Closed A Night to Remember (Lian Windrunner, Waisana)

[Lian Windrunner]

Once again, Lian nodded in response to what Waisana wanted. Given a task to do, he could cope with his fears for his unborn child, and concern for Seirei. By focusing single mindedly on a task, he was able to keep moving. And if he could just keep moving, he was less likely to freeze with fear. He also felt less helpless when there was a task he could help out with. So Lian raced back into the tent. Heating water was the first thing Waisana said to do. That made sense. Heating the water would take the longest, wouldn't it? Lian was no cook, and because of that, it took him several chimes to find the only cooking pot he owned. It was a large one, able to hold two gallons worth, so Lian hoped it would be big enough. He had no idea how much water would be needed. Setting the pot beside the fire, Lian fumbled about, looking for his waterskin. When he found it, he quickly dumped the contents into the pot. As he stared at it in dismay, it looked like an awfully small amount of water. Knowing that he needed more water, Lian searched frantically until he found Seirei's waterskin. Like his, it was full, and he dumped its contents into the pot as well. It still looked like it would be nowhere near enough water. But it was all he had. So Lian raced around, searching frantically for the three jugs he had bought recently. With a child on the way, he'd thought that it would be a good idea to be able to store more water than two waterskins could hold. But he had yet to get the chance to fill them since he had only bought them earlier that day. They would need more water. Lian knew there was a stream nearby, but he didn't know if he would have enough time to get there and back before the water was needed. Then again...what choice did he have? Still, it was probably best if he got everything else ready before he left. A quick glance around was enough for Lian to decide that it was clean enough. Probably. At least enough so that nothing was covered in dirt, or flung around the tent haphazardly. It would have to be good enough. He hoped. What else had Waisana asked for? Blankets. That was it. Specifically heated blankets. Lian frowned. He didn't have anything that he could use to suspend a blanket over a fire so it would get warm. And there was no time to go ask the neighbors if they had something he could borrow. He would have to improvise. Lian ran over and grabbed both of the new blankets he had bought recently. One was dropped near the fire so he wouldn't have to go far when the first one was ready. The other was quickly folded in half, then folded in half again so that it was a more manageable size for him to deal with. Then he held the blanket above the fire so that the hot air rising from the fire could warm it. Unfortunately, a sudden sound startled him. In his tense, frantic state, he overreacted, and dropped the blanket he had been holding...right into the fire. Lian reacted instantly, grabbing the blanket, and snatching it out of the fire pit before it could smother the fire. But even those few ticks had been long enough for it to start to smoulder. In a few places, it was actually on fire. With a sharp curse, Lian dropped the blanket, and beat the flames out with his hands. It didn't take long to smother the fire, but his hands stung fiercely, and the palms were an angry red from the heat. Lian glanced at the blanket ruefully. It was still useable, but it now had a few holes, and charred areas. It also smelled strongly of smoke. Lian wasn't at all certain that Waisana would want to use it now. His first attempt at warming the blankets had ended in near disaster, and he still needed to get more water. So he grabbed the jugs, and his yvas, heedless of his stinging hands. Then he ran out of the tent. "It's clean. The blankets are near the fire. One hasn't been heated. The other has...but it's damaged." His hands flashed through the signs for "no danger," "everything fine," and "slight damage." "There's some water in a pot near the fire, but it hasn't been heated yet. I need more. There's a stream..." Lian hesitated, his mind racing through memories of recent hunting trips where he had used the stream as a starting point. "A few chimes south of the city. I'll be right back with more water." he told the healer quickly. His eyes were wide and frantic as he spoke, and his tone was clipped, and rushed with anxiety. Lian whistled sharply for his strider. Sensing his urgency, she arrived so quickly that it seemed to the frantic man that she had appeared out of nowhere. Lian fumbled his way through putting the yvas on Talise, then mounted her quickly. "I'll be right back." he told the healer again. Then Lian was gone. He held Talise at a brisk trot until they reached the edge of the city, weaving around the tents carefully so they wouldn't run anyone down in Lian's haste. But the moment he reached the edge of the tent city, he asked Talise for a full out run...and he got it. Lian clung to her back for sheer life, as her pace and rapid shifts in balance as she avoided obstacles in their path including holes in the ground made by burrowing animals, and thick clusters of tall grass. They arrived at the small stream sooner than expected since he had been thinking of how long it took to get there at a much slower pace. And luckily, the stream had not yet frozen over from the cold. Lian wasted no time in dismounting, and filling his three jugs with water. Then he raced back, urging Talise to run as fast as she could until they reached the edge of the city once more. As promised, the entire trip didn't take long. When he arrived back home, he flew into the tent, with the water. One full jug, and part of a second was emptied into the pot. The pot was then carefully placed over the fire so that the water could heat up. Lian was about to go out and see if there was anything else he could do, but by then, Waisana and Seirei were in the tent. The healer snapped at him, saying they needed lots of cloth. But really...what else could he use? He didn't have much in the way of extra cloth! "What kind of cloth?" he asked uncertainly. "I have these two blankets, and the one by the fire. Would clothes work? I have a couple of spare shirts...would tearing those up work? Or my bedroll? I don't have a lot of extra cloth! I could go see if I could buy another blanket or two..." His hands still hurt from when he had snatched the blanket from the fire, and the pain was making him irritable. He wished he could have soaked them in the cold water of the stream for a bit, but there had been no time for that. Lian knew that his irritation was leaking into his voice, and he tried to hold it back. His reddened hands flashed the signs for uncertainty, and apology. It wasn't fair to take his irritation out on the healer, and he wasn't even angry at her at all. He was frustrated with himself, more than anything, and his feelings of helplessness, and worry were making it worse.

[Waisana]

Labour was taking its toll on Seirei. Her waters were ready to break at any tick and the girl was in enough pain to suggest that the baby might come quickly. She needed her settled as soon as possible for when the baby came. With the way things were set up now, Seirei did not have much of a place to lie. Either Lian hadn't understood the importance of her instructions or he did not have what she needed. The man needed direction and if barking orders at him was the only thing that could get results then the healer was willing to do it.

Despite the lack of supplies that she needed, the girl moved Seirei towards the blankets. She wouldn't be able to stand for much longer and so it would have to do for now. She guided her patient in that direction, wondering what Lian meant by "slight damage". He'd managed to get the water which was something at least but having more cloth would be best. She frowned, wondering where they could get more when the obvious answer clicked in her head. She freed one of her hands to sign, hoping that Seirei would be able to manage without that little extra bit of help.

"Go to the healing tent. Say you need birthing supplies. Say I sent you." The answer was so obvious that it was amazing it hadn't occurred to her earlier. "Run, Lian. Run." The teen was all urgency, the hunter likely to understand that speed was of the essence. She'd prefer to keep the expectant mother on her feet for as long as possible so that he had a chance to return but Seirei didn't seem likely to last. The girl's face crumpled up in pain, breath coming in choked gasps. Waisana's attention diverted to her immediately. Her hand circled an area of her lower back, applying some pressure to offer some relief and hopefully stimulate what was coming.

"Deep breaths, Seirei. In to nose, out of mouth. Slow, deep breaths," she instructed as the other gasped through contractions. The girl's fear was tangible and once the contraction had passed, the teen's question was predictable. As much as Waisana had tried to prepare her for the labour, she hadn't been able to give her all the information she could want. Each pregnancy differed and so while she had informed the girl about the end of her pregnancy, she hadn't been able to tell her how it would be for her. "Normal" was an inappropriate word to use. The healer sought for the right words, not wanting to wrongly frighten her. Lies weren't an option either.

"The baby is coming. Your waters still have to break but the baby is trying to get out." She tried to sound reassuring although she was feeling more than a little uneasy. Her waters should have broken. If her contractions were this strong and fairly frequently then the baby should really be coming and it should have a clear way out. The teen would just have to sit her down and make her comfortable and hope that things would go smoothly from there. Lian might be back in time before she could fully settle down her patient but she doubted it.

"You will need to sit by the fire now, Seirei. When Lian comes back, I should be able to make you more comfortable. It will do for now," she explained, guiding her patient closer to her labour bed. As she drew near enough, she saw the "slight damage" to which Lian had referred. The healer scowled, releasing Seirei momentarily so she could roll up the singed blanket. She placed it in a way that the girl's back could be placed against it. The remaining blanket was folded in half and positioned so the girl could sit on it. More blankets would be needed for catching fluids and the baby of course but they would be provided by Lian upon his return.

She returned to her patient. "Now you can just sit down there and-" Her speech cut off with a gasp. She'd been helping the other to sit, supporting her lower back with one hand and the back of her thighs with the other when fluid had trickled on to her fingers. Looking down, she found red tinged liquid oozing down the teen's thighs. "Your waters are broken. Baby will come faster now. Sit, quickly!" Once the expectant mother was seated, Waisana would ensure that the rolled blanket was propping her up before removing any of the girl's garments in her way before bending her knees and pushing her legs apart. She murmured reassuring words as she waited for the girl to comply. "We need to make sure the baby can come out." Once she had another blanket, she would place a blanket over the girl's knees to make a tent that would create some semblance of privacy, especially if Lian decided to stay.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

The entire world seemed to narrow itself down into the smallest of details. One breath in between the agonizingly intense pains. A second breath. A third. Lian's disturbing presence was there one tick, and gone the next. Words from a trusted friend guiding her, telling her what to do. Seirei clung to those words like a lifeline. Deep breaths. Slow breaths. Seirei struggled to obey. Sometimes she managed to slow her breathing. When she did, it seemed to help calm her a little. But with each new pain, the fear and panic returned with it, shattering what little calm she had managed to find. And when that happened, her slow, deep breaths gave way to frightened gasps once more. More words. The baby is coming. Seirei desperately wanted the baby to come soon. She wanted this horrible pain to be over. It felt as though the pain was draining her strength. The longer it went on, the weaker, and more tired she was starting to feel. She wanted to rest...to sleep, and forget this pain. Perhaps when the baby came, she would be able to do just that. Even in her current state, Seirei was able to hear the unease in her friend and healer's voice. Her water hadn't broken yet, and that must be a bad thing. What would happen if it didn't break? Did that mean that the baby would be stuck inside her forever? Seirei was distracted from her growing fears by more words. It was a direction this time. A need to sit down. Sitting would be good. Easier than standing, at least. And maybe the pain would be less if she sat down. The warmth of the fire would help as well. Seirei hoped it would, anyway. With Waisana's help, Seirei tried to do as she was requested. But another sharp pain stopped her in her tracks, leaving her gasping for breath as she struggled not to cry out. Struggled not to cry. Both were signs of weakness, and Seirei couldn't afford those not. What if Lian returned, and saw how weak she was? He would see her weakness as victory, and as proof that he had the right to force himself on her whenever he wanted to. As the pain began to fade once more, Seirei felt something trickling down her thighs. Warm, and wet...was it blood? Was she bleeding? The thought frightened her. But...no. This must be what Waisana had meant by her water breaking. This was good then. Normal. It was supposed to happen. Seirei clung to that thought desperately. Her friend's next words were urgent, and with help, Seirei obeyed. Once she was sitting, Waisana bent her knees, and pushed her legs apart. Confused, she started to ask why, but her question was answered before she even had to ask. Waisana's words were calm, and reassuring, a soothing balm to Seirei's fears. She smiled weakly, and nodded to show that she understood. Seirei would have spoken, but yet another wave of agony tore through her, robbing her of breath and words with its intensity. This one lasted even longer than the ones before it, and the pain was sharper, more intense than before as well. Seirei lost her battle against showing her weakness, and she cried out, giving voice to her pain. When it started to fade, she looked up at her friend wearily. "How much longer...?" she asked softly, hoping against hope that the baby would come soon. Seirei wasn't sure how much longer she could endure the pain.

[Lian Windrunner]

Once again, Lian felt himself calming as he focused on the task at hand. Go to the healing tent. Tell them that Waisana had sent him to get birthing supplies. Run. Lian could do that. He could do all of those things. And now that he had something to do, he felt much steadier than he had mere ticks before. This was something he could do to help. Lian nodded. His hands made a short, sharp series of movements signaling his acknowledgement, and agreement. Then he turned, and left the tent at a dead run. Talise called out to him as he raced past her, nickering in startled worry. But Lian didn't have time to stop and reassure his partner. Waisana had said to run. Time was of the essence. Riding would be faster than walking normally...but he didn't have the time to waste putting Talise's yvas on. For that matter, riding between the tents at any kind of speed was highly discouraged. So in this case, it would be faster to run. And run he did. Lian ran faster than he ever had before. Although he was in relatively good shape, he was unaccustomed to running. Before long, his calf muscles burned. His sides ached, and his breath came in frantic, pained gasps. But he did not falter. Nor did he slow his pace. People scattered out of his way when he showed no signs of getting out of theirs. Shouts of annoyance followed him. but Lian paid them no mind. His only concern was placing his feet carefully so he wouldn't wouldn't trip and fall. A fall would delay his return with the supplies that Waisana needed, and a delay was intolerable. The only thought racing through his mind was getting the supplies he had been sent for and getting them back home as quickly as possible. By the time he'd reached the River Flower, the ache in his sides had blossomed into a sharp, unyielding pain that pounded in time with his racing heartbeat. He was so out of breath that speech was impossible. But that didn't stop him from raking the crowd surrounding the large white tent with his eyes as he searched for a healer. It took him several chimes to find one in the throng of people. When he did, he forced his aching body into a stumbling run once more, silently praying to any god that would listen to let him catch up with the healer before he lost him in the crowd once more. Thankfully, Lian managed to catch up to the healer. He still couldn't speak, so he stopped the man by grabbing the man's shoulder in order to get his attention. Then he stood where he was, panting with the exertion of his desperate run. When the healer asked what he wanted, Lian tried to tell him. "Seirei..." His voice failed him as he ran out of breath. But that didn't stop him from telling the healer what he needed. His hands flashed through the signs for "urgency," "captive," "child," "come," "supplies," "need," and "bring." By the time he had finished, he had managed to catch his breath a little. Enough for the tightness in his chest to fade somewhat, but he was still breathing heavily. Still, it was an improvement, so he tried to speak once more. "Waisana...said..." The healer frowned, clearly trying to puzzle out Lian's jumbled request. "You need birthing supplies because your captive is in labor? Healer Waisana told you to come here to get the supplies?" Lian nodded. "Hurry." he gestured with his hands as his voice failed him once more. It was the healer's turn to nod. "Wait here. I will bring you the supplies you will need." Lian quickly signed his gratitude, and watched as the healer vanished into the crowd. He waited impatiently for the man to return. Each tick that passed felt like a bell or more. But in reality, it was only a few chimes before the healer was back. The man pressed a large bundle of folded blankets into Lian's arms. With them was a bag with a variety of other supplies Waisana might need. "That should be everything that you need. Before you go...you said that your captive was named Seirei, right?" Lian nodded, frowning. What possible relevance could Seirei's name have to the healer? What was so important that he was delaying Lian's return with the supplies Waisana needed? It was hard not to show his impatience to get going, but Lian made an effort to do just that. The other man had just given him the supplies he needed after all. "I examined her once during her pregnancy. She's quite a pretty girl. If you ever get tired of her, or decide that you'd be willing to share breeding rights with the captive, please let me know. I would definitely be interested in working something out." It took a few ticks for the man's words to sink into Lian, but when they did, Lian saw red. White hot anger flooded through him at the man's "offer." How dare he make such a proposition? Seirei was a person with rights, and feelings, not some thing to be traded back and forth with no say in the matter! Forgetting how he himself had treated the girl in the past, Lian allowed his rage to get the better of him. He shifted the supplies he was carrying to free his right arm, and balled his hand into a tight fist, folding his fingers over his thumb. Then he hauled his arm back, and let fly at the man's face with all his strength. He had no experience in fighting, but the abruptness of his attack caught the other man off guard. For that reason, and that reason alone, the other man didn't dodge the blow. He was simply too shocked to react in time. Lian's fist caught the man in his nose, and Lian felt something give way under the force of his punch. Pain shot through his hand as it connected, both because of the mild burns he had sustained earlier, and from punching the man. The man shouted, and clutched his nose as it began to bleed. Lian's fury cooled almost as soon as he struck the healer. He didn't wait to see how badly the other man was hurt. It couldn't be too badly since the man was still standing, and was now swearing at him angrily. Waisana needed the supplies he was holding, and she needed them as soon as possible. So Lian turned, and ran back the way he had come. His muscles began to burn with the effort sooner than before, likely because he had run all the way to the River Flower not that long ago. But he ignored the pain, and sped up rather than slowing down. When his tent came into view, Lian felt a surge of relief. He burst through the tent flap, and dropped the supplies in front of Waisana. Then he doubled over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. After a few ticks, he raised one hand to briefly sign "got," and "supplies."

[Waisana]

Once the tent structure had been created, the healer asked an important question. "Are you comfortable?" she gestured to the way that the girl was currently sitting. "There are other positions but we'll wait for Lian comes back if you're uncomfortable here. This way can feel hard on back but tell me." The teen knew that some women preferred to go on all fours, some squatted, some lay on their side or the way that Seirei was now. Every woman was different and she had to find out what was right for the girl. There was no point switching her position if she desired it just yet. Better to wait until Lian returned with more towels and she could be arranged comfortably. For the moment, Waisana would get herself cleaned up.

"I don't know how long. We'll see how it goes."

She searched for a clean wash cloth. Finding one, she took some of the water that Lian had boiled and poured some of it into a small drinking vessel. Rolling up her sleeves, she scrubbed her arms as far up as the elbow, washing her hands and over her nails. The water in the drinking vessel took on a coppery tinge as she finished washing away the blood that had remained from her last patient. Careful drying took place and then she knelt beside Seirei.

"Stay calm. Take my hand and when you feel pain, squeeze until the pain goes. Try not to break my fingers." She smiled reassuringly. She tried to measure the time that had occurred between contractions so far. Less than ten chimes, perhaps? She couldn't be certain exactly how long but she could pay better attention now. They could be waiting awhile or the girl's labour could turn out to be very fast. Despite her status as a first-time mother it was entirely possible that the labour would be a quick one. Still she needed a birthing area set up for whatever might come about and the birthing area depended entirely on Lian. She needed those supplies and soon because she needed to get Seirei settled.

The man took an eternity returning or at least it felt that way for the Drykas teen. It was a great relief to see him - a sentiment the man wouldn't normally elicit - and she detached herself hurriedly from Seirei's grasp, rushing forward to collect the blankets the hunter had so carelessly strewn on the floor. She carefully set two blankets by the fire to warm before checking through the supplies she'd been given. She was glad to see a clean shears within the bag as it meant that she wouldn't have to ask Lian for a knife. There were some herbs that could be used to dull pain but nothing too strong and a little wooden vessel sealed by with a tied piece of cloth. Within it, she would find a small amount of powder made from Lidgefar seeds. It was something that she didn't want to have to use because it would mean that things had turned ugly; it clotted blood and could be used if a mother started to bleed to death. Usually a mother lost too much blood before the medicine could take effect but it had to be tried in the off chance that it might increase the chances of survival.

The possibility of Seirei bleeding to death wasn't what she ought to be considering however, and so setting the supplies aside, she retrieved the slightly warmed blankets and replaced them with new ones. "Seirei, I can move you into more comfortable place. If you are okay like this I need to move you to put blankets down. Move... not move?" Regardless of the girl's decision, Waisana would aid her and place the blankets in the most suitable arrangement for her.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

A delicate bloom

aaa

"Comfortable" was a bit of a stretch, given the amount of pain Seirei was in. But she nodded anyway. This position was better than standing had been, and even the slightest change for the better was a welcome relief.

"This is better." Seirei said softly.

Her voice trailed off into a pained gasp as yet another pain tore through her. Waisana's uncertainty of how much longer the pain would continue was alarming to Seirei. But her friend's presence was a calm comfort in the turbulent storm of pain and fear Seirei found herself trapped in. The request for her to stay calm was one Seirei wasn't sure she could obey. She would try, though. And the offer of something to squeeze when the pains came gave her something to focus on. A welcome distraction from the pain. Seirei smiled weakly at the request that she try not to break her friend's fingers.

Waisana's calm did much to keep Seirei from panicking. The pain was intense, and alarming, but her friend's reassurances that it was normal helped. The pain wasn't any less for the reassurance, but her fears that something was horribly wrong faded. And the lessening of fear made the pain easier to bear.

Lian returned with his arms full of supplies. Seirei watched her friend go through them, trying to distract herself from the pain, and the anticipation of more pain to come. When asked if she wanted to move, Seirei shook her head. Even if she wanted to, she wasn't sure she had the strength to try. The pain was taking a lot out of her. And at least she was near the fire. The fire provided a soothing warmth that helped to ward of the chill of winter.

Time passed. Seirei couldn't be certain how much time had passed since her pains had first started, but she thought it had to have been several bells. When the pains came, she held her breath, and counted the ticks until the pain passed. After the pain eased, Seirei counted the ticks until the next one came, hoping that each one would be the last, even as she knew it would not be.

Each pain seemed to last longer than the last. Less and less time passed between pains as time went on. The pains slowly became more intense, too. It reached a point where the pain was so intense that Seirei couldn't help but cry out in protest as it took her. This inability to endure the pain made her hate herself for showing weakness in front of Lian. The man was staring at her, and watching her suffer. It made her feel a thousand times worse. The pain was taking a toll on her strength, as well. Already she was tired, but the contractions gave her little time to rest between them. And the worst part was that aside from the steadily worsening pain, nothing else seemed to be happening.

[Waisana]

Better... better than standing Waisana assumed. The girl would be in agony regardless of her position but it was simply a matter of making things a little easier for her. If she was content to remain in her current position then the healer was happy to accommodate her.

The blankets were arranged comfortably beneath the labouring mother, the action made difficult by the use of only one hand as the other was grasped in Seirei's. A reassuring smile was offered as she scanned the girl's face. When the pain came it should be quite evident. Even if the girl tried to hide it, which seemed unlikely, the strain of it would show within her expression. It was far more probable that the teen would squeeze the healer's hand hard enough during the contractions to cut off the flow of blood. She had known of birthing mothers who had succeeded in breaking other people's fingers after squeezing too hard. She sincerely hoped that Seirei would realise that her words were a genuine warning as much as an attempt at a joke.

The other's pain were a good indicator of the progress of labour, or rather its frequency. The closer together the contractions came, the sooner the baby's arrival. She did her best to count the chimes between each contraction, her thumb making circling motions on the back of Seirei's hand in a soothing gesture as she did so. Time ticked by, the time between contractions shortening gradually, counting down to the beginning of the end. The contractions themselves grew longer in duration too. The girl's breaths whistled painfully between her teeth, a sheen of sweat covering her crumpled brows and her fingers dug into Waisana's own. The end of each contractions came to be as welcome a relief for the Drykas girl as it did for the prospective mother; it was wonderful to have life return to her fingers as the pain and grip subsided.

Waisana remained alert, even as weariness settled upon her, a stiffness settling in her back as she failed to move from the same position. She had no idea how long she had been sitting there--a bell, two, or even more?--when the pain seemed to intensify to a point where Seirei struggled to breathe and cried out as a fresh contraction ripped through her. The girl's legs were spread apart to provide a clear view of the end of the birth canal. There was no sign of the baby yet but it was only a matter of time; she didn't think it would take much longer now.

"Breathe deep. In. Out. Slow, deep. In nose, out mouth," the healer ordered, carrying out her own advice in an exaggerated manner so Seirei would be able to focus on her through the pain. "In, out, keep going. In, out. When you feel you need to push, do. Not before. When you really have to then push. Once the baby starts coming, you push when I say," she explained. Carefully, she extracted her fingers from the other's grasp and began rubbing her back instead. When necessary, she would be able to free herself quickly and see to the delivery.

The chant of "In, Out" continued as the labour progressed, adding some order to what probably felt like chaos to the captive. Her voice was soothing yet authoritative as she forced calm on the young woman despite the storm that was raging within her. When the time to push finally came, the healer would guide her forward to curl in on herself and tuck her chin, doing her best to nudge her into the best position for what needed to be done. It was unlikely that Seirei would resist especially as Waisana's actions were confidently firm as she encouraged her to hold her knees while pushing.

"Push down," was called out when the contractions forced the mother to push. The chant of "In, Out" continued with the regular order of push thrown in when Waisana deemed it necessary. The need to push became more urgent, which she was quick to point it out, as the flesh bulged and gave way as the top of the baby's head, slick with amniotic fluid, began to push through. "Almost there. Big push now. Big push and the baby will be out!" Positioned between Seirei's legs, hands outstretched support the baby's head and neck, Waisana watched as the head came out fully, emerging face down so that she couldn't see the features but rotated as the rest of the body began to emerge. First one shoulder and then the other came free as she carefully lifted the baby upwards, soon followed by the torso and the rest of the body as well as the umbilical cord still linking mother and child. The umbilical cord still held a pulse and would do so for a few chimes, meaning that she could do nothing about it yet. Instead she focused on clearing the newborn's airways of fluids.

One hand behind its--as a quick glance at the genitals showed, his--head and neck as she tilted the head downwards and carefully moved his legs so that his feet were a little higher. The child mewled at this treatment but she was glad that he could cry at all--it was a good sign. She urged Seirei to lie down so that she could lay the boy over her breast with the intention of having his head rest on her shoulder. She grinned proudly as she presented the still slippery baby to his mother.

"A boy," she exclaimed triumphantly, easing him into place. Once her hands were free, she was quick to rub him clean with some scraps of material from the supplies before quickly covering Seirei's top half and him with warm blankets. All that remained now was the afterbirth to come and for the cord to die so she could cut it and free the baby of his tether.

"You aren't done. Afterbirth still to come. You hold him for now. What will you name him?" she asked, moving the umbilical cord carefully so that it was not as stretched, much of the cord still lost within the birth canal and the womb. She positioned a bowl at the ready beneath her. It could be a while before it came but she was ready for the mess.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Waisana's words gave Seirei something to focus on. The entire world had vanished into an endless sea of agony, and steadily growing exhaustion, but the healer's words were a life line that prevented her from becoming completely lost in the overwhelming agony. Seirei struggled to breathe in time with Waisana's chanted words. It gave her something to do. Something to focus on. In a strange way, it distracted her from the agony she was in. It didn't lessen it in any way, but it did make it a little easier to bear.

Seirei didn't know what Waisana meant about needing to push...until she felt the need to do just that. The need seemed to intensify with each contraction. Seirei couldn't have resisted the urge even if she had wanted to, so it was a good thing that her friend and healer wasn't telling her to resist it. But she was growing steadily weaker. Exhaustion, and agony were taking their tole, and she didn't have a lot of strength to push with. So it probably took longer than it might have had she been stronger. The order for one last push was one that Seirei obeyed gratefully. She pushed with all of her remaining strength, and cried out against the overwhelming agony that tore through her as she did so. It seemed to take forever to the exhausted young woman. But then she felt something coming out of her, and the contraction faded. It was over.

She watched wearily as Waisana cared for the infant. Somehow, she couldn't take her eyes off of the tiny little thing. Her entire body ached horribly, but the pain was less than the pain she had experienced in the grip of the contractions. Relief was relative, and even a little less pain felt wonderful after what she had just endured.

When urged to do so, Seirei lay down gratefully. Waisana lay her baby on her chest, and told her it was a boy. Seirei stared at him in awe. He was...real. Alive. His skin was warm where it touched her own. It seemed impossible to her that something so amazing could have come from her. And yet...she knew him. This was the tiny life she had been sheltering within her belly for so long. He seemed to know her, too. Why else would such a tiny, helpless thing be so content to be near her?

The news that her ordeal wasn't over frightened Seirei. But not even that fear could distract her from studying the tiny child she had given birth to intently. When asked what she would name the child, the question confused her. Lian had told her what the child's name would be. He had chosen both a boy's name, and a girl's name since it was impossible to know which one would be needed. Why was Waisana asking her what the child's name would be? Was it not the custom among the Drykas for the father to name his children...even if he had sired them by force on an unwilling captive? Or was it her right to name the child, after all?

Seirei gave a brief glance at Lian, and shuddered. Whether it was supposed to be her decision or not, she knew that there could only be one answer to this question. His answer. Seirei really didn't want to think about how he would punish her if she gave any other answer than the one he wanted to hear.

"Lukar." she said at last.

"His name is Lukar. Lian wanted to name the child after his older brother if he had a son."

The exhaustion in Seirei's voice was painfully obvious. But there was more than a little fear there as well. Her tone suggested that if pressed, Seirei wouldn't choose any other name out of fear of what Lian might do to her if she did.

Seirei's attention drifted back to the child she was holding. She stared at him...at Lukar with mixed feelings that warred within her eyes. Giving birth to this child had not been her choice. Lian had created his son by raping her repeatedly for a season, and brutally punishing her for resisting him when he forced himself on her. But the child was innocent. Lukar knew nothing of the agony she had endured at his father's hands. He only knew that she was his, and that he needed her.

Lukar was...perfect. He was a beautiful baby boy. He had two tiny hands, and two tiny feet that he waved around in the air. His fingers were so tiny that Seirei could hardly believe that they belonged to a living person. A person that she had carried within her for close to three whole seasons. Lukar was Lian's. There was no escaping that painful fact. But if Lukar was Lian's, then he was also hers. Seirei found it utterly impossible to hate or resent the tiny child for the terror and pain his father had caused. Instead, her heart swelled with love for Lukar. Her son.

Seirei didn't know how long she had spent simply gazing at the wonder that was her son before another contraction tore through her abused body. She cried out in protest, at the sudden pain. But she remembered Waisana's warning about the afterbirth, so she wasn't afraid. Only after a while, it became clear that she wasn't simply "giving birth" to the afterbirth. Nothing came out of her, and the pain grew steadily worse, much like her earlier contractions had. An intense pain tore through her abdomen. It was so severe that she couldn't even cry out in protest. Pain stole her voice, leaving her mute save for a sharp, agonized gasp. Terrified, pain filled eyes met Waisana's as Seirei begged her friend to tell her what was wrong.
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[Waisana]

The teen took a dry cloth, gently brushing it across the baby's face to take mucous off it. A small amount of fluid was escaping from his nostrils and mouth. His breathing sounded clear enough and so she assumed that his airways weren't obstructed. Anything that might be trapped within him would surely escape with gravity's help and so she was happy to leave him to Seirei's care although Waisana kept a close eye on him, even as she occupied herself with other matters. Carefully navigating under the blanket to avoid exposing mother and newborn to cool air, the healer checked the umbilical cord to ensure it wasn't overly stretched and rested her fingers on it in the same way she might lay them on someone's wrist. The thrumming beneath her fingers was as clear as any pulse felt in someone's neck or wrist, the connection still strong between mother and baby. The placenta hadn't come loose yet and she'd learned from others that it was bad to pull it and risk damaging it or the placenta before they were no longer useful. She had heard horror stories of catastrophic bleeds that had resulted from a placenta coming away from the womb while the blood still flowed through it. The mothers involved usually died in such a situation and sometimes the baby could be affected too. There were some children who didn't develop quite right after such an incident, somehow tainted by such an experience, a slowness of mind following them as they grew. Waisana had no intention of allowing such carelessness to take place on her watch. She would do her duty and do it right.

Replacing the blankets carefully, she moved down the mother's body to get a better look between her legs. Sometimes damage took place, especially in a young girl and so the Drykas girl wanted to check if the girl might need stitches. A glance into the bowl that she had placed at the birth canal's opening showed red, which signified blood had oozed from within. There was usually blood before the placenta was delivered but it might be that there was a bleed somewhere. She examined the opening by sight alone, not wanting to go prodding a now sensitive area unless absolutely necessary. Fluid still escaped but although it was red, it was only tinged with that colour and too diluted to be blood. A closer scrutiny of the bowl's contents showed that all the liquid gathered in it seemed to be the same. It didn't look quite right. A quick check on Seirei showed she was too wrapped up in the newborn to notice much of what the healer was doing, or so she hoped.

Dipping her fingertips into the fluid, she rolled it around between them, frowning at the consistency. Where her fingers disturbed the surface, clearer fluid was revealed. It seemed the blood was only on the surface, a more recent entrant to the bowl although it was doing a good job of obscuring what appeared to be... amniotic fluid! Gaze sharpening with alarm, she avoided catching the girl's eye as she considered Seirei's size and took another look at her vagina, careful use of her fingers easing the opening wider in an effort to see into the depths. She was too big, Lukar was relatively light and small considering the space he had been occupying. Either Seirei had put on an awful lot of weight or...

"Twins?" she gasped as the girl's pain became apparent, pleading for an explanation. A few moments later, she caught sight of the underside of a foot. Damn, a second child and a breech birth at that. This was not going to plan, especially considering the trickle of blood escaping from the womb to dribble into the bowl. Could the placenta be detaching despite the fact the second baby hadn't delivered yet? Quite possibly. The baby could die in the womb before she could get it out, Seirei could bleed to death, the baby could be choking with its own umbilical cord around its neck, it could all end in disaster!

Calm! Stay calm! You can deal with a breech. Just pretend there aren't other circumstances. Like the possibility of the womb bleeding.

"Another baby," the healer responded as she moved into action. The bowl was moved, the newly born Lukar carefully removed from the girl and wrapped in his own blanket as Waisana positioned near Seirei's side closer to where the umbilical cord emerged from her so that it didn't become stretched in what was coming. "Sit up, hug your knees tight, high. Get ready to push," she snapped in the other's direction, her voice commanding obedience although not providing comfort for once. If the need arose then it might be necessary for her to cut Lukar's cord despite the pulse that still remained. She checked the cord quickly, forcing herself to slow down so that she could concentrate on the thrumming of blood within. She didn't think that it had slowed much since she'd last checked it but she took two laces from her bag anyway, leaving them close at hand so that she could tie off the cord and cut it quickly if the need arose.

If things went well then Seirei would be able to push the baby out. Waisana would have to wait for the baby to fully emerge and catch it when it fell out, or risk it taking a premature breath and suffocating before leaving the womb if she was fool enough to touch it. That was if things went well though. The girl looked spent after the delivery of her first child and it sometimes happened that a woman couldn't find the strength to push a second time. She was so young, so fragile, that perhaps her body couldn't take it. If Seirei couldn't push the baby out then the teen didn't like her options. If it came down to it then she would save Seirei if the child's chances were poor. She didn't want to lose the girl if it could be avoided, although it'd be a terrible thing to have on her conscience if either, or ,gods forbid, both of them were to die. She had to hope that all would work out.

"Find the strength and push! When you feel it, push!" she hissed, squeezing the young woman's hand as if to emphasise her point. She released her quickly, hands moving to check on Lukar once more, checking the cord's pulse before tucking the blankets around him as snugly as she could manage. She positioned herself between the mother's legs as best as she could, coaxing her to rock backwards a bit to allow the baby's exit to be a little easier. Now she had to wait and hope.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Waisana said something in pavi that Seirei couldn't understand. It was a word she hadn't heard before, and while it sounded similar in some ways to ones she did know, agony, and terror made it impossible for her to think about it. But the healer must have known that she hadn't understood because she said something about another baby. She was having another baby? Twins? Was that what Waisana had said earlier? But...was that even possible? Weren't twins supposed to be very rare? Why was she the one of all people to be having twins?

Another contraction tore through her, shattering that train of thought. It didn't matter how, or why she was having twins. She just was. Lukar was taken from her, and orders were given. Seirei did her best to obey them through the dizzying haze of agony, fear, and exhaustion. Somehow, she managed to pull herself into a sitting position, and bring her knees up.

Yet another contraction came, driving an agonized scream from her as it took hold. The order came to push, and Seirei tried to obey. She really did. She started to push as hard as she could, but the little strength she had left failed her part way through the contraction. Tightly clenched muscles cramped with tension, forcing a pained moan from her. But she was too exhausted to push anymore. She didn't have any strength left.

"Sorry..." she apologized to her friend, and healer.

An order had been given, and she had failed to do as ordered. Would Lian punished her for her failure? Would he see it as disobedience? What would happen if she failed again?

When the next contraction came, Seirei was too weak to even try. And the pain was even worse because of it. Was she going to die? Would the baby die with her if she did? Another contraction tore through her abused body. When it did, terror lent her the strength she no longer had within her. The urge to push came, and somehow, she did. Something gave within her, and in a rush of agony, the baby came. A thin cry filled the air.

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