Enid glanced around the dark and silent village. She smiled. Even all these decades later she still had trouble sleeping at night. Her hair was longer. Her eyes were kinder, but she was still stuck in the same youthful body. It would seem the spirits could not grant her true mortality, only a semblance of it. For sixty-three years she had been bereft of all her vampiric abilities and the hunger but she beyond her hair and nails it did not seem she had aged a single day. No wrinkles marred her pale face. Her skin never tanned. Wounds heal in hours instead of days and never left a scar. She looked over the cluttered long house. It was a mess. Her fellow villagers and her children and their children and their children’s children were not the tidiest of people even though she had tried very hard to instill that virtue in them.

  She glanced around one last time as she stoked the fire. With a sly smile she pulled her phone out. Its charge was getting low. How many times had she done this? She could count it on her hands. She found a song and put the phone down on the center table and pressed play. Her play lists were limited to the songs she had downloaded before the temporal event that brought her here. ‘I’m a believer’ started blasting from the phone. She started singing along and dancing around the long house as she cleaned off the tables. The play list transitioned to Somebody Love. Enid continued her cleaning and singing. She hadn’t noticed a pair of eyes watching her from the doorway as they had many times before. She lacked her heightened vampiric senses in this quasi-mortal existence. Enid had a spoon by now she was using as a microphone and was in the middle of belting out the chorus of Carry on my Wayward son, something of a personal anthem to Enid, when she felt strong arms wrap around her belly. She could feel his beard and warm breath on her head. She leaned back into him. The song finished and she smiled and pulled away from Rolf. His hair was long ago turned grey. His face was creased with many wrinkles. She nudged him to sit on the bench he had found her by, and she began singing along to the next song.

  She knew this play list by heart. It was Everything I do, I do for you. Rolf who had seen her do this more than once reached back and pressed the pause button after the first refrain. Enid kept singing. She could see Rolf’s eyes growing moist. She put her heart into the song. Rolf watched her enraptured. He wiped away a few tears with his now wrinkled hands. He reached out with his hands. She approached while still singing. She took his hand in hers. He clung to it tightly. She finished the song and pulled the spoon aside and leaned down and kissed him.

  “You should be sleeping dear.”

  “I could not. I was alone.”

  Enid’s eyes softened.

  “I miss her too Rolf.”

  He squeezed her hand tightly.

“Would that she had your immortality.”

“My love I would not wish this curse on anyone else.”

“It is no curse. Take it from an old and frail man. Who will die one day soon.”

  Enid sat down and leaned against his once broad shoulder.

“I wish I could have grown old with you and Hazel.”

Enid put her hand on his thigh. Stroking it. Her put his arm around her. It was shrunken with age. She wrapped her other arm around her swollen belly. Another child, but no Hazel to help her raise it. Their bed felt empty in these recent months. Enid had been slightly opposed but Hazel did one last ritual to grant Rolf his wish of another child. Hazel could not carry it, so it fell to Enid who still had the body of youth. Between the two they had twenty-five children. This would be twenty sixth. When they were young there was rarely a time when they were not pregnant. The spirits had listened all too well or at least that was Enid’s thoughts when she was going through each one. Making them was sure fun though, Rolf was a lover of exceptional skill. She wished to feel him inside her once again. Firm hands holding her down. He had not been able to do much since before the latest pregnancy, the spirits had granted him the vitality to have sex with her and Hazel one last time. He had been devastated when he tried again, and it had left him.

“Sweet Rolf. Do not worry, I keep to my Oath. My eyes do not wander."

“I would not blame you if they did. I am old and frail. I cannot see to your needs.”

“What I need is for you to get some rest. You are old and you need your rest to stay healthy.”

“What use is health if I cannot enjoy it? I cannot sleep if I am alone, the bed is empty and cold.”

Enid stood and kissed him on the forehead. She picked up her phone put it in her pack and slung the pack over her shoulder. She offered her hand. He wove his old, wrinkled fingers between hers.

“Then let’s go to bed husband.”

He stood and the pair walked hand and hand to his round house. She pulled off her dress and slid into the bed next to him. He had stripped his clothes off. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

“Sleep dear husband. I will be here when you wake.”

He slid his rough hand over her swollen belly.

“I will not see this child born.”

“Nonsense. You will see it get married.”

He smiled sadly at her and touched her hair.

“My life would not have been as complete without you. I loved you from the first moment I picked you up in the forest. A warrior maiden sent from the heavens. You saved my tribe from a weak chief, and you saved my soul.”

Enid smiled and looked into his eyes.

“I know. Now to go to sleep old man. You have a pregnant wife to tend to on the marrow.”

He smiled and Enid started humming the lullaby she had song to all of their children. While stroking his hair. Rolf’s eyes closed and soon he was breathing deeply. Enid snuggled into him and let sleep overtake her. It would be the last night they spent together.

She woke and Rolf was cold and unmoving. She had seen enough death to know it when she saw it. She could feel a new hollowness. Hazel, Rolf and she had shared their souls. Each carried a piece of the others. Now she felt empty but whole. She still felt mortal though. Likely the spirits granting the trio’s last wish, one last child. Enid touched her belly and sat on the bench looking at the shell that had been her husband for so many years. In her lifetime it was a blink of an eye, but it was still devastating. No more would she be embraced by his strong hands. He seemed to know last night was his last. She pondered then realized if they shared a soul then he shared the mark God had left on her, the gift of insight. Of course. She finally stood up. It took some effort she was extremely pregnant at this point. Walking and dancing was one thing, standing up from sitting a completely different one.

  She went to the long house to find her son. Bjorn. He would be taking his council. She walked the short distance from her home. The village had grown to a town in the last six decades. It had been successful at trade and war and commanded the respect and loyalty of the surrounding tribes. None dared oppose them, and most willingly joined them. Bjorn was speaking to his ruling council. To his right was his sister Freya, they were the eldest remaining children, at least human-born children. The wolf-born would outlive all of them of course.

  “Mother, where is father? He is late.”

  Enid shook her head. Bjorn caught sight of the redness around her eyes. And he slapped his sister on the shoulder and motioned his chin towards Enid. Freya who was a strong woman, a warrior maiden like her birthmother took Enid’s arm and held her up. Enid had nearly collapsed as another wave of grief took her. She helped Enid sit down away from the council.

  “Father is dead?”

  “Yes Freya, he passed in the night.”

  Freya hugged her tightly. She had the ice blue eyes and platinum blonde hair common to her other mother’s family line, but she came from Enid’s womb.

  “I am sorry mother. Losing mother, and father in less than a season, it is a hard thing.”

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  “I will be alright. I will just need time.”

  “Do you need anything? Water? Bread? Furs? What do you need mother?”

  “I’m fine. Go back to the council. Our people are more important than my feelings.”

  Freya hesitation and Enid made a dismissive motion and Freya went back to her place at Bjorn’s right hand. Those are the two Enid had seen in her vision at the left and right of Rolf. Bjorn was birthed from Hazel’s womb, Freya from hers. They could be twins. They were the future of the tribe. Enid touched her belly again and smiled at her children. It comforted her to know that Rolf’s people were well taken care of. Enid knew from the Winter Wolves that they would say they were birthed from the white wolf, Oden one eye and a Valkyrie that flew on red wings. It wasn’t far from the truth. If only she had understood at the time. She leaned back against the table.

******

  It had been a month since Rolf had passed, Enid was giving birth to their last child. She had not tried to determine what it would be. Content that it was Rolf’s child and that was all she needed to know. Of course, she had checked out the genetic makeup of her children and had used the tablets from Atlantis to determine their gender but this time she just let nature take its course. What she found was that some were Rolfs, and some were miraculously descended from Hazel. In some merged all three. The spirts had a strange way about them. It had been two decades since Enid had last given birth and her body was not in a willing mood. The child was being difficult. Freya, Meabh and Morgana were all present, her remaining oldest, her youngest and one of Hazel’s daughters. Though they all called her mother.

  “Push mother, you can do this, you’ve done it before.”

  Enid screamed as she pushed. She felt Freya’s rough hand in hers. Enid could see concern in Freya’s eyes.

  “Mother if I could fight this battle for you I would. You are seventy-five seasons old. But I cannot so you must push.”

  Enid pushed again. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She was unused to such pain now. She cursed her weak mortal flesh. When she had her vampiric endurance, it had seemed a simple thing. The others had come easily even with her weak mortal body. This one was being difficult. She was panting and realized it may not have turned. She motioned to Freya.

“My bag, my bag!”

Freya scrambled to find it and brought it Enid. She pulled out an Atlantean tablet. The three sisters were wide eyed. They had never seen Enid’s ancient devices, or her futuristic ones. To her she was simply mother who could teach them to use a bow and swords. She pointed it at her belly and tapped it with a shaking hand.

“She is tangled in the cord. And hasn’t turned. You’re going to need to cut her out.”

The three sisters looked at each other. She could see panic in their eyes. Enid tapped the tablet again and pulled the sides out, so it was big enough to cover her abdomen. Enid gave it to Morgana. Who took it and looked at it closely. Enid cried out as another wave of pain ran through her. Her hand was still shaking when she hurriedly pulled out a surgical pack. It was one of six she had. It had everything you needed to perform field surgery and keep it sanitary. She handed it to Freya. She dropped the bag. Her voice was weak. She knew the baby had to get out of her or they were both dead.

“Freya, use the white tube.”

Freya was oblivious to the word tube. Enid poked at the alcohol based cleanser.

“Use it on your hands.”

 Freya rubbed her hands together. The three wrinkled their noses at the smell. Enid pointed to the gloves.

 "Put those on.”

Freya obviously wanted to ask questions but the look her mother gave her when she opened her mouth was enough for her to save it for later. She gingerly pulled the gloves on.

 “Now only touch the inside of the bag and the knife with those. Now the brown bottle. Pour it on my belly. Hurry I don’t have long.” 

  Freya poured it over her belly and the antiseptic burned their noses. Enid pointed to the scalpel. Freya pulled it out and looked at it.

  “Its just a really small very sharp knife, there is nothing special about it. Meabh, Morganna hold the tablet over me. So, it matches exactly.”

Enid groaned and then cried out again as her body tried to push again.

“Now Freya, I need you to cut exactly where it shows.”

  “But the baby, I might cut it.”  

  “If you don’t do this, we will both die. You have the steadiest hands in the entire village you can do this. The scalpel is sharp my skin and muscle will not resist. Stick it in.”

  Enid screamed when the scalpel slid into her flesh.

  “Stop, that’s deep enough, now cut across slowly and steadily.”

  Freya followed the trace the tablet was projecting and finished. Enid gritted her teeth and did not feel weaker for screaming in agony when she couldn’t hold it in. She had performed this on so many women, but they all had anesthetic. Enid clung to consciousness because if she didn’t, she would die.

  “Reach in and pull the baby out.”

  Freya touched the cut but hesitated.

  “I have seen you knee deep in your enemy’s bodies don’t get squeamish now Freya. Push it apart and pull her out. Gently but don’t waste time.”

  Freya reached in and pulled the child out. Enid screamed again. The pain was more intense than she’d ever felt. Enid was hovering at the edge of consciousness.

  “Use the surgical scissors to cut the cord.”

  Enid pointed at the small pair of scissors in the surgical pack.

  “Put your fingers in the holes. Yes, right there.”

  Freya snipped the cord.

  “Now make sure I’m not bleeding inside and sew me up. There’s thread and needle there, use the tweezers.”

  Enid pointed to all the things she mentioned. Freya passed the newborn off to Morgana who cradled her. Enid let her head fall back down and she blacked out. When she woke again, she could hear a baby giggling. She lay in the bed that she had shared with her oath mates. Morgana was tickling the baby’s belly. She brought her close when she noticed Enid was awake.

  “She is beautiful mother.”

  “All babies are, even when they aren’t Morgana. Let me feed her.”

  Enid shifted and pain shot through her from her abdomen. The flesh was mending, but the wound was severe. Morgana held the baby out and Enid took her into her arms and pushed the side of the sleeping gown they had put on her and the baby latched on to her breast.

  “We were worried about you mother.”

  “You should have been, childbirth is the most dangerous time in a woman’s life. A lot can go wrong.”

  Morgana put Enid’s pack beside the bed within reach.

  “We…put everything back inside.”

  “Mother how do you have such things?”

  “There is much of my past you do not know. If anyone were to find out I figured it would be you, even without the tablet and surgical kit. You were always the brightest and most curious of my children.”

  Morgana pulled the bench closer and sat beside the bed.

  “Tell me mother, tell me what you have been hiding.”

  Enid gave a long sigh and rocked the baby as it suckled at her breast.

  “I am older than Greece and Rome put together, older than the pyramids of Egypt. I have walked this village when all here have long turned to dust and bones.”

  “I do not understand.”

  “I am almost twenty-two hundred years old Morgana. I have seen empires rise and fall. And now I have watched my husband die of old age, again.”

  Enid sighed.

  “You were married before?”

  “Twice.”

  Morgana looked shocked at first then she leaned in.

  “Tell me about your husbands, please mother?”

  Enid rocked the baby gently. It had released her nipple and was sleeping. Enid pulled the side of her sleeping gown over her shoulder. She smiled at Morgana. She was still looking for a man to wed. She was brilliant and men feared the intelligence in her eyes.

  “Lucius was my first. He was my soul mate. He became possessed by my enemy in battle. He had long blonde hair and blue eyes. We had two children. Hestius and Platia. I was forced to slay him to save all of creation. We were forced to fight each other for two thousand years.”

  Her eyes were wide.

  “You slew him?”

  “Yes, I had no choice, it was him or every person who has ever lived and will ever live.”

  “Why did you not tell us you were a champion of the gods?”

  “Would you believe me had you not seen the tablet with your own eyes?”

  Morgana smiled and shook her head.

  “What was your other husband like?”

  “He was a nobleman, pretty full of himself, though he was the best swordsman in all of his lands. He wouldn’t stop looking at me across the room. I was looking for another husband at the time. And I certainly wasn’t looking for an egotistical man.”

  “So how did he win your heart mother?”

  “I was in the stables one night, preparing to take my horse for a ride. And Henry thought I was trying to steal the Lady’s horse, the lady being me. I was dressed like a boy might. I had no wish to be identified. I tripped him and threw him to the ground. But I said nothing. I didn’t want them to know it was me. Next thing you know he drew his blade and was threatening me. So, I drew mine. My sword had a name it was Bloodseeker. It was blackend silver. He didn’t stand a chance. I had been fighting with a sword since before I could hold a real one. He lost soundly and after I spanked him with my sword a few times in front of his men, I pulled back my hood. The look on his face. He held his own, so I gave him a chance to win my heart. We had two children, twins. My daughter is still alive now, Eyre.”

  “And this was long ago? How does she yet live?”

  “Before I bound with your father and mother, I was an immortal goddess of the night. I could bring others into the night with me.”

  “Would you do the same for me mother?”

  “If you asked it of me and I thought you could handle it yes. But I can no longer do such things. The spirits have taken it from me. If I could your father and mother would still be alive.”

  Morgana nodded and looked at the baby again.

  “Do you have a name mother?”

  “Hazel.”

  Morgana smiled.

  “It is fitting, she has mother’s eyes.”  

  “I suspect she is what I have left of your father and mother. She is their daughter, I just carried her. The spirts have given me a final parting gift.”

  “What will you do now mother?”

  “I don’t know Morgana. I will not seek out another oath mate. It was too painful to go through again, watch them grow old and fade away.”

  “But you always say that without the bad, there can be no good, because you would not appreciate the good.”

  “Yes, I have been known to say that. It is true, but right now it seems like it is all pain.”

  “No mother, it was not all pain. I saw you and mother and father together. You were happy.”

  “Yes, I was, I suppose in time my heart will thaw.”

  “Will you be dying soon mother? I…do not want to lose you.”

  Enid touched her daughter’s cheek.

  “No Morgana I will not be dying soon. Though my body is weak and mortal, I have not aged a day since my father brought me into the night. The spirits cannot change that. So, unless someone decides to try and kill me, I suspect I will survive long enough to see you pass away too. Let us not talk of such things.”

  Enid could feel her eyes growing moist.

  “For now, let me show you a picture of your sister.”