Of a feeble constitution She was alone. She nearly always was. She didn?t like the attitude of most citizens of Athkathla, and most citizens didn?t like her much. Peasants and servants tended to think she was the most generous and kind rich person they ever met, but that didn?t mean they were eagerly looking for her company.
So, Amousca was slowly walking from work back to her Sphere. Anomen had been able to help her find a place as a teacher for novices in the Order and in the church of Helm, the guardian god. She was giving four different courses, each for a cohort of a particular age. Young girls and boys usually came into service at the age of twelve, staying in formation for six years before they were complete priests or paladins ready to be squired. Amousca was giving courses for those of thirteen through seventeen; she was the teacher of
Common monsters and animals,
Dangerous, foreign and extraordinary monsters and animals,
Undead and spirits and
Demons and others.
Right now, she was on the way from the Church of Helm in the Temple district, where she just gave her class of Common monsters and animals to the thirteen years-old, to the Planar sphere. With the pregnancy, though, she hasn?t conducted many experiments recently; the elemental rooms were pretty much left to their quiet existence, while she stayed on the first floor of the Sphere, in her brand new office, where the golem assembling machine had been. These times, she was quite busy to catch up with all the taxes, authorizations by the Cowled wizards ? as if they could do anything against the Sphere, were she pregnant or not ?, and other paper work that just seemed to magically multiply without spellcasting in any too-well-organized city.
Anomen was out of the city for the moment, sent for his duty of lookout man to be fulfilled at the watchpost in the Umar hills. Each of the knights of the Order who were not assigned to permanent duty at the Headquarters, usually because of age or parental responsibilities, had to take rounds in the different farposts of the Order. Despite the late pregnacy of his wife, Anomen had not been able to skip his turn and had to leave for a week. A whole week, she had thought ; just a week, had said the Order. Anomen had been torn between his duty to his wife and to his Order, but Amousca was not one to take gently to be over-taken-care-of. So, she had said she would be fine, that she was healthy and that the priests of Helm would be there if she needed anything.
Anomen was a cleric ; she could not really hide from him the dull suffering of pregnancy. Her feet hurt, her legs hurt, her back hurt, she was constantly tired, and she was teaching to turbulent teenagers who didn?t really want to be sympathetic to her state ; they usually prefered to take advantage of it. They underestimated the strength of will of a certain elven sorceress, however, and were quick to realize that, fatigue or not, pregnant or not, she was not the kind of teacher to be defeated by a few practical jokes and well-aimed cantrips ? of course, they didn?t know she had an archmage sister, and a good month of adventuring with a certain illusionist gnome, to hone her skills at stoicism. Things had calmed down after a few weeks, and now her work with the kids was not so tiring, but Anomen could still see that she was tired.
She had an extremely good constitution for a sorceress ; she was the toughest spellcaster he had ever come across. Still, he was beginning to worry about her, wondering if she was this kind of female that had troubles all through pregnancy, problems usually culminating with the birthing, or if it was hard for her because she was an elf and was bearing an half-elf, or if it was just this job she insisted on keeping that was too much for her. He was worried, and his worries had not disappeared with time, as he had to massage her feet and back longer and longer so she simply could sleep at night. And all these gossips said she had such a weak constitution, pretending she slew a dragon with her own hands, but could not stand pregnancy. Anomen was so annoyed with his neighbours, since he heard them hold such disrespectful speech about his wife, that he did not speak to them anymore.
He did try to explain to sir Ryan about his wife?s health when the paladin called him to his duty in the Umar hills, but each time he thought of his wife and her health possibly jeopardized by their child ? his child, he usually thought in those circumstances ?, he found he could barely speak. So his plea had not been moving enough, it seemed, and Ryan had smiled kindly, and said pregnant women tended to obsess the mind of their husbands, and that she would be fine, and that he should not worry, and that he must go. Anomen saw the worry on Amousca?s face when he told her, but she quickly hid it and he left her, still worried.
Which let her, three days later, go back alone to the sphere. When Anomen was not in the city, she usually slept there too, in a small but comfortable room she had the golem set out in the small room near the entrance. Anomen had this habit of frowning when he heard of her wandering alone in the Slums, but there was nothing to be done about that ? she was just too obstinate ? and anyway, she reminded him, she was very capable of taking care of any inhabitant of the Slums threatening her.
Of course, she was not really prepared to take care of what was happening to her just then. Right in the middle of a back alley, just before she reached the Bridge, her water broke. At first, she thought she was mistaken. But then the first contraction took hold of her and she knew what was happening. She assessed her situation, hoped she was right, and began to walk back her alley, hoping she would really have the time to reach the Temple district. Already, following a mental command, her familiar was flying full-speed towards the Order?s headquarters. He could not go far from her, but it would be enough if he reached the headquarters.
She stumbled north of the Government district, people seeing she was in pain but not willing to come to her, uncertain of what to do. She didn?t call for help, but she was a little disappointed that people didn?t spontaneously come to her. Just then, Minsc came into sight. She sighed in relief as the strong man ran towards her.
"My witch should not be wandering the streets alone !", the ranger scolded when he came close to her. "She should wait for her bodyguard and let him escort her home !"
"You were late, Minsc, and I thought I would be fine by myself", she answered quickly.
She had planned to ask him for help after that, but just then Minsc, probably feeling guilty for being late for his very precious witch, exclaimed in this loud voice of his:
"I was almost there ! There was an orphan on the road, Boo said I had to accompany him to his uncle?s house? Boo was right, of course, and the uncle gave me a little beer, then I slept a little under the tree, then Boo woke me and reminded me of my witch, so I came running !"
"Minsc", Amousca called to interrupt him, "I need you to help me to go to the Temple of Helm."
Then Minsc, even in his simple mind, saw the pain and sweat on her face, and understood what was going on.
"Minsc and Boo will carry you !"
The ranger lifted her as though she was weighing nothing, swinging her in his arms as easily as he would have a child. She laughed; she had just wished for an arm to lean on to, but it seemed she and her child wouldn?t have to walk all the way back. She was quite grateful, actually, and didn?t care much for the scandalized looks the good nobles of the city gave them as Minsc was almost running towards the Temple district, although careful not to shake her too much. She was laughing inwardly, between the contractions beginning to increase in frequency, at the thought of what they would say about her, her bodyguard and her husband being out of town.
They quickly came to the temple and, when Minsc flew the doors open with his booted foot, she was in the middle of a contraction. She had to let Minsc explain the situation.
"My witch needs the best bed in this temple ! Tell me where it is, that I may lay her upon it !"
Fortunately, sirs Keldorn Firecam and Ryan Trawl came storming in at that very moment, her pseudo-dragon familiar flying behind them, and the inquisitor, seeing her, shouted at the priest:
"Her child is not to be born so soon !"
Of course, the priest had seen her before; many times. He knew who she was, but never told her a word and did not answer her smiles with a ?good morning?. Sometimes, she missed having Keldorn at the head of the party. Her reputation of heroism and her good deeds apparently vanished from everyone?s memory the minute the party dissolved. But just then, the priest apparently realized she was just another patient needing his healing skills, because he gestured Minsc to one of the back rooms of the temple, where the really ill were kept.
She was gently put on the bed and, as the numerous priests now in the room busied themselves with birthing preparations and divination and other spells to see if the baby was ready to be born, although early, Keldorn came to her bedside and paternally patted her hand.
"Do not worry, lady, the priests will take good care of you. Ryan, here, sent a horseman to inform your husband of your labour. Anomen will be here in a few hours."
The divination spell came to an end and Amousca quickly, so quickly, lifted her head to look at the face of the priest; Keldorn knew that movement to be that of her judging someone. He stared at the priest, too, and saw, clearly, despair on his face. Keldorn instantly was angry at him; it was not good for Amousca to know if something was wrong. The priest was not showing great professionalism, and it angered Keldorn.
"Is he not ready to be born ?", she asked in near panic.
Keldorn actually had to hold her shoulder to prevent her from jumping off the bed to her feet.
"Oh yes, they are", the priest answered, without hesitation, but still his tone was not reassuring.
It took a moment for everyone to notice.
"They ?", Amousca asked finally, feebly, but already smiling.
The priest didn?t add anything, but Amousca was reassured that the worry of the priest was caused by her safety, having to give birth to more than one infant, and not by her babies? health.
Then the priests had everyone out of the room, except Keldorn, because Amousca asked not to be alone. Besides, she was considering the paladin like an uncle or a father, and he was honoured to be allowed to stay by her side.
He turned as two priestesses helped Amousca out of her teacher?s robes and into a more simple and comfortable gown. Then he went back to her bedside, remembering his wife when she had given birth to their two daughters. Just then he almost felt like he had a third daughter, and held Amousca?s hand.
She was a little scared, but not too much. She wasn?t really afraid of pain ? after what the last three months had been, she didn?t really know what more suffering these babies could cause her. She was worried about the fact that there was more than one; there more often was trouble at the birthing of twins. Stillborn or umbilical cord around the neck, or blood loss for the mother. Her husband being a cleric, she knew those things. And there was an even greater probability of health threats for premature babies.
But she determined to be courageous, drove away the thought from her mind, and thought about the joy of Anomen when he would come into this room and see his children born.
Then the long wait and labour began. At first, it was long and boring, painful, but not too much. The priests were only monitoring her, not casting spells or doing anything else than mopping her forehead with a cool wet cloth. It lasted a few hours. Then things started to slowly change and pain came in full power and all she could do was to fight against that pain to keep consciousness. She resolved not to cry, not to scream, and clenched her teeth and squeezed Keldorn?s hand and kept waiting for Anomen to just come into that damned door and give her some comfort by his presence.
Contractions were faster, stronger, more painful, and she heard, at some moment, with her elven ears, a careless priest say:
"There isn?t even a hint of a head yet; is she going to survive ?"
Her head snapped in his direction and he knew, instantly, that she had heard him. The chief priest, whose name was David, was with him and also knew she heard. He gave a rather angry look at his acolyte and came to her. With very careful and well-chosen words, words that would have convinced her would she not have been in such pain, he told her that she was going to be alright, that her birth promised to be long, but nothing was wrong or seemed dangerous for her or her babies yet.
The pain was overwhelming. It seemed her whole body was just one huge sensory receptor for pain. Even her face hurt, from all the teeth clenching. She could see her belly move with the contractions, waves of the pain reflected with waves in her flesh, and everything in her ached.
She had had a good practice at not screaming with Irenicus, but even Irenicus had not driven her on a torture bed for so long. The mage, apparently, couldn?t keep the necessary concentration to conduct his experiments for more then six hours or so, whether he used knives or spells, and after that she was left near dead but alone in her cell. But she had no respite right now. She watched the sun come down in the window of the room; the sun gradually came nearer the opening, then crossed it, colouring the opposite wall with red and pink and orange. Then the sun disappeared behind the temple of Talos a little further to the right, and the light began to fade.
She knew night would delay Anomen?s arrival. Still silent, she watched the sun come down. Then there was one more degree of pain, suddenly, and she couldn?t help but moan. Keldorn flinched by her side and she tried to keep quiet, but she couldn?t stop. The priests came in with some spells that helped, but didn?t make the pain go away completely; it gave her a respite, though, which she took to breathe deeply, more easily. Sarevok and Imoen were allowed in for a short period at that moment. Brother and sister patted Amousca?s hand and just had time to wish her luck before they were pushed out of the room by David. By then, Amousca was too deep within herself to notice the gravity of her situation, if the priests wouldn?t even allow her brother and sister so stay by her side.
A few hours of the night went by; she didn?t notice when the priests lighted the candles, but there they were, alight. There were all the candles blessed for a particular prayer on the little table next to her, where was this basin with cool water. The moans had come back, not eased now even by the priests small enchantments against pain; there were no strong enchantments against pain, because it would make her fall into unconsciousness and would not help her to give birth to her children.
It was unbearable. Writhing, or staying still, or biting her lip, or clenching her hands in fists, or moaning, nothing helped. She couldn?t lay still and was rocking and writhing slightly, trying not to be driven insane by all this suffering. She thought she had to pass out, but she didn?t; apparently, the common saying that too intense pain brought unconsciousness was inaccurate.
A few hours more and she was thinking she was dying, she was tired, fatigued, exhausted, and then she couldn?t help but scream. Keldorn jumped to his feet and tried to calm her, but she could not resist her own screams. David said there was progress, that she was very courageous and that all was good. Priests came with healing and restoration spells, and she thought her heart was sinking. Not many women needed restoration spells when they were giving birth.
She didn?t scream all the time, but each time she couldn?t stifle it, she could see everyone wince. It didn?t take long before the divination priest came back into the room and cast a little cantrip, a silence cantrip, to keep the sounds from reaching beyond the walls.
She thought her forces would be abandoning her soon, but she still fought the pain, and tried to keep in focus who she was and what was happening to her. It was deep night now.
Anomen came in just in time for the worst of her screaming. It was after she lost the will and the strength to resist it, but before she lost the force to actually wail. When he burst in, dust-covered, tired, sore from the rush of horseback riding, he was struck, almost stunned and immobilized into place by the force and the pain in the scream of the woman he loved. For a moment he wondered if it was not more than half a Banshee wail. Then his eyes opened and he saw blood all over the floor, a quantity that was terrifying. The worry was written all over everybody?s stance and it took him just one look to embrace the gravity of the situation.
Keldorn stood respectfully when Anomen came in. He wasn?t noticed by the priests right away, busy as they were with their arguments about whether to use spells or not, letting do nature or trying to help her to the risk of making matters worse. When David saw that the husband was finally there, he politely urged Keldorn to get out and let them work.
Keldorn bowed his head, patted Anomen?s armoured shoulder, and got out. When he opened the door, Amousca?s screams echoed all through the corridor, making some children cry in terror down the hall. Sarevok and Imoen came running to him, asking for news.
"Things are not good", the paladin answered honestly. "She has lost a lot of blood, already received two restorations and one greater, and two Cure critical wounds spells. She is to give birth to more then one child and there isn?t even one out yet, and she is beginning to lose courage and strength. I hope Anomen?s presence and spells will give her a new lease of life."
"Oh ! ?Oh", Imoen exclaimed, but she could not finish.
She hid her face in her hands and Sarevok patted her shoulder with one hand, his arms around her.
"Come on, Immy", he said, "we know she?s stronger than that."
Imoen slowly nodded her head in agreement and wiped her nose. Keldorn was feeling rather dismayed himself, and yet Amousca was not to him what she was to Imoen. He couldn?t help but feel protective towards the two young women. There was a cold with Sarevok; he knew the warrior had changed, but still he could not quite forget the attitude of the other at the beginning of their trip together. He had much better preferred Mazzy at his left side. But he knew Sarevok truly cared about Amousca, he recognized that, so he squeezed the other man?s shoulder.
"She helped me change", Sarevok confessed. "I?m damned if I know what?s going to happen to me if she dies so unfairly."
"Don?t say that !", Imoen yelled, almost hysterical.
"You will honour her memory, I trust", Keldorn cut short.
He defied the other one with his gaze and Sarevok, after a moment of glaring at him, lowered his head in obedience. Keldorn knew that he could probably not defeat this man in a one-on-one combat; he was older, not as strong, much less fast and a little weaker than was Sarevok. Even with Keldorn wearing the girdle of Frost giant strength, Sarevok had such an incredible mastery over his sword that the inquisitor knew he could not have Sarevok respect his sister?s memory by force. But the warrior bent to his wisdom for the moment, and he hoped it would stay that way.
********************************
"Anomen", Amousca called with a real smile on her face.
David had just given her another little enchantment against pain and she was able to notice her husband?s arrival. Anomen strode across the room quickly and came to his knees next to the bed of his wife. Her face was white and tired and drawn, her eyes hollow, her body covered in sweat ? her gown was completely drenched with it. He was only a cleric and there was not much his battle spells could do for her, but he wished otherwise. She was so obviously in pain, so small, lost in this human-sized bed, looking so vulnerable, and he realized with a shock, was so vulnerable because of all the blood loss, he wished he could protect her. In this instance, however, he was absolutely helpless. He could not put his body between her and the danger, he could not protect her like he promised in his vows at their wedding. He knew she didn?t like that much his protective attitude towards her ? she was the self-reliant type ?, but he couldn?t help it. She was precious to him, he cherished her with all his heart, and he felt like it was his duty to take care of her. There was not even a baby born, and already her life force was flooding the floor.
"I am here, my love. My horse lost a shoe in the dark and I had to finish on foot. I am sorry to be late, but I will not leave you again, my lady."
She actually giggled a little and said:
"Everybody is late tonight, but everyone is here."
He didn?t know what she was talking about, but he didn?t ask, because another degree of pain it her just then and she had to clench her teeth again. She was squeezing Anomen?s hand with more strength than Minsc could, he was sure. When she fell back on her pillow for another short respite, Anomen removed his armour the fastest he could and went to David to ask what was wrong. The priest told him, omitting a few things since the husband was a cleric and would know what he was saying.
"I can personally cast many healing spells", Anomen offered. "I only have one greater restoration in my memory at the moment, but I am willing to use it when you see fit, David. You are the physician here. I am just a battlefield cleric."
"How many does ?many healing spells? means ?", David asked.
"Seven Cure light wounds, Three Cure medium wounds, two Cure serious wounds and two Cure Critical wounds."
The other one opened wide his eyes; it annoyed Anomen at the same time that it pleased him. The part of him that suffered from Lord Cor?s lack of approval was pleased, but the part that grew because of Amousca?s love and trust was annoyed; did David not know he was very experienced with the battlefield ?
"Well, you can cast your Cure light wounds each half hour until you have none left, but begin with a medium wounds spell. We will keep the stronger spells for after the babies are born, or if there are complications."
Anomen went back to holding his wife?s hand and mopping her forehead and trying to tell her reassuring words. She was screaming sometimes, but her screams were weaker and weaker. Her forces were waning, Anomen could tell, and he saw the worry and despair on the other priests? faces. The healing spells didn?t do much good when someone had lost so much blood. Anomen was struck by an idea just then and, jumping to his feet, he left the room.
He went straight to Keldorn and asked him Kangaax?s ring. The paladin didn?t ask a question, neither did Sarevok or Imoen. When they saw the look on Anomen?s face, they all kept silence. Anomen took the ring and went back to Amousca. He slid the ring on her finger and continued with his spells and holding hand and worries.
Finally, just when David was giving up and was asking for another Greater restoration to be cast upon her, the head of the first baby came into view. The news apparently gave her back some courage, because she righted herself on the bed. Anomen gripped her hand tight and tried to make her know he was there, while she was pushing with all her waning strength to give birth to the first of their children.
By the window, the sky was greying outside; the window facing the west, it would be long before dawn would reach the chamber, but the new day was coming near. With a final push and a final cry of pain, the baby, a girl, came forward into this world. David quickly gave her to Anomen, who took the child, cut her umbilical cord with the help of an acolyte, cleaned her, wrapped her in hot swaddling clothes and gently, carefully, laid her in the magically warmed bed where she should be kept for a few weeks, being premature. She just let out a short sound when Anomen cut the cord, just like she was shocked to be ill-treated so, but did not cry.
"Let me see", Amousca cried, unable to sit up straight.
Anomen came back to her.
"It?s a girl, my love. A beautiful, healthy girl. You will see her later, but right now your work is not done and you must not overtire yourself before the end of it."
Amousca nearly cried, but before he was done saying what he said, she was taken over by another huge contraction and could not think to protest anymore.
She lacked the strength to deliver the second baby, Anomen realized. Despite the ring, his spells and the restoration of the priests, and her courage and her great strength, she was slowly drifting away from him and this world. David knew it and asked for yet another greater restoration, cast by Anomen this time, but it would not necessarily be enough. Anomen didn?t let go of his wife?s hand and shoulder this time, when the baby finally was born. David tended the baby with the help of an acolyte and put him down next to his sister.
Anomen didn?t turn to look. Amousca was obviously exhausted and he was afraid that if he looked away just one second, she would die seeing him turn his back on her. She didn?t ask to see the baby this time, collapsed on the bed, so white it was almost like looking at a vampire, if it were not for the tenderness in her eyes.
Then it happened. Anomen couldn?t believe it when he saw the next strong, huge contraction. It couldn?t be that strong just to liberate her from the placenta, could it ? Anomen turned towards David, who just an instant had despair on his face. Then he hid it with professionalism and came back to tend to Amousca, ordering spells from priests and acolytes and another divination be made.
Anomen knew Amousca very well. He knew by the look on her face, the quick and random movements of the eyes and the head jerking form left to right, the titanic efforts she was making solely to stay conscious. She was back to moaning, not having the strength to really scream. The husband and father stayed there by her side, heart torn that she should go through this, and he could do nothing for her. That he had to stay there, his last and only restoration spent, and watch her drift away into death?s arms with no way to keep it from happening, because she was bearing his children.
He felt the overwhelming guilt flooding him, threatening to send his reason spinning way over the frontiers of sanity. He remembered his mother dying, his sister dying, his father dying, none by his fault, Amousca had helped him to understand that. He had lost everyone he ever loved or tried to be loved by. And now, Amousca was dying because she was bearing their children, and he could not help her, and it was because of him !
Suddenly Amousca made one last movement that managed to lift her from the bed, with one last scream, feeble scream, and almost instantly a baby was crying, so loudly it was almost impossible to believe. The third baby was the first one to really cry, the first two only making an angry sound before breathing for the first time.
Amousca was smiling. Her eyes looked at Anomen, but he knew she had trouble to focus on his face. He put his hand to her cheek and spoke to her, hoping it would keep her here and now.
"My love, listen to me. Your children are born?"
Surely there couldn?t be another one ?, Anomen prayed silently, frenetically.
"?and they will soon be shown to you. But first, let the priest restore and heal you. You also need to give a final effort for the delivery of the afterbirth. It is almost over, my love, but stay with us a minute longer, that we may help you."
The placenta was expulsed minutes later, while the priest were casting an impressive collection of restoration, blessings, aiding, healing. Blood was hastily cleaned from the floor and the gown changed with great care. Sarevok and Imoen, only, were allowed into the room, because they were blood relations.
Anomen took his elder daughter in his arms. He came close to Amousca, that she might see even in her great weakness, and showed her the red, congested face of the newborn. She smiled at her daughter, then at her two sons, held by Sarevok and Imoen, who also came close to her bed.
"Our children?", Amousca murmured dreamily. "The pain is gone now, and if I may find some peace, I will sleep now, I think."
"Of course, sis", Sarevok answered with a grin.
Imoen and Anomen worried a little about the grin, but the tall man merely put down the little child in the warm bed and let the priest push him out without resistance or protestation. Anomen was also expulsed without mercy. As soon as the door closed, Sarevok grinned wider, as Minsc, Keldorn, Ryan and a few others came closer to hear the news.
"What is it ?", an exhausted and tense Anomen shot.
"She is so arrogant that her newborn don?t even cry !", Sarevok laughed. "She won?t sleep, she?ll pass out !"
Imoen disappeared into the grey shadows of dawn and backstabbed Sarevok with her bare fists. The warrior, who was terribly tough and did expect that turn of events, still had to bend in half to take back his breath.
"We don?t even know if she?ll just pass out or die !", Imoen said with a shaky voice. "How dare you laugh in a moment like this ?"
She punched her big brother again, hard. Sarevok still couldn?t speak. Anomen cut in:
"The restoration spells will help her greatly. The delivery was easy after the birth; there are very good chances she will be fine. She will be very weak because of the blood loss, but she will survive."
"Boo said so !, Minsc boomed. "Boo and Minsc also thought that the Ioun stone might help her."
He gave the Perly white ioun stone to Anomen, who went back to the chamber and gave it to the priest by the door, who would not let him in. Even if he was a cleric, he was considered a nuisance to the recovery of Amousca, because his presence could agitate her, and she needed to rest. He understood, but it still felt cruel.
Sarevok, Imoen, Minsc and Keldorn accompanied him to his family estate in the Government district. When he was disinherited by his father, he had lost all rights about the house, but when his father died without heir, the house had been on sale by the city council. Sir Ryan Trawl had managed to buy the house before the Faradh did, and sold it back to Anomen when he had the money to pay ? which was not long after, since they were a successful adventuring party and that Anomen had his share of their profits. Anomen was really grateful to Ryan that he allowed him to keep his family estate despite his father?s foolishness. He often had a thought for the paladin when he crossed his own house?s threshold, because he owned much of it to him. In fact, he owned much to Ryan, back to his apprenticeship and nomination as a squire.
Keldorn returned quickly to his estate not far away, saying he had to immediately reassure Maria about his safety and Amousca?s health. Sarevok, Imoen and Minsc stayed just a few minutes, taking a little tea prepared by the new butler, Guillaume. Sarevok and Imoen returned to the Five Flagons, where they were staying at the moment, while Minsc went back to the temple.
Anomen went to bed and asked his butler to wake him in four hours, no more, and fell sound asleep, absolutely needing to recuperate from his twenty-four hours awake, his wild ride back to the city and his worries. Just before he fell asleep, he remembered to get up and ask Guillaume to get a smith for the horse, that would need is foot fixed. Guillaume assured it would be done and repeated he would wake him in four hours, but that he needed to sleep. Anomen didn?t argue.
*********************************
Guillaume had trouble waking him the next morning, so deep in dream he was. He didn?t take the time to change and almost went running back to the temple. He bumped in a confused student in the temple, who was wondering why the teacher of Demons and others was not there this morning. Anomen stared at the seventeen-years-old boy with surprise.
"Did no one told you she gave birth last night ?", the knight asked.
"She did ?", the student smiled. "That?s wonderful news !"
The student, Romasso, must have remembered something when he saw the serious look on Anomen?s face, because he hesitated and finally asked:
"But? wasn?t her child supposed to wait for a few more weeks ?"
"Yes", Anomen answered, feeling his worries come running back. "I am going to fetch news right now."
Anomen started to go round the boy to walk towards the back rooms, but Romasso caught his arm, rather familiarly.
"Excuse me, sir? You are the knight Anomen Delryn, her husband ? Would you mind if I come with you ? I would like to know if she is alright."
Anomen was about to dismiss the boy, but then he remembered his wife cared about her work and would probably be pleased that her students cared about her. The knight smiled and beckoned Romasso to follow him.
"I am lady Amousca?s help with her class about demons", the young apprentice explained, once he told his name.
Anomen didn?t answer, but nodded. When they came to the door of her room, a priest was standing guard. Minsc was sleeping and snoring, still wearing the black dragon scale, Liliarcor within reach, on the floor on the opposite side of the corridor, faithful bodyguard as always. It slightly bothered Anomen, to think that another man had promised and vowed to protect his wife to his dying breath, but he knew Minsc?s loyalty but absolute lack of interest in Amousca?s charms. At least, she had been able to convince the ranger he didn?t have to sleep on her floor when she was in bed with her husband? Minsc had understood that, thank the gods. Romasso gave a startled and slightly scared look at the huge man sleeping in armour on the floor of the temple, but since Anomen just gave him a look and didn?t care to ask who he was or what he was doing there, the student followed the knight who went to speak with the priest guarding the door.
"She is stable and not awake yet", the priest repeated twice. "You should yourself get some rest."
Finally, Anomen lost his temper; he was wise and his temper was pretty much under control since his Test, but running across more than half of Amn to come to the bedside of his wife, who nearly died giving birth to his children, and not being able to hear about her health was more than a certain cleric lacking sleep could bear.
"Well", Anomen began threateningly, "it is perfect that she is not awake, because I would like it if she saw me when she wakes, instead of another unknown priest. Are her babies at least kept in the same room, or will she have to worry that she does not see them when she wakes ?"
Romasso just noticed the plural when sir Anomen mentioned the children. He blushed; it was not really of his business, he was just her assistant.
"We thought it would be better if she was not interrupted in her rest by their cries", the priest answered, lacking assurance.
Anomen?s muscled corpulence and expression would have been enough to intimidate more than one man.
"Well, you should deafen her !", Anomen exploded. "Don?t you have a cantrip or a power word ? I will not allow her to be worried by their absence when she gave so much of herself for their birth !"
Anomen pushed the priest aside with one hand and silently opened the door. Romasso didn?t move to get a better angle to look into the room. He stayed outside with the priest, who shifted from foot to foot for a few seconds before going down the corridor in search of someone or something.
The room was gently darkened by heavy blue curtains, the colour of Helm, that coloured everything in the room. It was clear enough to see clearly, but dark enough to permit a deep sleep. Anomen silently crossed the room, resisting an urge to go to Amousca and kiss her forehead. He opened the back door of the room and found himself in the nursery. An aged female acolyte was there, an half-elf who was giving the bottle to one of the children. She was startled when she saw Anomen in the doorway, but she kept silence until he closed the door.
"My lord, you are not supposed to be here", she said, putting down the baby who started to protest with little cries.
It was the first son, saw Anomen with a certain amazement and lifting in his heart.
"I did not wake her and do not intend to perturb her rest, but I want to make her waking as easy as possible."
The priestess was more reasonable than the priest at the door, because she helped him to move a long chair next to Amousca?s bed. David barely opened the door to see what was happening, but since everything was quiet, he silently closed the door again. Anomen sat, then leaned on the chair, and sleep rapidly claimed him.
********************************
Amousca finally woke. She didn?t remember the moment she drifted from unconsciousness to consciousness, but here she was, back into this world. Her eyes were open, staring at the blue ceiling, with the unsleeping eye of Helm over the door in front of her.
She was so sore she thought she could not move. But her head scratched and it was going to drive her insane if she didn?t do something about it soon. She lifted her hand and arm slowly, grimacing from the pain of the simple movement, then scratched her head and let her arm fall back on the pillow next to her. She had to take a few breaths to recuperate form this huge effort, not yet ready to laugh at herself. Then she remembered the night before, the pain and waning strength and she thought she remembered a baby crying loudly and Anomen speaking about a daughter, but it was so misty, she wasn?t sure if she remembered right, and she was sure she didn?t remember everything.
She tried to turn her head, but made too quick a movement and was left dizzy for a few seconds. There was nothing but the wall and window to her left, nothing but the wall and the door to her feet, and there was Anomen to her right. She looked upon him for a whole minute, watching him in his sleep. He was so touching when he slept; his face was relaxed so he looked younger, and less arrogant. Further to her right, there was the little table, with her clothes on it. Babies, nowhere to be seen.
"Anomen", she called weakly.
She tried to extend her hand towards him, but could not reach him.
"Anomen", she called again, almost weeping.
He still slept, flopped into the long chair, not moving. She called his name once more, and he didn?t hear her. She started to cry, almost silently, scared and weak and she wanted to know what had happened ! She had sobbed only twice when suddenly Anomen startled, coming to a sitting position immediately, then turned to her and jumped next to her bed. He stopped just before crashing down upon her to hug her; he wanted to hug her, but she probably wouldn?t be able to breathe if he did that.
"My love ?", he said, panicked. "Are you awake ? Amousca ?"
He didn?t know if she cried awake or if she was hallucinating some horrible fate he could not imagine. She looked at him and he had to lower his ear closer to her so he could hear what she was saying.
"I called to you and you wouldn?t wake", she was murmuring. "I didn?t see? the babies? Our children? are they alright ? Tell me, my love, may I see them now ?"
Their was unmistakable supplication in her eyes. Nevertheless, he had to discuss it with a physician.
"They are perfectly healthy, my lady", he answered with a few tears in his voice. "The nurse thinks they are a little small, but it is absolutely normal since they are half-elves and she is used to see infant humans. There is a girl and two boys. You are very weak and still very tired and I will ask David if he thinks it is better for you to rest a little more before you see them."
"No, no", she said.
She extended her hand and tried to catch his hand to prevent him from going, but she missed his hand. He felt like he just had been flayed, to see her weakness was so great. He knelt beside her bed and gently took her hand in his. It was so weak and cold, it was near lifeless. Anomen held her hand for a moment, letting his hands warm hers, and she calmed down.
"I will be back shortly, my lady, with your babies if possible."
She would have cried again, she wanted to cry and she was so tired she couldn?t stop it, but she just didn?t have the strength. She nodded once and Anomen went out of her room. She leaned her head back on the pillow, trying to rest and regain some forces while he was not there. Even if he was only out for a few minutes, she had to fight back sleep to open her eyes when he came back in. He was with David, who looked like he just had been pulled out of bed. She was angry at him for forbidding her to see her babies, but at the same time she was anxious not to let him see her weakness, so he would change his mind.
They didn?t say a word, but disappeared behind her, where she could not turn to see. It was not long before Anomen, David and a female half-elf came back into her view, each carrying carefully a little packet of white blankets. She thought she could weep, but again her forces abandoned her and she took a few breaths not to pass out from the emotion.
Gently, Anomen lowered the baby he was carrying as though she was holding her in her arms, but still he supported the weight of the little being. Her hand came up and pulled a little at the towel, uncovering the chin and the two little fists of the baby. She caressed the half-round half-pointed ear of her daughter, then touched one little hand. The baby seized one finger and pulled, easily winning the strength contest. Anomen gently liberated his wife?s hand and took a step back, letting David, then the nurse present the two boys to his wife.
Then they quietly left the room, as Amousca was leaning back on her bed, eyes closed, smiling.
**********************************
Anomen didn?t leave her much. He had to go sometimes to eat something, otherwise he would have fainted, but he stayed by her side most of the time, reading or looking at her, or more often, worrying if she was ever going to recuperate and be herself again.
The third day, she was able to speak at a normal volume and was able to sit a little more upright when she woke up; she was unable to do so without help later in the day, but there definitely was progress. The priests expulsed Anomen out of the room while she was receiving a little visit from Sarevok and Imoen. Some of her students came to take of her news and Morul, once he learned that she was not going to the sphere because she was sick and not because Anomen was back in the city, almost didn?t left the Temple. Nara and Larz also came to see how she was doing, and the young mages that had been her apprentices were permitted to see her for a short moment on the fifth day.
Romasso and the other courses? helps came to take of her news and Imoen ended up giving them advice with the classes they had to give while the teacher was not available.
By then, Anomen was so overjoyed about her definitive, but slow, recovery, that he actually took some time away from her, in the nursery with his children. The nurse very kindly showed him how to feed and change them, not even smiling at his nervousness and clumsiness.
Amousca was slowly claiming back her strength. She fought everyday to do something more than the day before, rested a lot, but she was getting restless, having to stay in bed for a whole week. So, while no one was in her room, tired of the useless wait, she sat and flung her feet of the bed. She didn?t try to stand right away, because the blood rushing down to her feet apparently deserted her head and she was really dizzy. After a while she felt better, and tested the strength of her legs on the step of the bed. Definitely, she could not stand by herself. She sighed and pushed on the step for a while, so that her legs did some exercise, before pulling back her feet on the bed with great efforts. Well, at least now her children were left in the room during the day, so she could see them and hear them and see Anomen and the nurse feed them and change them and console them if they were crying. She was also now strong enough to hold them by herself, though not for long, and she suspected it would not be long before she was capable of feeding them. She didn?t know before then what ?maternal instincts? meant, but she quickly learned how strong it was a calling. She was overwhelmed by the love she instantly felt for the little ones the first time she remembered holding them. It was almost too much to bear that they were taken out of her sight for the night; she knew she needed to rest, but there was this irrational worry about them when she didn?t know what was happening to them?
She was also frustrated about her weakness, because having a nurse care for her children was not really how she had imagined the first days of her offspring into this world. But she couldn?t really do something about it, now, could she ? She laid down in bed and continued to wait. Anomen was so happy to see her getting better that she was sure he didn?t notice her frustration; she admitted to herself it was probably better that way, otherwise he would have started to worry again.
The next day, Anomen came into the room suddenly, not according to his usual schedule, and found Amousca sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet on the step, swinging dangerously, as though she was about to faint and fall head first on the floor. She lifted her head to look at him and by the angry look on her beautiful, elven face, he realized she was not as close to fainting as he feared. He tried not to run to her, but calmly walked to stand in front of her and smiled.
"I always knew you were headstrong, my love, but do you not think you are exaggerating just a bit?"
"I know I can?t stand by myself, Anomen", she sighed with despair. "I only get a little practice at sitting and pushing on the step to test my legs."
Anomen believed her; he knew she wouldn?t give up trying to stand, but wouldn?t try if it was hopeless.
"Let me help you, then, my lady."
He again used his cleric skills, although he knew little about physical rehabilitation, to help her exercise her legs. She soon laid back on the bed, exhausted, and he helped her feet up.
"I?m lucky to have a priest as a husband", she said smiling at him. "They?re a real pain when they tell you to take care of yourself, but they?re so good when you are in need."
Anomen laughed and stayed with her for a while, before actually fetching the new blankets the nurse had asked him to get.
***********************************
After a week and a half, Amousca could stand with help, her great triumph, and was allowed to go back to her house. A priest would come to see her every day to make sure she was alright, and a nurse she would have to pay was coming to the Delryn?s estate. Anomen gentlemanly carried her to the carriage that would lead them home. There was more than one curious face in the temple that day and everybody was craning their neck over their neighbour?s shoulder to try to catch a sight of the three babies. Many of the nobles were there, since three heirs to the Delryn were born, many students too, and finally the usual gathering of curious peasants.
As they were walking towards the carriage waiting by the temple doors, Amousca heard some gossip in the far ranks of the crowd; she recognized lady Jysstev?s voice easily. That damned gossip had been the worst at spreading these dreadfully insulting comments about Amousca?s perceived weak constitution. Right now she was saying to her neighbour, which Amousca could not hear or see:
"Can you imagine ? Three babies ! It?s a wonder that she survived and her babies too ! What strength of health it must take?"
Amousca almost laughed. Well, where did her weak constitution go ?
Edited by DalreïDal, 25 December 2005 - 01:23 PM.
Cheers! And two horns up for metalheads all around the world!
