, she was bleeding from the face, and her stomach was sore from the kick. My… stomach is sore? My stomach is sore! Speech would not come to her at first, but her hands fell to her belly as she was dragged out of the pull, pressing ever so lightly to determine where exactly she felt the pain. Her eyes widened in fear, the man had kicked her in exactly the worst possible spot! “Oh no, oh no, oh no,” Sira started to mumble as one Avora seemed to take charge of the situation. Sira recognized him as someone from the infirmary, one of Aidara’s helpers. Why hadn’t he stepped in earlier? Why hadn’t he interfered when it all began? The doctor, or nurse, or whatever one might call him quickly examined her face but Sira waved his hand away angrily. “No, no.. where is Addy? Get me Addy!” Sira struggled to sit up, fighting off the wooziness in her head and pushing herself off the ground so she could look around. Aidara was on top of the offending Avora, though she had stopped beating him by now and he was begging for mercy. ”Get him out of my sight.” Well.. at least Aidara was acting like an endal now, but Sira’s rage at the sight of Gwain skyrocketed and she struggled to her feet despite the protest of all the Avora’s around her. “Take him to the Valintar! Tell him what happened! I will be there later to personally see to his punishment.” Gwain shot her a pleading look as he was dragged off, a complete opposite of the way he had looked at both of them before, and Sira only grunted before stumbling and sinking back down to the ground. Her fall was eased by the arms of multiple dek and Avora. “We should get you to the infirmary, Sira Endal.” Sira shook her head. She knew they were right, but Addy was there. She would listen to no one but the healer. The doctor or nurse or whatever he wanted to call himself busied himself with wiping the blood off Sira’s face, which only irritated Sira, and as soon as Aidara was done with the man and came to tend with Sira she waved all the other’s off. “Get away! Addy will take care of me!” Hesitantly the Avora and dek faded away, though some remained near in case Aidara needed help with anything. As soon as they were gone the waterworks came on, and Sira started crying into Aidara’s shoulder. All this for being hit in the face? Addy was probably a bit confused, since Sira had suffered far worse injuries and not shed a single tear. “Addy.. the baby.. he kicked me. He kicked the baby!” Sira pulled up her shirt, revealing the bruise that was already beginning to form. Sira didn’t know how well protected a baby would be from such a thing, but her mind instantly went to the worst possible scenario. In her mind it was as if the man had kicked the baby itself. “Addy, you have to do something. Check on it like you did before, don’t worry about me right now, I’ll be fine. Check on the baby.” Sira leaned back, the fight gone out of her, and waited for Addy to work her magic.. literally. Sira knew that sometimes the healer preferred to use the old fashioned methods, but there was no way that was going to happen this time. Her mind running rampant with possibilities, Sira could not shake away the feeling that the worst had happened. What if Addy couldn’t heal it? What if the baby was already dead? When the warm sensation of Addy’s magic finally spread into her Sira let out a long sigh. Being healed felt good, but more importantly she could relax. Aidara would find out exactly what the damage was and she would fix it, there was no doubt in Sira’s mind. The doubt that had been there was gone as soon as the healing began. Addy supposedly wasn’t the most powerful healer out there, but Sira didn’t believe it. Not when it came to their baby. Addy’s healing would surpass anyone’s, no matter how blessed they were by the goddess. Sira closed her eyes and waited, hoping, knowing that Addy was going to deliver good news. OOCUm.. so this isn’t the best post I think. I’m still a little sick, but I wanted to try. Anyway, feel free to think of whatever injury you want for the baby. It’s all up to you. Word Count754

[Aidara]

Aidara only had to give the orders to have the man removed before she was flying to Sira’s side. Slipping and sliding over the wet stone, the little woman had to shoulder her way through the gathered crowed to reach her loves side.

“Where were you all when this was happening?” Her tone was sharp and hostile with her fear and anger, green eyes flashing as she glared at those who dared to meet her gaze. Her look alone parted the crowd far easier than if she had tried to force her way through. When the last man stepped aside, Sira was finally in view; sprawled by the edge of the pool, the feisty Kelvic woman was squawking and snapping at her saviors. Had the situation not been so dire, Addy might have even smiled.

When the helper who was blotting at Sira’s face looked up, the woman was relieved to see Miquel, the tension in her muscles that held her body so rigid slackening only slightly to learn that her fellow healer would have made sure that nothing dire was wrong.

“What’s wrong? Where is she bleeding? Did she tell you what happened?” Instead of asking these things to Sira herself, Addy had turned to Miquel as she skidded to a stop next to the group. Miquel didn’t even get a chance to answer the barrage of questions because Sira struggled to her feet and yelled after the Avora and Dek that were removing Gwain. Taking a deep breath as she swallowed frustration, Addy turned to her lover and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Sira, you need to sit down. You could be seriously hurt.” She hadn’t meant to snap, but she did. The adrenaline still pumped through her veins, her hands shaking with the force of her anger. Addy was turning to consult Miquel again when Sira imperiously sent them all way. Confused, Miquel glanced between Addy and Sira before looking back to Addy, raising his hands in defeat and backing away.

“Get away! Addy will take care of me!”

“I need to think and that clearly isn’t going to happen here!” She yelled, stomping her foot in a less than mature show of temper. “You and you, take Sira to the Infirmary now. Every second wasted could bring my child closer to death.” Though Addy wasn’t completely sure what had happened, she knew Sira well enough to read the expression on her face as well as her actions. The other woman didn’t normally over react. Gwain must have gotten her good if Sira was this panicked. The Dek to which she indicated had jumped forward and gently gathered Sira into their arms before Addy had even finished talking. For the first time since the beginning of the fight, the bath was completely silent as people moved out of their way. It seemed as if everyone had been caught up in the bloodlust of a fight to realize that there was more than pride at stake this time.

Turning to Miquel, who had indeed backed away but hadn’t entirely left Addy’s side, she indicated that he should answer her questions.

“The blood was from her nose, Dara, there is no need to worry about that. Gwain got her good along the right side, though it looked like for the most part he only grazed her stomach by the way that the bruise is forming.”

“And what did she say happened? I was underwater when all this went down.” Concern furrowed her brows, the frown that twisted her lips making her look older and more tired than her twenty-four years.

“She said he landed a blow full on her stomach, which knocked her down. I saw that as well, but I am almost positive the kick didn’t land where she said.”

“Thank you Miquel. Will you come with me?” She was scared. Beneath all of the anger was bubbling fear, threatening to take over whenever the adrenaline left her system and Addy was well aware of it. Should she be overcome and incapacitated, she would need the man to take over. It was a great honor, for the Endal practically trusted the man with her lovers life.

“Of course. I’ll be right behind you.”

Allowing Aidara to lead the way, the two healers marched quickly from the baths. It was only upon Miquels insistence that Addy stopped and reclothed herself; she had been ready to just march out into the corridors completely naked. While many a man or woman would most assuredly appreciate this, Miquel pointed out that it was for the best that she be clothed.

It was less than a quarter of a bell later that they arrived at the Infirmary. Sira was there, lain on a bed near the fireplace in the back of the ward, stretched out on the bed with the bare bulge of her tummy sticking up into the air. The breath caught in Addy’s throat as she saw the bruise forming along her right side, just as Miquel had said. Without word or glance to any of the other patients, Addy nearly ran to Sira’s side.

“Addy…The baby. He kicked me! He kicked the baby!” The panic made Sira’s voice raw, her eyes bright with apprehension.

“Shhhhhh, Sira. Calm down.” Catching her loves outstretched hand, the healer once more swallowed down her fear as she tried to become the professional that Sira needed. “It will be alright, I don’t think it is as bad as you believe.. though I am sure it hurts like hell.” Lifting the hand to her lips, Addy placed a small kiss against the damp and clammy skin.

“Addy, you have to do something. Check on it like you did before, don’t worry about me right now, I’ll be fine. Check on the baby.”

“Shhhhhh, Sira. I’ll check on the baby. Just be still or you’re going to do the child harm. I am no expert, but I know enough that getting this upset is only going to effect the baby in bad ways.” A soothing hand smoothed through the Kelvic’s wet, tangled hair. “Just lay back and be calm. I will take care of you, you know that.”

She sounded more confident than she felt, but that is what Sira needed. How many times Sira had been there for Addy, dealing with her cowardice and handling her over reactions with a calm sense of assurance, Addy couldn’t even count. She owed her lover this.

Still holding Sira’s hand in her own, Addy placed her other upon the blooming spread of black, blue and yellow on the side of her stomach. It was much harder than normal to pull that cover of calm around her, distracted by every small noise around her. She could even feel the rapid thump of Sira’s pulse through the grip on her hand, tempted to drop the comforting grasp to be able to concentrate better. She quickly disregarded this when she opened one eye and found worried and pleading golden eyes staring at her. Renewing her efforts, Addy finally slipped into that calm state after ten torturous chimes of trying.

It was easy after that, since time was nothing here in her ‘healing world’. There was only herself, her power and whatever injury needed her attention. Wasting no time carefully gathering her gift, Addy grabbed at it and dove into the awareness that was Sira. Whether it was because she was so afraid or because she was just improving that much, Addy was quickly within Siras abdomen. Immediately, the broken vessels that caused the brusing were obvious. Miquel was right, Gwain hadn’t caused as much damage as they had feared. There was no indication to Addy’s magical vision that the placenta was not damaged; there was no bleeding or seeping in that general direction. It was very hard to tell because of the fetus. The body-within-a-body confused the healers senses, making it impossible to find anything that she wanted. The baby had moved all of Siras internal organs, pushing them around so that it could fit within her stomach. Since Addy had never studied the anatomy of a pregnant woman, she was forced to search for bleeding, swelling or anything of the sort rather than specific organs.

When she found nothing wrong, She turned her attentions to the flesh that she knew had been hit. It was easy to stop the bruising from spreading further, but she couldn’t make it completely disappear. It also became quickly obvious that the pain Sira was feeling was not from the baby, but from where Gwain’s blow had connected with the bone of her hip, which was also clearly bruised. Satisfied by this diagnosis, and by the fact that their child was not in danger, Addy pulled herself back into reality.

“The baby is fine.” She breathed, as if she barely thought to believe it herself, eyes wide as she sought and found Sira’s.

OOCAfter talking to Jen, we decided that it was not feasible for the stomach and the baby to have been directly hit. It probably would have caused a miscarriage and/or internal bleeding, neither of which Addy would have been able to do anything about. And since Sira is roughly six months pregnant at this point, she would have lost the baby if she had been forced into early labor. So I hope my compromise isn’t too lame. Lemme know if you had a better idea.

[Sira]

"The baby is fine." Sira let out a long sigh of relief, her eyes finally clothing as Addy healed her wounds as best she could. The last several chimes had been a blur to Sira, but they all flashed before her again as she laid back her head and relaxed. Sira had initially struggled when Addy had ordered the dek to take her away, flinching and flailing at the touches of any other than the healer herself, but somewhere in the panic Sira's rational mind must have convinced herself that it would be okay and she stopped fighting, allowing herself to be carried away. The journey from the baths to the infirmary was absolutely miserable for Sira. It wasn't because of the pain, it hurt but she had felt far worse in her life, but the fear that her baby might have been harmed. And if it had been harmed... well, for Gwain's sake he had better hope the baby was alive and healthy. Sira couldn't even begin to think of what she would do to the man if she lost her baby, but she knew he would be made to suffer. Realizing that such grave thoughts were not helping the situation Sira tried to calm her mind and focus on what was happening around her. They had arrived at the infirmary but Aidara was not there yet. The chimes that passed by as she waited for the healer to arrive seemed like bells and more than once Sira asked where her lover was. When finally Addy arrived Sira's crazy switch turned on again and she began pleading with Addy to check on the baby, to tell her that it was alright, as if she thought the healer wasn't already planning to do just that. Addy spoke calming words and took Sira's hand, and Sira fell silent. She felt the healing warmth enter her after a period of concentration from the healer and knew, just knew, that it was all going to be okay. And then Aidara confirmed it, "The baby is fine." Addy healed the bruising as best as she could before moving on to Sira's face which was pretty banged up but again, Sira had had much worse injuries. All in all it turned out well, and the deepest wound Sira had suffered was probably just broken pride. "Addy.. what are we going to do about him? He disrespected both of us, hit us.. he could have hurt the baby. I just want.." Sira sighed and shook her head. "I probably shouldn’t be worry about that right now, should I? Are you alright?" Sira pushed herself up on her elbows, finding it much easier to bend with the bulk of the bruise healed up. "Did he hurt you!?" Sira had been so concerned with the welfare of their child that she hadn't even thought of Addy's own health. Word Count480

[Aidara]

“No, no. I’m fine. My arm is a little sore, but that can’t be helped.” As she spoke, she reached to rub the arm in question. Without a doubt there would be bruising, but she needed worry Sira more with those details.

“As for what we are going to do… I can’t think of anything legal besides taking the issue to the Valintar.” With a sigh, Addy seated herself closer to where Sira lay so that she may hold her lovers hand. She sought the other woman’s gaze, smiling only when golden eyes locked with green ones. They were all okay, that was all that mattered. The adrenaline from the brawl was just starting to leave her system, allowing a clear vision of the events; her hands shook and her knees felt weak but it could have been worse, she realized now… much worse.

“What I want to do is sic Catabasis and Sai on him, cut off his balls and feed them to the new fledglings. Then I want to bring him back to life and throw him off the side of the mountain, insuring that he hits ever protruding rock on the way down.” Okay, so maybe she wasn’t as calm as she would have liked to think. Imagining the punishments Gwain deserved for putting her unborn child in danger sent Addy’s heart to pumping again. All in a rush, the room started to spin and she began to feel light headed.

Turning and staggering away, Addy slumped down in one of the waiting room chairs. When the others swarmed around her and Sira inevitably tried to leave the bed, the healer waved them away and pinned Sira with a serious gaze “Stay.” She told the pregnant woman, a finger pointing as if to add to her command. “I am fine, everything just caught up with me is all.”

Closing her eyes and tilting her head back, Addy rubbed her fingers against her temple. “What do you think we should do, Sira? I’m not used to being in charge of making sure justice is served. The only fights I break up are spats between Yasi or thieving between Dek and Avora… What happens when an Endal, no multiple Endal, are attacked?”

[Sira]

Sira was no expert on the law, certainly not when it came to lower castes injury endal. Such a thing was almost unheard of, but Sira had a pretty good idea that she knew exactly what the man's punishment was likely to be, and the also knew that no matter what Addy said and how angry she actually was she probably wouldn't wish it on the man. More than likely he would be executed. Avora didn't attack endal. They just didn't, and especially not pregnant ones. Disobeying a direct order from one, as he had done to Aidara, was bad enough, but assaulting two? The man was likely going to be killed for it. In the end Sira just lied. She knew Addy couldn't take having a death on her hands, even if the man deserved it. "I don't know.. he'll probably be made into a dek or something." Her response probably wasn't enough to convince the woman, the healer knew her too well and could likely tell when she was lying, but it didn't really matter. Addy probably knew deep down what would happen as well. Either of them could probably stop it with a word, but would they? Sira thought about it for a moment, but she knew deep down she probably wouldn't. Sira wasn't a killer, unless it was for food or to protect her people, and even then she didn't particularly enjoy the act. But the man assaulted them, hurt Sira, and could have harmed the baby. It was unforgiveable. Sira sighed and shook her head, trying to wipe her mind free of such dark thoughts. It wasn't good for the baby. "So you're sure the baby wasn't hurt, right?" Sira placed a nervous hand in her belly, hoping to feel a kick or some sign that the baby was still there, but it seemed the baby was sleeping because Sira didn't feel it move. It wasn't that she didn't trust Aidara, she knew the healer would never lie to her about something like that, but she was just a worried mother freaking out over her child. When Addy collapsed on the chair Sira did try to get up, but a stern look and a word from her lover had her quickly laying back down. Sira hated being sick of wounded. She hated being stuck in bed all day, and with the pregnancy ruling her life for the past seasons she had spent far more time in bed than she wanted. And it wasn't fun bed time either, she was always tired or had an upset stomach or maybe her back hurt or something. Being pregnant was certainly no walk by the beach, it was hard work. And to top it all off, Sira had been advised to shift as little as possible as her pregnancy neared its end, so it was as if her wings had been clipped as well. "I can't wait until this baby pops out.. I'm so tired of having to worry about every little thing."