Chapter 4 - Newly mom (again)

Today I had my third child.

It’s the 22nd of September, the day of the Equinox. I like the Equinox. Dad often told me tales about how day and night would merge during one, each balancing the other and keeping Ashes away.

It’s also, if the legends are true, the day when the survivor of the Ashen Night set foot outside of their underground fortress, long, long ago.

The day was pleasing. As always during those three last weeks, I was staying at Meredith’s house, waiting for my child to deign being given birth to.

The old Wise Woman had forced me to stop working, which was infuriating since I knew how much work she needed to do. I mean, I was literally where she worked, I could see her helping people, boys and girls with their sicknesses, pregnant women, troubled couples, old people in need of care. And I could do nothing. So annoying!

But still, I knew she was doing it for me. After all, the child should have been born by now. He was staying too long in my belly. I would have panicked, if not for Meredith pointing out that the baby seemed perfectly fine, moving, heart beating and all. He was just taking his time.

As one of the Wise in the city, Meredith’s place was quite big, way bigger than any home of a normal family.

Yet nobody ever berated her for it. After all, she was taking care of the sick and those in need. Every last Wise one had big houses, to be able to welcome sick and hurt people.

And so I was taking a stroll under the trees, looking at the rainbow of brown, yellow and red that the leaves were creating in their decay. Early autumn had lovely weather, clouds moving in the sky like as many flocks of sheep.

From his bench, an old man smiled at me “You sure are very energetic for someone so heavily pregnant, young lass.”

“Hello mister Derringer, you also look good today~.” I answered nicely to the old man.

He did not have long to live, and he was nice, when not under one of his fit of dementia.

“Thanks lass. So, how’re you doing?”

“Good, surprisingly good in fact. We talked about it, you remember what I told you?” I asked him on purpose. Meredith told me, long ago, that stimulating old people’s memories helped them stay sane. Only helped a bit, but when you take care of someone, every bit, you take, as insignificant as it seems.

“Ah yes, yes. Told me that, since what, your fourth month, your pregnancy started doing great. Good sleep, no pain. Totally different than when you had the twin, right?”

He remember when I had the twins? That’s good, it was six years ago already.

“Indeed. It was quite the ordeal with the twins. But with this one…” I patted my large belly softly. Another child. I loved children. I was a bit excited at the fact that the twins would have a little sister or brother.

Maybe I should have one or two more? Lost in my thoughts, the old Derringer interrupted me.

“Yah, for this one you got lucky. Seems like lady Radiance herself blessed you. Am sure he’ll be as cute as your first two.”

“Thanks mister Derringer. Seeing you always make me smile.”

“Nah, you’re a good lass, it’s me that should thank you. Your ointment, it’s miracle at works for my old joints.”

“That’s my job, but I’m happy to see that it finally worked. You know I tried four different compoundings for this medicine, what a headache.”

“And I’m grateful about that… So. Your baby, you’ve already got the name?”

“Yes, we know what we’ll name it, be it a boy or a girl.” I answered with a light nod and another smile.

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“And…?”

“And you know that I can’t say them before the Naming, right? You old fox, you.”

“Sure. But you know, I could be dead when you give birth, wouldn’t you pity an old man like me and give him the names you’ve thought of?”

I looked at him for a long minute before I smirked.

“Okay old fox, but only if you swear to not say it to anyone else.”

“I swear.” He said with a hand over his heart. A Radiant vow, that, the strongest vow you could take, directly under the watch of the goddess they say.

“Mh-okay.” I went to him and whispered in his ear.

“If a boy, then Echil. If a girl, then Elayna.”

“Wondrous name. I’m sure your baby will be great.” He smiled at me once more, a mysterious flame flickering deep in his eyes.

“Thanks. Urgh.” Something. In my belly.

“You okay lass?”

“I-urgh.”

“Come, I’ll help you.” He stuck his walking stick in the ground and supported me with his shoulder.

I often forgot how strong he was. He was, after all, a veteran, a Shi user. He was still hunting monsters when I was a kid, but time took its toll on his mind, if not his body.

“Meredith!” And how powerful were his lungs. Helping me walk, I saw it, its eyes. His mind was on the battleground, and he was helping a wounded soldier.

“What’s it?” Meredith came at Derringer’s roar.

“I think your lass is pretty close to birth. Same look as my wife when she had our fifth child.” He took me up to my bed, then left with a thumb up and an encouraging smile.

Just in time.

“Wow, you lost water already, it’s pretty quick.”

I think pretty quick could be the way to sum this birth. The baby came out pretty quick, the placenta too. So quickly, in fact, that I had no time prepping myself for my baby’s arrival. One moment I was carried here by Derringer, another one Meredith had my baby in her hands, head upside down, lightly hitting the little one’s bottom.

“Is everything alright?” Oh, my hubby just showed up, all worried, in the room.

“Everything’s fine honey, look!”

Meredith looked at the both of us. “Congratulations, it’s a girl.”

“S-shouldn’t she be crying?” Hubby sure was worried, so was I.

Wow. Our baby girl suddenly turned her head toward Hurbert, as if following his voice. The twins did not do that. In fact, the twins were crying quite loudly.

“Yes but… Well, she reacted to your voice, no? Normally, children that don’t cry are apathetic, they don’t move and…” Meredith suddenly put her pinky in the little girl’s mouth.

“...and they don’t suck properly, but the little girl here sure suck my finger like the tiny devil she is. I mean, besides her not crying, she’s perfectly healthy, good skin tone, good reaction, very active and energetic.”

Reassured, I couldn’t bear it anymore. I wanted to… to...

“I-I want to... h-hold her, please.” I was tired but I asked nonetheless. Well, I was tired, but way less than with the twins.

Wow. Directly after I said that, the little girl turned her head toward me and even started flapping her arms.

“Wait a bit, I need to wash her. Just look at her. Maybe all the energy babies normally use to cry is going toward her awareness? I’ll need to ask other Wise Women to see if they’ve heard of that. Here, careful” She washed my baby, then bundled it in warm clothes and gave it to me.

“Thanks Meredith.”

Once in my arms, the little one started moving its mouth. “Gah gah?” Even clamouring, as if asking where her food was.

“Oh my, you’re quite the hungry devil aren’t you.” I said lovingly. I love her. So much.

She was white, very white, but with a ting of healthy red, and her tiny hair was black like the deepest night. If my husband hadn’t had much trust in me, he could have asked if she was really his. Yes, that was how different she was from both of us, or the twins in fact.

She bit my nipple with great power and started sucking eagerly, more eagerly than either of the twin.

Maybe it’s like Meredith said. Maybe all the energy she kept as she didn’t cry is used to move and express herself. What a strange little one. I couldn’t help myself and smiled.

I looked at Hurbert, in a corner of the room, trying to be as much out of the way as possible.

Dumbass, come here already, look at your daughter instead of impersonating a hat rack.

“Come! come dear, look at her, just look at her!” I was so excited!

He looked at her with fond eyes.

“Oh, she’s so cute.” Then, carefully, as if she was a porcelain doll, he put a kiss on the back of her head.

“She’s eating very well, right?” He asked me.

“Yes, I was worried that she wouldn’t since she didn’t cry but it all seems to be baseless worries.” I started caressing her cheek, smiling.

“Seems like we made another great child together.” He teased me will following my own hand, caressing our daughter.

Suddenly, I felt her moving her mouth with more power. She was making fists with her hands.

What a strange, lovely little girl...