PM to join Pregnant!?!?

[Jasmine Stormblood]

15th of Summer 517 A.V.

Jasmine walked towards the River Flower still not feeling too well. For the last several weeks, the woman kept feeling ill in the mornings making her not want to eat. That was beginning to take its toll on her body and mind. Without the proper food and sleep the body would begin to shut down on its self. The continued heat of summer was starting to kick her ass on its own accord as well. Yawning some the blonde pulled on the yvas making sure that Chaser was not just walking into a random pavilion. Twisting around her spine cracked in several places causing her to sigh in relief. There had been little to no adjustment when she and Azmere had wed a short time ago. They were almost through their first season as a married couple, yet not much about their dynamic had changed in the slightest. Jasmine was still as outspoken as ever; meaning the ankal's job of trying to keep her mouth quiet was still going as well.

"Hopefully this won't take too long. I hope it is less serious than it seems," Jasmine said to herself.

The blonde was beginning to find her own company more and more appealing; since the strange illness began. That included slipping into her old sleeping area at night long after everyone was asleep. Forcing herself to rise before everyone else helped hide her secret, but was taxing her body harder and harder. Chaser stopped short snorting and nearly rearing up when a group of children ran in between the tents suddenly. Gasping the woman held on tightly nearly hitting the ground. Straightening up, she took a calming breath and shook her head. Lost in her own mind, the rider was so glad the stallion was listening to the crowd. Panting, she nudged him forward once it was clear of any small forms. Soon the two were clear of the diamond clan and were riding into the Ruby clan. Taking a deep breath, the woman hoped more than anything that Pratal would not spot her. She had a run in with the clan leader when the slaves had been brought back, and it had not ended well. Her last intention was to create more issues for her husband. From her understanding, he already had a bad relationship with the Topaz clan.

"Not much farther now," Jasmine explained in a near whisper to Chaser.

Snorting the horse picked up his pace some. The rider being on edge was making him just as nervous. Making sure to keep towards the outside; Jasmine was relieved to see the edge of the red tents growing closer and closer. Gently kicking the stallion's side made him move into a trot instead of the calm walk from before. Snorting some at the girl, the pair soon made it to the edge and were clear. Sighing in relief, the woman tried to calm her nerves some allowing him to slow back into the walk from before.

[Azmere]

Azmere rolled his neck to the right as far as he could. The tendons on the left side of his neck strained and pushed against his leathery tan skin while a grimace formed over his features. Laughter echoed from around the camp which brought the ankal’s signature half-smile to light and triggered the motion which would see his head lifted properly above his shoulders once more.

“It was like he’d been slapped by a grassbear!” Lodai recounted in his usual loud voice. He boomed over the din of cheerful noises while his light brown eyes looked to the scarred man who stood before the small group of assembled Drykas. Asher, Tomas, Sparrow and Aiyena were spaced and flanked by animals of all sorts as they listened to Lodai and watched Azmere. “I’ve never seen anyone hold a pose for that long.” Lodai continued then his big hands signed painful and funny.

Azmere moved over to the group still smiling and playfully shoved Lodai into a place amongst the group where he would be less likely to grandstand. The old gaze of Asher fell upon the scarred watchman who returned the look with a wink. “That’s what ruffians get for trying to steal food.” The ankal took a few steps away from the group, his limp more pronounced with the backpedal. He used his hands to give them all a nonverbal order to sit then the thick fingers bent into a few signs. Relax. Listen. Learn. The starburst gaze took a few ticks to take in the faces of his friends and family. Asher smiled. Lodai looked somewhere between confused and irritated while Sparrow sat attentive. Aiyena’s face, as usual, held a look of indifference as she absent-mindedly stroked the back of a seated goat.

With only the sound of Zulravs breath blowing through the reeds and grasses to contend with, Azmere spoke in a plain tone of normal volume. His calm expression reflected in the gentle rasp of his baritone words. “Funny as it was to see Rattigun eat the back of my hand,” Satisfying. “It was not about using force to get our point across.” Lodai snickered and caught a sharp elbow from the old man sitting next to him. “The slap was necessary to calm the man enough so he could receive the instruction that his adolescent mind needed.” Azmere tilted his head to Aiyena who had blown air from her mouth like a frustrated horse. Unhappy. Question. The ankal wanted to make sure everyone understood today’s work.

The girl rolled her eyes and tossed her hands. “Everyone knows Sunspear is off his yvas.” Geht Voune. Her tone displayed her agitation with the lesson at hand. “He deserved to be cracked. He steals food, bullies women and stains the name Drykas.” Her arms folded over her chest and her head went down as more words were mumbled. “We should’ve lost him in the tall grass.” Her face was truly sour in her anger. Azmere shared a look with Asher.

“People say the same thing about you, mana.”

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine relaxed into the ride once more. Her nerves were making the trip a lot more taxing than she had intended. The woman was still hopeful the doctors would just say she had a fever that was working through her system. If it was something more, the girl was not sure how to tell Azmere what was going on. Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax as the Opal clan tents could be seen clearly now. Chaser snorted and stopped feeling something was off with his rider. The horse turned his large head and looked back at her for a moment before continuing again. The woman burped and put her hand over her mouth trying to keep her meager breakfast down. Once she was certain everything was down; she shuddered and let the stallion walk on to the tents.

“Let’s hope nothing comes up huh?” Jasmine asked with a soft smile patting the horse’s side.

Chaser blew air from his nostrils while walking as the blonde drykas lead him slowly through the clan. Pulling to a stop, the woman dismounted and asked for directions from an elderly lady that was sewing outside her tent. Giving her thanks, Jasmine mounted up once more and took off in the correct direction. Pulling the horse to a stop, the woman smiled seeing small bodies run across their path. Patting his side, the girl allowed him to continue after making sure there was no more kids coming across. The rider and stallion were not used to moving among the clans so much. Most of the time, they preferred to ride along the outer edge to keep from hitting people and kids. Coming to the edge of the line of the tents, the blonde spotted the two far larger white tents. Figuring that was their destination, Jasmine turned the horse towards the correct one. Dismounting the woman walked inside the pavilion letting Chaser go graze.

“What can we help you with today?” A young male Drykas asked walking up to her.

“I have been feeling really sick in the mornings and just wanted to make sure everything is okay,” Jasmine explained. The woman followed him to a private area and sat down on the makeshift bed while a doctor came to see her. The girl found herself growing increasingly nervous the longer, she was alone and waiting. Little did she know; her pavilion mates had noticed her very odd behavior and was expressing their concerns to Azmere.

“I got a question,” Asher spoke out before Azmere could get to their duties, “has anyone noticed Jasmine’s odd behavior. She is up and out of the pavilion before everyone else has risen, and has become the last one to retire for the night.”

“That is strange. Has Maximus been bothering her again? Shortly after I joined I noticed he was still harassing her,” Lodia said looking at the older man.

“That wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t know how that child ever came from a man like Thrash Moonstone. Ah old man Thrash was beloved within his clan, but his son was as big a zibri’s asshole as he is now. I will never know how Jasmine survived after the old man passed. Thrash raised that girl as his own child to protect her from his son. It just did not last as he aged and became weak,” Asher said with a sigh shaking his head.

[Azmere]

Azmere furrowed his brow when the discussion shifted towards the topic of his wife. He did not care for her business to be publically scrutinized but he couldn’t expect their family to not notice and her certainly knew that they cared. Little in the way of wiggle room could be found so the ankal listened as theories were cast about and old hurts were unearthed. Max was not one of Azmere’s favorite people but he had to appreciate the truth of life. Had her father not been a shyke excuse for a real Drykas, Jasmine might not have come to Azmere for shelter and support. The scarred man often wrestled with such things and did so again just like a wound will always bleed after the scab has been torn away. Should he thank the man for being a failure as an ankal and parent? Should he kill him for the pain that was wrought upon Azmere’s beautiful blonde bride? Or should the watchman hold to the laws of his people and simply let the past blow away with the dust?

The contrasting gaze was out of focus and cast to the side. The pounding of his own heart and thoughts had drowned out the wash of chit-chat around the pavilion so Azmere did not notice when Asher had come to stand near him. The close proximity made the warrior stagger back with a start and a raised fist before reason and situational awareness set in and took control. Azmere signed an apology to his friend then shook his head and looked to the others. Each man was staring at him as if awaiting some kind of reassurance or orders. The man with stars in his eyes often forgot just how demanding the mantle of leadership can be. He took a deep breath and stood straight, his eyes piercing each person as he addressed them.

“Yes, Jasmine has been acting differently lately. Her routine has changed but so have other things in our lives.” Azmere held a calm expression with his eyes opened wider than normal to drawn in his audience. He signed wife, husband. “I appreciate your thoughts.” Caring. Family His face swiveled to meet that cool gaze of the old man’s first. “Yet I believe your worry to be misplaced. Things will work out.” [/i]Patience. See.[/i] The ankal looked around for a few moments as several of his people exchanged glances and decided to address the weight of his own mind. “Lodai- you spoke of Max.” Share.

The big, tanned fellow snorted at the name then reclined a bit against a stack of yvas. He wrapped an elbow over one knee and stretched the other leg out into the center. His voice was loud, as usual but also sour in tone. “The old bag o’ shyke was chased off from the Thunderpaws’ tent not ten moons ago.” Watch report. No mess. Lodai picked at some grass and twisted it between his fingers until his weathered tips became white from pressure. “He should pray to his gods that I never get that summons.” The man snapped the grass in his hands into two clean twisted braids then tossed it aside. The big paws bent into the Pavi symbols for Feed the grass. This brought a chuckle from some of the younger folk but Asher was silent and watched Azmere through all of this.

“He wouldn’t dare hurt her, bruh.” The older hands showed the signs for Protection. Known. Ankal. Watchman. The clear eyes seemed to melt the lump of rage building in the scarred warrior’s throat and so the ankal simply nodded.

Right. Azmere agreed. He looked to Lodai and thanked him for his report then began to absorb the stares that found him. “A man who cannot lead is family is weak. Weakness breeds weakness.” As he spoke he interchanged signs to emphasize his points. Lose control.. “When that weakness becomes acceptable, failure becomes the lone path one may chose.” Abuse. Neglect. Cowardice. Deceit. The blue and gold stare went from face to face making sure that every soul understood that these things were not acceptable in the eyes that scrutinized them now. “Drykas are strong.” Zulkina. “Do not allow your weaknesses to control you- let them teach you.” Azmere rose and wiped the sweat from his brow. He moved over and began shooing the animals in various directions depending on where they were to roam or graze. When he was done, he turned back around to his herd.

“Sparrow, Aiyena.” His hands touched each one on the shoulder with a firm squeeze. “Would you go and speak with Toma Thunderpaw about Max?” His eyes went from the young woman to his old friend. Answers. Respectful. He received nods and a clasp on the arm from each. The man with multi-colored eyes bent his knees and sat down onto his weight a bit to offset the pull as he helped them both up simultaneously. His leg muscles rippled as if his boots were growing roots into the soil. This wave of tension rolled up his back as he steeled himself for the offset which created a firm arc and then it traveled into his arms which glistened in sweat and Syna’s light. The challenge came when he had to balance the left and right since Sparrow was so much larger than Aiyena. Once they were standing, Azmere straightened and received a gentle headbutt from the mocha-skinned warrior before he departed. The young woman gave a sly wink and moved to her yvas. It only took moments and they were gone.

Next Azmere turned to Tomas and gave him a smile. “Will you help Asher with the herd, Tomas?” The young man nodded and popped to his feet before Azmere could offer a hand. The lad ran up and repeated the headbutt he had seen given by Sparrow and Lodai. He was too hasty and the resounding bonk told any in earshot that the teenager was going to have a headache for a while. Finally, Asher was helped to his feet by the ankal’s strong hands and they turned to find Lodai already up and getting his yvas settled on the big black stallion.

“Going to find her, lad?” Asher smirked. Azmere nodded. The elder often knew what the watchman was thinking before he did. “She’s fine.” Have faith. Azmere smiled again and embraced Asher like a brother then turned and hopped up onto Skylla’s bareback with ease. He looked around for a moment then saw Tomas coming out with his bow and club. Azmere smirked and signed a thank you before turning his mare towards the Tent City. He gave a knicker with his mouth and led the strider off at a brisk trot. Lodai was right behind. They were headed to the Watch pavilion. Day and night, season after season, the Watch had people in the web. Someone would know where Jasmine had gone.

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Jasmine took a deep breath listening to those that were on the other side of the thin inner flaps. A scream followed by groaning made the woman uncomfortable knowing someone was experiencing pain. She had an easier time dealing with pain than hearing others deal with it or lack there of. Breathing deeply, the girl tried to calm down her pulse as it pounded loudly in her ears making her head ache. Putting her hands over her ears trying to block the noise out while laying on her side curling up some. Before blonde knew it her body gave in to the sleep that had ran from her the start of the season. The top hand fell from over her left ear as the woman got the rest her body needed in order to function without bothering those in her camp. A light shaking caused her to wake up some time later, sitting up the woman yawned some. The nurse's soft smile helped calm the girl more while asking several more questions.

“Sorry to wake you hun, but the doctor needs a little more information,” she said sitting across from the blonde.

“Sure ask away. I will answer the best that I can,” Jasmine stated while situating herself on the cot yawning.

“Okay let's see. Has your head been hurting any lately?” the girl looked up at her to gauge her answer.

“Some in the mornings when I first get up,” the blonde explained.

“Uh, how long has the nausea in the morning been going on and how long does the feeling last?” she asked next.

“The last seven days for sure, um some days it will be every time I eat I will throw it right back up. Other mornings it is until Syna is almost midway in the sky before it passes. Riding and moving too fast seem to make it worse,” Jasmine explained watching the strange marks used to note different aspects of the visit.

“Alrighty, next is has your mood altered any from how it normally is? Has your chest been tender to the touch, for instance when you wash does it hurt to put any pressure on them? I can tell you are very fatigued and tired. Are you not sleeping well?” the nurse asked before looking at her once again.

“I haven't noticed a change in my mood, though that would be a question for those around me I suppose. It has been a little tender, but nothing Im not used to from training. I haven't slept well lately because I did not want to wake my husband if I had a sudden vomit spell in the middle of the night. So I go to sleep far later than everyone else, but make sure to awaken before they get up. I do not want them to worry if I can help it,” Jasmine explained while answering her questions.

“Okay give me one minute and let me fill in the doctor,” the young girl spoke before standing up and exiting once more.

Jasmine laid down flat on her back this time not nearly as tired listening to the world on the otherside of the flaps. A chill ran down her spine hearing the one voice, she had hoped to never hear again. Maximus was visiting with her mother of all days for them to be there it just had to be when Jasmine arrived. Listening closely the blonde could hear them arguing quietly about something, but she could not tell what. Jumping the woman landed on the ground with a thud when the ankal ripped back the “curtain” exposing her presence to everyone. Though the drykas was not bothered if everyone knew at all.

“I told you I recognized that strider. The little curse has done gotten in trouble again I see,” Max said with a growl to his voice smirking.

“I have done no such thing. Now leave,” Jasmine said with confidence in her voice.

Maximus laughed loudly right in the blonde's face and dared her to make him leave if she wanted him gone. Neither one knew about her husband and her pavilion mate coming to check on her.

[Azmere]

The ride was quick. Season after season, regardless of the weather or the terrain, the Stormblood had ridden the same track from his tent to the large white canvas of the Watch’s barracks and headquarters. It was almost second nature to walking out behind his pavilion and watering the grass. Skylla had grown to love the short jaunt especially since it was often made with haste. The young mare had been a zulkina to the scarred ankal but she was still very immature and delved full-bodied into anything she could perceive as a race.

The Tavehk squeezed his thighs together and leaned back in the yvas while his left fist tugged at the mahogany mane. The horse recognized the desire of her human to stop and so she slowed up right next to the front part of the main Watch pavilion. Members were always milling about between patrols; training, gossiping and praying. Azmere dismounted with a grunt as his left leg reverberated from the impact. The scar tissue in his thigh and lower abdomen never healed properly despite receiving care from a very knowledgeable young doctor. The first few steps reflected the pain with a shorter gait than his right leg but it didn’t stop the man of two faces. Lodai, a bear on two legs with a bright smile and a mean laugh, was huffing as he drove his black stallion up behind the smaller mare. He hopped down with a grunt and barreled through the crowd to stay on heels of his best friend, his bruh- his ankal.

The two men made their way to a smaller area that had been divided and set aside for webbers. The Watch maintained a simple policy that kept no less than half a dozen men or women in the Web at all times. This was so they could always be aware of the state of their city and the well-being of their people. There was always a handful of untapped mages in the section as well. They made sure the ones vulnerable were safe and made the occasional jaunt into the network of energy to retrieve pertinent information. Azmere was confronted by a young man as soon as he entered. He gave a brief nod but held up his hand to stop the older Watchman from disturbing the process. Th e man with multi-colored eyes signed with weathered hands Information. Need. The serious expression of the normally sarcastic Lodai coupled with Azmere’s normally stoic expression gave the Ra’athi all of the motivation he sought to proceed.

“What do you need, Tavehk?” The young man said softly.

Azmere’s eyes didn’t blink and his baritone had an airy tone as the adrenaline coursed through his veins. His body trembled with unused energy. “Where’s my wife?”

The young man smirked. Azmere growled until the massive paw of his darker-skinned pavilion mate landed heavily upon his shoulder. The young man swallowed a lump in throat then put up his hands defensively. “No disrespect, walot.” He used his hands to sign Web. Not Needed. The young man made a wide turn and slipped past them both then beckoned for them to follow. Azmere and Lodai didn’t need to be told twice. They pursued the man completely through the pavilion and into the sunshine and fresh air. Azmere made no waste of time to snatch hold of his order’s recruit and spun the man around with an iron grip. Muscle rippled through his back, core and arms as he hoisted the smaller man from the ground until his boots dangled half a foot from the trampled grass. The bindings of his leather armor creaked under the strain of his suspended weight. Lodai headed off a few Ra’athi who wanted to intervene.

“Speak!” Azmere’s lips were thin and nearly white as they stretched over his teeth. Spittle passed between them and hit the hoisted youngster on his chin. The young man writhed under the powerful hold but could do little without drawing a weapon or inciting a fight he would surely lose. The scarred ankal was not an overly imposing man but he had a few stories told about him that seemed to earn him the respect and a small amount of fear from the less seasoned crowd.

“I heard some of the guys talking before I started in the mage room.” A sharp jolt caused by Azmere shaking the man interrupted his explanation but only briefly. “Jasmine’s one good-looking woman.” Hands signed respect. “People tend to comment when a beautiful blonde walks into the River Flower.”

Azmere set the boy on his feet and straightened his armor all in a single motion. Before anything else could be done, his right hand caught his fellow watchman by the back of his neck and drew their foreheads together. Thank you.

With that being done, Azmere made a few quick leaps over the ground between him and his mount. Lodai was in his back pocket and the pair were in their yvases and headed towards the healing center of the Tent City before the young Ra’athi had processed what had just happened. The ride was a sprint that took ticks and the ankal with his right hand blew through the normal filings of Drykas who went to the Opal clan’s largest pavilion. A pair of nurses and aids cut off the charging duo after they had entered the ward where the truly sick people were kept in quarantine. With a very quick exchange, the watchmen found where they were to go and made quick the transition.

The sweet sound of Jasmine’s voice was tainted with something. Fear? Anger? The logical reason was certainly closer to a combination of the two. Azmere took off at a run and didn’t allow the hanging dividers to stop him as he passed from one section to the next. Lodai was a bit slower in navigating the canvas drops but remained close by his ankal. The next moment found the scarred man staring at the back of a large man- one he knew only by description; Max. Jasmine’s father had been the subject of very little conversation in their relationship but there was a lot of rumor that surrounded her leaving his pavilion to join Azmere. Knowing that Lodai was behind him, Azmere pushed past the older Drykas and wrapped his arms around Jasmine’s waist. He pulled her body against his bare chest with a strong embrace of relief and love. Slowly, he turned them so that he could watch Max from the corner of his amber eye. The ankal also saw a very quiet bear enter the back of the room and that made the right side of his face smile- the side Max could not see.

WC1123

[Jasmine Stormblood]

Glaring, the blonde stood up forcing herself off the ground. She would not allow the older drykas to tower over her. Rose watched from behind them worried as the doctors and nurses in the area had stopped and began to just stare. Everything had fallen quiet as the tension continued to build between the woman and man before her. Jasmine was done with Max and all the crap he tended to pull when around her. Max smirked and leaned in close ready to beat the woman into what he called submission. Flinching some one foot slid behind her helping keep herself up right.

“Max, that's enough,” Rose said gently trying to touch his arm.

“Shut up you stupid cow!” Max growled glaring back at the woman.

“Leave her be, Max. You're problem is with me not her,” Jasmine stated with a glare.

She grabbed his arm before her could strike the girl's mother. Blue eyes stared up at the man as he slowly turned his head to look at her. The man glared at her for a moment; the only noises that could be heard was from outside of the flap. Before the movement registered, the blond felt knuckles against her cheek. The sudden force nearly knocked her back to the ground as a single slap rang out loudly amongst the silence. A hand went up to the reddening cheek as the stinging made it clear that the man had backhanded her. Rose gasped putting her hand over her mouth; it was as if the brown haired woman had actually expected the two to remain calm.

“Max!” Rose said in a soft whisper.

The people around them had started to whisper and watch the group more closely. Jasmine took a deep breath and turned back to look at the man before her. She would not let him see her cry no matter what he did to her. The pathetic ankal would have to kill her first; he rared back preparing to strike the woman down again with a furious look in his eyes. Jasmine prepared for the hit to come; neither seemed to notice the blond's husband come charging in. Blue eyes watched the green orbs staring her down till a large body stood between them and moved her back. Stunned she looked up and instantly relaxed seeing the eyes and face of her loving husband. Smiling in relief, the woman hid her face in his chest for a moment. Every nerve ending in her body was still on edge from the stalemate just moments before.

“Who is this?” Maximus growled before getting a look at his face, “ah you must be the stupid soul that married the cursed little monster. Don't worry I can free you from her.”

Rose was stunned when Max grabbed the girl and tried to jerk her from her husband's arms. Jasmine gasped some when the older man managed to rip her from Azmere's arms. She suddenly spotted Lodai in the background and was silently glad that her lover had not come alone. Glaring her right foot shot out and tightened up making it harder to drag her around. The blonde leaned away from him towards her husband wanting to be far away from her “father” at that very moment.

“Max, please enough. She is no longer our problem. Let her go and put this war to rest,” Rose spoke trying to calm her ankal and mate.

“Shut up you stupid whore!” Max growled jerking around to look at his wife.

It was clear through his body language that if his hand was not curled around Jasmine's arm, he would have back handed the beauty to the ground. Many people in the Amethyst clan knew of the betrayal the night of Max and Rose's wedding. Growling the blond became protective of her mother whether she cared for the young drykas or not. Jerking she got his attention while making eye contact with him.

“I said leave her be. Your fight is with me not her,” Jasmine said with confidence and anger in her voice.

“You insolent little whelp. You still haven't learned your place!” Max snarled through his teeth and raised his hand preparing to strike her again.