Closed A Night to Remember (Lian Windrunner, Waisana)

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Timestamp: 63rd Day of Winter, 514 AV Seirei sighed ruefully as she stared up into the night sky. I wonder how Jared and the others are doing? she thought, almost against her will. Travel was difficult for a trade caravan during the winter. The caravans that had done well enough during the warmer months often stayed in one of the cities along their established trade routes for the winter rather than risking the dangers of storms, hungry predators, and desperate bandits. Had Jared and the others done well enough that they could afford to stay somewhere safe for the winter? Or were they out there somewhere now, traveling to their next destination, and hoping that they made it wherever they were going safely? Even with her mixed feelings about the people that had abandoned her, Seirei couldn't bring herself to wish them harm. She hoped that wherever they were, they were safe. All thoughts of her former family vanished from her mind when Seirei saw a star streaking through the sky. Her eyes widened in startled surprise. Had she really just seen that? But all doubts shattered when it happened again. And again. As Seirei watched in wonder, the sky filled with streaking lights. What did it mean? Was this a sign from one of the gods or goddesses? And if so, what message were they trying to convey? Seirei had never seen anything like this before. It was beautiful...but also a little frightening as well. Was this magnificent sight a promise of good luck to come? Or a sign of disaster? A sharp pain tore through Seirei's belly, making her gasp in startled shock. She had felt smaller cramps before, but nothing like this. Nothing this intense. It didn't last long. Perhaps a chime at most. But the relief as the pain ended left Seirei breathless, and frightened. Was this more of the same cramps she had started having as her pregnancy had progressed, just more intense? Or was something wrong with the baby? She waited, barely able to breathe as she counted the ticks. One chime passed. Then two. Then five. Seirei started to relax. Something else would have happened by now, if something was wrong...wouldn't it? Believing the...whatever had just happened to be over, Seirei looked up into the night sky once more. The stars streaking across the night sky were quite beautiful. Seirei wondered if Jared was watching it from wherever he was. Another sharp pain through her. Like the first one, it only lasted a chime or so. It faded, and once more, Seirei decided that it was nothing. Probably. But when a third came, and a fourth, and a fifth, each several chimes apart, Seirei realized that this was something different than the cramps she had been feeling periodically throughout her pregnancy. Those had been less intense, for one thing. Mild cramps not unlike the ones she experienced during her monthly flow. Those cramps had also come less often than these seemed to be. Sometimes one or two a day, sometimes several throughout the day. But not every several chimes as these seemed to be. The next pain tore through her fifteen chimes or so after the last. Was something wrong with the baby? Seirei glanced at the night sky uneasily. Had the streaking stars caused this somehow? Or was she just going into labor? Either way, she would feel a lot better if Waisana was there. The healer would know if something was wrong, or if this was normal. "Lian!" she gasped as yet another pain tore through her. "Lian...please...get Waisana! I...I think something might be wrong..."

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian carefully emptied the contents of his quiver out onto his bedroll. One by one, he examined each arrow with a critical eye. Lantern light wasn't the best for seeing even the slightest signs of damage, but it was dark, and Lian didn't want to put this task off yet again. He needed his arrows to be in the best shape possible if he wanted to be able to rely on them in a hunt, so he needed to see which ones were still useable, and which ones needed to be replaced. Otherwise, one might break on him at the worst possible moment, either costing him a kill, or possibly even his life if he was trying to defend himself against one of the many predators out in the Sea of Grass. As Lian finished examining each arrow, he placed it back in his quiver, or in a pile if it was no longer useable. Suddenly, the night was pierced by a sharp cry as Seirei called for him. The frantic tone in Seirei's voice sent a chill of fear running through him. He froze for a moment, arrow in hand, before turning in the direction of Seirei's voice, listening intently. If he were a strider, his ears would be perked forward, and alert for the slightest sound. Seirei called for him a second time, and he paled at her words. There was something wrong? Something wrong with the baby? The arrow fell out of hands that shook with fear and dread as he raced out of the tent in a panic. When Lian saw his captive, it looked as though she was in severe pain. It seemed to fade after a chime or two, but the fear never left her eyes. Seirei's plea echoed in his ears. Waisana. The healer. Right. A healer would know what was wrong...what to do for Seirei. Lian hoped. Lian ran. Stars streaked through the night sky. It was a beautiful, amazing sight. Lian had never seen its like before...and he barely noticed it now. Fear drove him on, and the only coherent thought racing through his frantic mind was that something was horribly wrong with his unborn child. He needed a healer, and he needed one now. His lungs burned as he gasped for air, but he ignored it in favor of running even faster. The River Flower had never been a more welcome sight. When Lian reached his destination, he began to search the crowd frantically. He wanted Waisana. Waisana was the healer who had been seeing his captive. She knew Seirei, and Seirei's pregnancy better than another healer would. But Lian was desperate. If he couldn't find Waisana quickly, any healer would do. When someone approached him with a concerned look, and asked him if he were injured, Lian stared at the man dully for a few ticks before registering his words. Finally, he shook his head, and asked for Waisana. Lian realized that he probably looked like a madman, because the man backed up a few steps. When he spoke, his voice was low and soothing, as if not wanting to spook a frightened horse. Lian tried to force his fear into some semblance of control, and failed. He begged to see Waisana again. The man promised to see if she was working, and to take him to where she might be if she were there. When he saw her, Lian frantically told her that something was wrong with the baby, and that Seirei wanted her to come. The raw fear in his eyes, and the way he held himself suggested that he would beg if she didn't agree to come. His hands shook as they flashed through partial signs, as if unable to decide what to say. It was a further sign of just how desperate he was.

[Waisana]

Wondrous lights had been streaking across the sky since darkness had fallen and had sparked much speculation. Some had simply commented on the beauty, some had questioned what it might signify, whether it was an ill omen or not. Waisana didn't know what it might mean, hadn't even been out to have a look at the display that was taking place far above the city. The teen had remained focused, promising herself a chance of viewing once her work for the day was done. The sooner her work was done, the sooner she was free to do as she pleased, whatever that might be.

The Opal teen was washing blood from her hands, having just removed an arrowhead from someone's leg, when one of her co-workers told her someone was there to see her. The girl frowned, thinking it was Seirei and dried her arms quickly before making a move to follow after the other healer. Lian was led towards her first though, the two of them meeting each other halfway. The irritation that would normally have come with the man's presence evaporated instantly when she saw his face. Panic, terror, bewilderment, relief at seeing her. The man was frenzied and her thoughts immediately went to the pregnant captive, breath catching in her chest as her mind raced through possibilities. Whatever it was it had to bad for him to be like this.

The baby. What the man meant by wrong she had no idea but she waited impatiently through his shaky signs and words, trying to discern what situation she was heading into almost blind. Seirei wanted her and there was something wrong but he didn't seem to know or have the ability to tell her. The hunter was a mess and if Waisana waited any longer to glean more information from him then goodness knew what sort of danger the captive could be in. The girl told the man to wait for her, signing that she would be quick before grabbing a bag and shoving supplies into it. Some herbs that could be used for pain, sleep and to prevent infection were added along with cloth that could be torn up as needed. Some cords and a blade were also added in case the trouble was actually labour and she needed to cut the umbilical cord. The pair were young and inexperienced after all and the onset of labour, despite the explanations that both had been given, might be seen as something having gone horribly wrong.

She'd allow Lian to lead the way, moving at as quick a pace as her body would allow, any further communication between them being nothing more than a waste of air. As they hurried to the Windrunner pavilion light streaked overhead, the teen's attention turned briefly upwards in wonder in spite of the situation. Anxiety mixed with the awe she felt, wondering if the streaking stars were indeed an omen of something. She hoped for Seirei's sake and, selfishly, for her own that it was a positive omen. It would kill the Drykas girl if something happened to the young captive, especially if she had had some hand in it. To fail would be horrible but she knew that her thoughts were already streaking down a bad path and she tried to reel herself back to the now, solely focusing on getting there.

The blonde was gasping, a stitch tearing painfully at her side as Seirei came into sight where she sat outside the tent. The girl was beside her quickly, the bag dropped to allow shaky hands to speak for her until her breath returned to her. Adrenaline coursed through her from the run and her hands began to tremble with the force of it as she communicated with them. It was an effort to keep her Grassland Sign slow enough for the girl to be able to understand it, the situation demanding that she possess all the information as soon as possible and thus the need to get questions out quickly. Wrong. Problem. What? Tell. Air was hauled into her lungs in fast, ragged gasps until she had the breath for Common.

"Tell me how you feel! Tell me what's wrong!"

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Relief that was nearly as strong as the pain she was in tore through Seirei when she saw Waisana arrive. Lian's presence was much less to be desired, but she did feel grateful to him for bringing Waisana back. That didn't stop her from wishing that he would go away now that Waisana was here, though. She didn't want him to see her when she felt as vulnerable as she did right now. Seirei was more than a little afraid that he would try to take advantage of her suffering in some way. In her current state of pain and fear, it was a struggle to try and translate her friend's hand signs, even though she was making them slow enough for her to understand them. Still, she thought she had a general understanding of what the hand signs meant, and Waisana's words, spoken in Common confirmed that. She was about to answer when another sharp pain tore through her abdomen, making her gasp in pain. This pain seemed to last a little longer than the ones before it, but Seirei couldn't be certain if that really was the case, or if it just seemed that way. When it faded, Seirei did her best to answer Waisana's frantic questions. "Hurts..." she muttered in Common. Inwardly, Seirei cringed. She hated how weak and vulnerable she must sound. Especially when Lian was there. She didn't even want to think about what he must think, seeing her this way. When she spoke again, her voice was stronger, and steadier, but no less pained. "There are sharp pains...here." she said, gesturing at her belly. "More severe than the ones I've had before during my pregnancy. These are more frequent too. They come...every five chimes or so. Is that...normal? Is this supposed to happen? Or...or is something wrong...?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes filled with fear and worry. The pains were severe enough to leave Seirei breathless for a few ticks after each one faded. It was a horrible, terrifying feeling, and Seirei wanted nothing more for them to go away.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian stood frozen in fear. Something was wrong with the baby. His child. Was he going to lose his child before it ever had a chance to live? And what about Seirei? If she died, all hopes of rebuilding his pavilion would almost certainly die with her. For that matter, Lian was starting to see Seirei as more than just his captive. Much to his surprise, he found himself enjoying watching from a distance as she slowly learned about his people. And in the future he would be teaching her as well, since he had promised Seirei that he would teach her how to ride this winter. The lessons had had to be delayed longer than he had originally thought since he refused to risk his unborn child for a lesson. But he still meant to keep his promise. If Seirei survived. And just now, Lian wasn't certain that she would. He sent a quick, silent prayer to any god that might be listening to keep Seirei and his unborn child safe. Lian listened intently as Seirei tried to tell Waisana what was wrong. At first, her voice sounded pained, and weak. But it steadied after a few ticks. Lian didn't know if it was a good sign or not. He hoped that it meant she was feeling a little better. But he knew that there was another possibility as well. Although they had made a little progress in coming to know the other, he was well aware that Seirei didn't trust him. So it was quite possible that she was trying to sound strong because he was there. For a brief tick, Lian considered leaving. He knew that Seirei probably didn't want him there. But...what if Waisana needed help? He knew nothing of medicine, but if the healer needed another set of hands, and was willing to tell him what to do, he could be of some small help. Lian wanted...no, needed to do something to help. He felt helpless, and he hated feeling helpless. He had felt helpless as he watched his brother and sister slowly succumb to the illness that killed them. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked anxiously. Lian's hands fluttered helplessly, further betraying the fear he felt for Seirei and his unborn child.

[Waisana]

The healer gave little attention to the hunter now that she had her patient before her. Seirei was her priority, especially as she seemed to be in so much pain. She rushed through calculations in her head, judging how far along the woman was in her pregnancy. Far enough along for the baby to be due anyway that was for certain. There was pain at regular intervals, contractions no doubt, which meant that the captive had to be in labour. She managed a smile of relief in the face of the other's confusion, nodding.

"I think it is the baby's time to come out," she told her, kneeling beside Seirei. It was too dark for her to see anything so she couldn't check to see if the baby's head was visible yet. She didn't know if the other's waters had broken. She didn't know anything yet! The Drykas girl couldn't work in these conditions, she needed light, she needed for her patient to be in a more comfortable place, somewhere warm. It was wise to have better knowledge of the situation before she attempted to move her though. If her waters had broken then there would be a way to determine that in spite of the darkness.

"Don't worry. I just need to check. Trust me," she reassured her as she found the cloth that covered the girl's groin, patting it gently to check for signs of wetness. There didn't seem to be anything yet so there should be time to move her safely before the baby started to come. It wasn't quite it's time yet. What else could the pains mean other than labour? It was the womb trying to push the baby out and while that was bad in the early stages as the baby wasn't developed enough to live, this one would be fine. So Waisana hoped. There was still a chance of it being stillborn but it wasn't a outcome that she wanted to consider at the moment. Better to focus on the here and now rather than dwelling on ifs and maybes in the future.

She rose to her feet, turning to Lian as he offered his aid. The man had no idea what to do in these circumstances. The hunter was lost, almost too anxious to be of any use at all. Waisana could put him to use of course. There was plenty that she could get him to do if he managed to keep his wits about him long enough to carry out her orders.

"I think she's in labour. That the baby is coming," she told him, her tone becoming a firm, authoritative one as she started to give her commands. "She needs to be moved into the pavilion. I'll need you to place blankets beside a fire where she can lie. Something to prop her up. Things will get messy so you need cloth that you don't mind getting bloody. Do that then help me move her, understand?" Her gestures were like her words - to the point. She watched him a moment to make sure her message had sunk in before turning her attention back to Seirei, kneeling beside her once more.

"Seirei, don't be scared. Lian is going to make a place for you inside," She gestured to the pavilion before clasping the other's hands in hers to offer some comfort. "I'll need to check you so I need light, somewhere warm for you to lie too. If baby is coming then you must be warm beside fire. We'll move you inside. Do you think you can move with my help or do you need Lian too?" she asked seriously. If the contractions had passed then the youth would be able to move without pain if not without discomfort. She might still be weak and unable to get about with ease. If she found it too difficult then Waisana was under no illusions of being able to move the other herself. She would just have to see how the other felt and hope that Lian was quick about getting everything ready. They needed things to be done quickly and efficiently. If the expectant father was incapable of doing the task she'd set then she'd have to take care of matters herself.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei's eyes widened at Waisana's words. Fear, both for her, and the baby, shock, wariness and uncertainty at Lian's presence, uncertainty, and anxiety at the entire situation, and pain caused by what was happening mingled in her eyes. But there was relief as well. Seirei was terrified, but she wanted this to be over. She wanted to be free of the pains and discomforts that being pregnant had brought her. When her friend said she had to check something, Seirei merely nodded. She wasn't certain what Waisana was looking for, but she trusted the healer completely. And her words were reassuring. If Waisana didn't think anything was wrong, then it must be true. When Waisana turned to Lian, Seirei glanced at him nervously, as well. She had mixed feelings about his presence. Seirei hated the thought of him seeing her in her current state. She felt incredibly weak and vulnerable now, and she didn't trust Lian. She knew him a little better now, but trust was another thing entirely. And the presence of someone she couldn't trust when she was in this much pain made her feel even more anxious than she already was. The man was staring at her with wide, worried eyes. It made her feel uncomfortable, and exposed. It was the child he was worried about, after all. Not her. She was just the animal chosen to bring his child into the world. But before Seirei could work herself into a panic over his presence, her friend spoke reassuringly once more, and took her hands. The simple touch was comforting, and it felt like a lifeline to her. She couldn't help but clutch at her friend's hands, desperately seeking the comfort that was being offered. Seirei forced herself to consider the question that was being asked. Being warm sounded good. So did being able to lie down, for that matter. Could she manage to go inside the tent with Waisana's help? The worst of the pain seemed to have passed, for now, at least. She felt weak and shaky, though. She doubted she could do it alone. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to. She nodded after a few ticks. "I think so..." There was hesitance in her eyes, and tone, but there was determination as well. She didn't want Lian touching her if there was any other way. He was the one who had done this to her, after all.

[Lian Windrunner]

The baby is coming. The healer's words sent intense joy rushing through Lian's entire being. The baby...his baby. A son or a daughter who would be a part of his family. After all of this time, he wouldn't be the only Windrunner anymore. And if the child was a boy, he would have an heir to his pavilion. What there was of it, at least. But with a child...and more to come in the future, when he bred Seirei again...he would have a reason to begin the lengthy process of rebuilding his pavilion. More importantly, he would have a family again. But with that joy came equally intense fear. What if something went wrong? It happened from time to time. Babies were born still born, or their mothers died in birthing them...Lian knew very little about such things, but he did know that there were dangers involved in giving birth. There was another possibility as well. Waisana had warned Lian about the possibility of damaging Seirei if he used her while she was pregnant. Including the possibility of losing his unborn child. It was why he had stopped using her completely after he was warned about the dangers. But...what if it hadn't been enough? What if he hadn't stopped soon enough? It was true that Seirei hadn't miscarried...but what if the damage he had done to her affected the birthing, killing her, or his unborn child, or both? That thought was nearly enough to throw Lian into a complete panic. But Waisana was speaking again. She was giving him instructions. Something he could do to help. Lian nodded, then raced into the tent. Blankets near a fire so that Seirei would be warm when she was giving birth. Lian could handle that. Given that it was winter, and they were home for the night, the fire was already built. It had burned down a bit during the time it had taken Lian to find Waisana and bring her back, so Lian carefully fed a few dense twists of grass into the fire. Before long, the fire was burning brightly in the fire pit. That was one task handled. The next was slightly more difficult. He had been warned that he would need something that he didn't mind getting bloody. Which meant that he couldn't just use his bedroll, which would have been the simplest option. Normally, Lian didn't have much in the way of extra anything since Talise couldn't carry much in the way of equipment when she was also carrying two humans. Most of what he owned was packed into a neighbor's wagon when the city moved in exchange for Lian giving them a portion of his kills. But fortunately, he did have a blanket he could use. He had recently bought two winter blankets. One was for Seirei, and the other was a replacement for his old blanket. Though still useable, it was somewhat worn. It was fine for the warmer months, but it didn't do much to ward off the chill of a cold winter night. Still, it could be used as bedding for Seirei now. It didn't matter if it got bloody or not since he already had a new blanket to replace it. So Lian scrambled to get the old blanket, and lay it out beside the fire. He spent several ticks anxiously smoothing it out and making certain that there were no lumps beneath it in the hopes of making Seirei more comfortable. Then he ran back out. He glanced at Seirei for a tick, trying to determine how she was doing before he turned to Waisana. "I built the fire up, and got a blanket for Seirei." he told the healer anxiously.

[Waisana]

The girl was understandably terrified but Seirei was a strong one. She'd managed to survive life with Lian, lived through her experiences with her captor and if she could get through that then she was certainly strong enough to endure this. The way that she grasped at Waisana's hands suggested that she hadn't discovered that inner strength yet. By the time this night was over, Seirei was going to have learned some things about herself. The healer held the young woman's hands more firmly to further reassure her because she obviously needed it.

The girl gave her the confirmation she needed and the blonde supported her to help her rise. She held the girl's hand, ready to pull it and placed the other hand beneath her elbow. She gave a tug, helping to lift at the elbow, hoping that Seirei would make some effort to rise. Once she was at least partly risen, the healer would place a hand at her back to guide her inside. There was steel in the girl right now so Waisana was confident that she was going to get herself into that pavilion, no matter what it took. If Lian wanted to help then it was likely his aid would be most unwelcome, even if it was greatly needed.

As if responding to her thoughts, the hunter appeared to say that he'd done as she'd asked. She glanced his way, the man's anxiety noted. He needed something else to do or he was likely to hover around uselessly, getting in the way and causing further distress to the mother-to-be. "Good. I need you to heat water, heat blankets, make sure that things are clean and go wait in the tent," she told him sternly. There wasn't anything else that she could think for him to do and as long as he was out of the way, it didn't matter. Her attention was turned back to her patient, all of her effort given to keeping her calm and on the move.

"It's going to be all right, Seirei. Just keep one foot in front of the other. Soon you can sit and then you just have to wait and the baby will come. Once the baby comes you'll be much better. Your waters will break soon. Fluid will come out but don't be afraid. It's supposed to happen. That just means that the baby is on its way. Okay, Seirei? You understand?" she asked. "Pain and movements will come more often, don't be afraid. It'll be over soon," Waisana murmured soothingly, coaxing her towards their destination by the fire. As it came into view, she assessed it, frowning at his setup. Would it be good enough? Comfortable enough? She had to hope so or she was going to end up smacking that man about the head.

"Lian! Lots of cloth. There'll be mess! She needs to be comfortable!" she snapped at him, her voice loud enough to carry to him. There was no avoiding the obedience that her tone demanded.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Waisana's firm grasp on her hands was reassuring, and Seirei managed a weak smile of gratitude at the offered comfort. When Waisana moved to help her, Seirei tried to get up. It took her three tries because the first two were thwarted by sudden sharp pains tearing through her abdomen. When each pain came, Seirei gasped softly, unable to suppress her reaction to the pain as she would have liked to with her captor so close by. But her third attempt was successful, and with her friend's aid, she was able to get to her feet. Lian returned mere ticks after Seirei had managed to get to her feet. He hovered nearby, making her feel even more anxious. His presence made her feel helpless and vulnerable after he had forced himself on her so many times. She had been helpless to defend herself against him then, and she was even less able to defend herself now. She knew that it was unlikely that he rape her now...she knew that...but fear wasn't rational. It wasn't logical. She was already terrified of what was happening to her, and her fear and distrust of her captor mingled with the terror she already felt, making it worse. Seirei could feel his eyes on her, and it made her want to scream at him to get away. But she bit back that urge, and then Waisana was speaking to him. As if she sensed that his presence was making her feel worse, she was giving him something else to do. Something that would get him away from her for a while. Seirei desperately hoped that he would go do what Waisana was asking of him. Then Waisaia was speaking again. And this time, she was speaking to her. Seirei listened to her words intently. They distracted her from her pain, and gave her something else she could focus on. One foot in front of the other. She could do that, right? Yes, she could. Her entire world narrowed into just that one task. Move her right foot. Test her footing to make sure she wouldn't slip. Carefully shift her weight onto her right foot. Move her left foot. And repeat. Slowly, but surely, Seirei made progress towards the tent . Waisana spoke of waters breaking, and fluid coming out of her. Knowing what to expect helped, and Seirei was glad Waisana had told her in advance. If it had happened without warning, Seirei thought it would be even more terrifying. But Waisana's calm, soothing presence, and her reassuring words that her water breaking would mean that the baby was coming, and it was supposed to happen eased some of her fears. When Waisana asked if she understood, Seirei started to say that she did. But another sharp pain tore through her abdomen, turning her response into a low cry of pain. This pain was much more intense than the ones that had come before it. It lasted longer, too. When it finally began to fade, she was left gasping for breath since the pain had been so intense that she had been unable to breathe. Even so, she nodded in response to Waisana's earlier question. "That one was...worse. Much worse. Is that normal, too?" she managed a few ticks later. Seirei wasn't certain what she wanted the answer to be. Normal was good because it meant that nothing was wrong. But if it was normal...then it meant that there would likely be more. Maybe the pain would grow worse still as the labor continued. And Seirei wasn't certain that she could bear it if it did.