Firiona Vie Everquest

She senses Storms panic through and squeezes his hand, wondering if he had ever been at a birth at all. "It's fine, it's supposed to be this way. You men don't know pain." she smirks slightly, trying to ease his tension. Then she gasps again, feeling wetness below as the waters break. The midwives are instantly at her side then, cleaning her up a bit and laying out the blanket. Jetamio keeps a hold of her husbands hand, refusing to allow them to send him away, while Tortha watches in silent fascination from much further back.

The big Nothron man fell to his knees at Jetamios bedside and stared at her in wide eyed wonder. To endure the sight of her in pain made him dizzy but how could he waver when she stayed stolid enduring the pain itself? He took a moment to steady his nerves before speaking.
"You are doing well my love. Can I get you anything?" He shot a glance at the closed doorflap then smiled at her weakly as she endured another wave of pain.
He then fumbled to help the women with the steaming towels before being pushed away by thier curt looks at him. There was nothing he could do. It was all up to Jetamio. Never had he felt so helpless. He who helped everyone could could do nothing to help the one he loved the most. His frustration boiled in his mind and he darted looks around the room as if under the point of many arrows.
He looked to his son and took strength in the knowledge of the appearance he must uphold for his sake but inside he felt as a newborn lamb without its mother to hold its legs beneath it.
Time had slown to a near stop and his sences now worked overtime to process every detail. yet in thier frenzied search his hightened sences missed so much of what should have been a beautifull experience for him too.

"No!" she shouted when they pushed him away, reaching out her hand towards him, fingers outstretched. Despite this being her sixth child, the father had never been present and she wanted him near, at least this once. Her first she had birthed alone but for the help of a passing stranger drawn to her cries, Ankari's father had been dead before she was even born, and Tolthar had been away from home on the birth of both his children. And Tortha, well, he had been born in Surefall among the Alliance.

"Please." she whispered as she met his eyes.

At that moment, her whole soul in her eyes, he came to know peace. Not the peace of simply being calm in the moment but a peace that streached on into the infinite. He realized now the beauty within her and the reason he had been drawn to her. He was filled with a geat joy. He saw that they would be together through all time and perhaps had been since time began. He felt the nearness of her soul in that moment and the fearless nature of her spirit... all was right and good.
He rubbed her hand and smiled to let her know he was present in mind as well as body now. He dried her brow with a soft cloth and basked in the moment. Nothing could drive him away from this now. The birth of his child, the dawning of great and fortunate future.
The Old women smiled at him now and his mother smirked also.

"Oh hello Stormfollower, come to join us at last hast thow?"

Jetamio winced as another contraction siezed her. All else inside and out was calm as if nature her self had drawn in a great breath and waited silently for the arrival of the child of Jetamio and Stormfollower.

She clasped her hand around his, drawing strength from his being beside her. She took a deep breath as she felt another one coming. She cried out in pain but there was a note of relief too. She felt that unmistakeable urge to push. When it passed she wriggled into a more upright position then awaited the next.

Holding her hand close to his chest, she could feel his heart pounding fast against its walls. He held her position firm with an arm behind her back and encouraged her gently.
"You are doing well my love, I am so very proud of thee."
Hot water was ready as were clean towels and the recieving moss. Smiles all around and the quiet burbleing of the spring in the back of the hut all prepared to greet the newest member of the world. The room had been made dim and warm. All was in order and Stormfollower nodded in aproval.

Jetamio leant into him as she bore down with the next contraction. She clenched her teeth with the bonewrenching pain as she struggled to bring the little one into the world. There was a flurry of activity as the women got ready to recieve the babe whose head they can now see. They encouraged her to push again, one last time, and she did so, almost crushing Stormfollowers hand on the process, forgetting her strength. She froze until she heard their daughters loud cry at being taken from her warm nest, then lay back with an exhausted sigh.

Overcome with the emotion of the moment Stromfollower began to weep tears of pure joy. He hugged Jetamio quickly before thier child was layed in the bed of moss on her chest.

She looked down upon the child and smiled. "You were right, a girl." She said softly to Stormfollower, then gave a small gasp of surprise as the baby opened its eyes. All her children had inherited her eyes if not her hair colour, all except this one. "She has green eyes!" She wasn't sure yet if the hair was blonde or silver, but it didn't look like it was going to be red. She gently stroked the childs cheek.

Tortha held back still, letting his parents get used to the new one. He quietly left the hut and found that many had found some excuse to work near it. He grinned at the expectant faces.

"It is a girl!"

~*~

The outskirts of the village seemed deserted, yet the dark haired Fier'Dal felt a sense of expectance in the air. She approached from the harbour side, and had felt the winds and the presence within them. At last, she had found her. The warrior urged her black horse onwards, picking their way between the buildings of the summer camp until they reached the middle where everyone seemed to have gathered. None noticed her at first as their attention was riveted upon the flame haired youth who addressed them. Facing her direction, he noticed her and eyed her curiously. She regarded him back, noting that distinctive shade of gold in his eyes, eyes like hers. But he was much taller than she, obviously taking more for his father she decided.
She dismounted with a soft chink of metal from her armour, but left her swords sheathed securely in the saddle. She murmered a word to the horse, knowing he would stand until she returned, then turned to face the youth again. She inclined her head to him breifly.

"Greetings. I seek..." she paused a moment, collecting herself lest her emotions run away with her. She knew the one she sought was in side. "I seek Jetamio."

Inside the hut Stormfollower was deeply entranced by the flame that was thier new child until his keen ears picked up the soft chink of armour from outside, a sound that had not been heard on Red Urchin Island for many cycles.
He sprang to his feet in suprise placing himself between the beds and the doorway. His armour and weapons still stowed away in the cache near the long house he readied himself as best he could. Sumoning what spirits he could the shaman motioned all who were in the hut behind him
None had come this far north to the Wolf tribes nomadic range in many years. The tribe had grown lax with thier defences, secure in thier supposed isolation. Only the animals on whome thier survival depended came and whent all others were known guests or tribal members. So many islands dotted the coast and this one was sheltered behind many others. How, he wondered, had they been found. Surely it was not by chance this armoured stranger had arrived.
"Horseweed, Throwstraw, leave quietly through the back and find Waters Laughter. Quickly now, go."
Two of the men in the room scurried off to the back of the hut. With feared lookes of thier faces slit a hole in the animal skin walls and slipped through.
"Jetamio, where art thy weapons stowen?"

Jetamio reluctantly handed the child to Quietsnow and got up from the bed, wincing slightly. She pulled on a leather over tunic before answering. "They are in Karana, but the weather can be my weapon also." She gingerly made her way to the flap behind him and followed him out.
A slightly harrassed looking she-warrior stood surrounded by the villagers, unarmed. She looked over as she saw the flap move and stood up a little straighter, now ignoring the villagers.
Jetamio stared at her a moment then clutched Stormfollowers arm to support herself. She was too tired for this kind of shock, and had she been a weaker woman she'd probably have passed out.

"Ankari!? ...how?..."

As Stormfollower left the hut he noticed the crib and glowing orb by the doorside. A note was affixed to these gifts but would have to wait. His gaze now shifted to Jetamios daughter Ankari. She had left her weapon on her saddle and so had come in aparrent peace. A secret jesture from Stormfollower to Waters Laughter (who was now in position his bow drawn) let him know to hold fire.

Ankari could hold back no longer. Ignoring the arrows pointed at her she walked up so Jetamio and embraced her tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Mother..." could be heard spoken softly from her by people close by.

Jetamio was still stunned. After a moment she drew back and took the other woman's face in her hands. Ankari looked very like Jetamio, though her face was not quite as refined with her father being half elf, but she was striking nonetheless. Hair as black as night framed her face, golden eyes that seemed haunted by some unpleasant experience but yet shone with an inner strength too. There was no mistaking her.

"It is so hard to believe...," she turned to Stormfollower. "My first daughter, returned."

"Welcome Ankari" Stormfollowers hard defencive stance and demeanor melted emediately.
"Forgive the initial mistrust. Welcome, Welcome. Thow art amoungst friends"
He waved Waters Laughter away from his hidden perch. After gathering the fine crib Giliadson had sent with its glowing globe he bid the two women follow him to thier private lodge where they might be together to catch up on things and also to enjoy the new born child.
"This way please." He looked greatly embarrassed.