It's a good thing that Urszula's youngest is such a quiet child, as the whole ordeal takes quite some time. Thankfully there are no screams. Not so far anyway. Elzbieta is a tough woman after all. She still sounds like she is in pain though and after a while exhaustion becomes evident in her voice too.

The others are the very picture of calm. Well, judging by their voices anyway. Thus while things aren't exactly coming along nice and easy, nothing out of the ordinary is happening either. Nothing Wislawa, Agnieszka and Urszula haven't dealt with in the past anyway.

I guess that easy is not something I should expect anyway. This is a first time for Elzbieta after all and those are hardly ever easy. We should count ourselves lucky to have experienced midwives, a competent priestess and potent alchemicals at hand. That isn't a combination everyone can take for granted.

Eventually little Milena does wake though. I guess it is to be expected. She can't sleep all day and night after all. She blinks at me owlishly at first, before she looks around a little. She probably didn't expect to wake up in an unfamiliar room with someone else but her mother. She takes it in stride though. Possibly because I'm not a complete stranger to her. Still she seems a little upset.

“Gu?”

Milena's expression of confusion, both the sound as well as the look on her face, is just too adorable. It drives away all worries and puts a smile on my face right away.

I bend down and place a light kiss on her forehead, like I have seen her mother do, which in turn makes her reach out for my face. Grabby baby hands aren't exactly gentle, but I let her have her way anyway.

After a moment of exploring my face with her hands, making baby sounds all the while, the little girl seems satisfied. Well, she is mostly satisfied anyway. It seems she wants a late night snack and she seems determined to help herself to it.

Since she seems pretty determined, I decide to oblige her. Besides, it's not like we can disturb her mother right now. Urszula is rather busy right now. I need a little relief too. And, although we have only done this a few times, the little girl seems familiar enough with me anyway. It's just that this is the first time I do this without any of the others around to make sure I don't mess up.

Nursing the little one takes my mind of what is going on in the temple's sanctum too. The activity is quite calming. Most curious how I only learned anything in that regard here. Having children and caring for them was not part of the academy's curriculum. I snort in amusement. Well, I got what I asked for in that regard. I graduated from an academy of magic after all and not from a finishing school for young ladies.

Once she is done with her meal, little Milena goes right back to sleep, not perturbed by the sounds from the temple's interior it seems. Well, it probably helps that both her mother and Agnieszka keep their calm and speak only in low and soothing tones.

I'm about to doze off myself, when at long last, it is already dark outside, a new sound suggests that Elzbieta's ordeal, or at least this part of it, is over. The cry of a newborn. I perk up immediately.

Curiously enough, I'm not the only one. I haven't noticed their arrival, but Zofia and Czeslaw, the newborn's father as far as I know, are here too. So far the two adventurers have kept quiet though.

Zofia, the paladin of the Earth Mother is out of armor for once. She looks a little nervous too. I'm still not quite sure about the relationship dynamics in between these two and Elzbieta. And how do I fit in there, now that she has for pretty much all purposes moved to my place?

Well, whatever. I let out a deep breath as Wislawa comes out to ask us in a little later.

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We do not stay in the sanctum though as we follow her in. Instead we move a little deeper into the little temple to what probably is a guestroom of sorts in the priestess's living quarters. With all of us present it's getting a little cramped. No one seems to mind though.

Urszula is the first one to take her leave, as her part is done. She flashes me a smile as she takes her daughter off my arms.

The girl is now wide awake again, looking around at all the activity, curiosity clear in her eyes.

Urszula kisses her atop her head gently.

“Time to head back home and get some sleep, dear.”

She has to fight a yawn even as she says that. With one last nod she is out the door.

I in turn breath another sigh of relief, as I finally see Elzbieta and her newborn. She is resting in bed and she looks like she needs that rest too, despite the empty stamina potion bottle at the bedside table. The healing potion is empty too, but that might just be a precaution. And if it isn't I'm not quite sure I want to know.

She is sweaty and looks dead tired, but happy too at the same time. I guess she has every right to be. And most importantly, she is holding a healthy child of her own now. She flashes me a smile.

Or maybe that smile is intended for her comrades? I'm not quite sure, as we are all crowded together right now. Does it even matter though? The important thing is, that she is smiling!

A hand on my shoulder pulls me out of my thoughts. It is Czeslaw.

“Elzbieta told us that she wants you to be the godmother. Are you ready?”

I swallow hard, but nod anyway. I swore a binding oath to take on this role and while breaking an oath might earn you karma, it usually isn't the good kind or even just a kind of karma you would want.

“I'm ready. I think? I mean, I have the present I prepared and I have names prepared too. Which ones will we need anyway? But … uh … I'm just wearing my work clothes? And Urszula's little one might have drooled on me while we waited outside?”

My stammering earns me a laugh from the others and a pat on the shoulder by the two adventurers standing by my side. It is Wislawa who answers my questions afterwards.

“You are fine as you are, dear. And we need a good name for a little boy.”

I nod, my worries fleeing my mind at her soothing tone.

Elzbieta chuckles before she adds a comment of her own.

“Maybe it is for the best that you aren't wearing your special outfit. The little one might be completely smitten with you for life otherwise.”

That earns another round of laughs.

I in turn move to stand at Elzbieta's bedside where Agnieszka is still sitting with her too. I leave room for the priestess as well, so she can join us with the bowl of blessed water from the pool in the sanctum, which she has with her. Elzbieta's comrades stay at the entrance of the room in the meantime.

Elzbieta hands her newborn to Agnieszka who holds him while the priestess performs the ritual cleansing of the newborn.

Then it's my turn to speak the ritual words of the ceremony, simple and informal as it may be.

“As your godmother, under the watchful eyes of the divine, I come bearing gifts for you. My first gift is your name, Ulryk. May it serve you well in the years to come. My other gift is one of soft cloth and magic, to provide you with warmth and comfort in your mother's arms.”

With the words spoken and the newborn cleansed with blessed water, I hand the enchanted cloth diapers to Agnieszka, who promptly puts them to their intended use.

[You have fulfilled your vow to become an unborn child's godmother! The Moon Father is your witness and gifts you 7 points for the Wheel of Fortune Arcana as a reward.]

It is, to be honest, such a simple affair. Yet it my efforts are handsomely rewarded. I can't help but smile, especially given how the little boy looks up at me with wide eyes. It looks like he received a first divine whisper as well. We all do, although we can't really remember later on.

The others look pretty pleased too. Elzbieta already knew the name I would pick of course. The father seems to like it too and none of the others have any objections either. For just one moment in time, all seems right with the world.