Part 7
“Bah!” Mark said with a shake of his head. “It’s useless and worrisome to even speculate about it. We’ll know eventually. In the meantime, here, have a distraction…”
In less than ten seconds, all three of them were quite distracted indeed.
Three weeks later, after a pregnancy that would have been of about average duration for a human but was short for an elf, Alilia went into labor.
She had felt heavy and lethargic that day, and had slept through most of it. The third hour past midnight found her in the living room, slowly rocking in a rocking chair, sipping tea and lightly drowsing occasionally, unable to truly sleep as the rest of the household slumbered.
She felt her first contraction and smiled, knowing it for what it was. She knew that there was no real use in waking anyone at this stage, and waited for it to pass.
Her next three contractions came about ten minutes apart and lasted about a minute each, and seemed normal.
Her fifth contraction, however, struck her suddenly, and with a power that took her breath away as her entire torso clenched. She knew it shouldn’t be so sudden or so strong, but she wasn’t very concerned yet, initially. But the contraction only got stronger and stronger, long past when it should have ended. By the third minute she was in absolute agony, and would have called for help if she’d had any attention left for it. As the fifth minute approached she felt a bolt of panic as she realized that she was in serious trouble. She hadn’t been able to take a breath for almost two minutes.
Within her, unborn Valentia struggled against the crushing feeling of the abnormal contraction. First it had frustrated her, then angered her, then filled her with a fear that grew constantly along with the increasing pressure. As the baby began feeling serious pain, her sense of magic awoke in her with a rush like an explosion.
In the moment when Alilia tried to call for help psionicly, Valentia struck out against the crushing pressure with Force and Fire. Alilia’s call became a psionic scream that jolted everyone in the settlement wide-awake in an instant.
second later the twins ran in,
used by her inherent Healing ability. Her hands were clasped on her stomach, which writhed like a wildcat was trying to tear its way out from inside her. Two or three times every second one of the Force bolts erupted through her skin in a spray of blood, or
arriving a moment to overcome their shock and horror at the scene and decide on action. It was difficult to even think over
me Mark!” Hilsith cried as she Linked with him, and she guided him as he cast spells around the baby that cut her off from the fields of magic power, and vented her spells high in the
Valentia and did
the fires and
best to calm and comfort
her pain and self-inflicted burns, which were already mostly Healed by her own inherent Healing ability. As
It took a while after that for everyone to get their racing hearts and panicked breathing under control. Hilsith continued to treat Alilia for the next fourteen minutes, as her
continued treating Valentia, even as she washed the baby and wrapped her in a soft blanket. She stood close, holding the babe until Hilsith was finished and
Hilsith’s direction, Mark gently picked Alilia up from the ruined rocking chair with Levitation, and Translocated to the bedroom with her, Yzell, and Valentia. Alilia was gently bedded down
she caressed her baby. “All of you, thank
minutes they were both asleep, but everyone else was far too wound-up from the excitement to want
sent a quick Speaking to the awakened community, announcing Valentia’s birth, but asking all but the closest family to postpone visiting until further notice, due to the delicate condition
Talia, Nemia, and Helemia made tea and snacks, while Mark, Yazadril and Reggie cleaned and Restored the living room. Shortly Dalia and Bezedil arrived with sparkling wine for the congratulatory toasts. Only then did it truly strike home in Mark’s emotions that he had a new daughter, he
later, but the rest stayed
happened an hour before noon, and a few minutes later Hilsith and Yzell said it was fine