Traitorous Birth

Writers: Devin, Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 13th March 2024

Characters: Enali, Cyradis, Kielya, Ciara, Briata, N'vanik
Description: Enali gives birth and it's not easy on her.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 11, day 21 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Y'gel

Cyradis

Enali grimaced and writhed in the quiet of the little dark weyr that
had been her only surroundings for months. Biting her lip, she
resisted crying out, desperate to keep her pain to herself. They
couldn't know. If they knew that she was laboring....She breathed
through her teeth catching her breath. She'd helped with enough births
at the hold to know what she was supposed to do, but there had always
been her mother and the midwife to help!

Fear made her shudder. Could she do this on her own? But if she called
for a healer...what would happen then? The leaders would kill her
shortly after the babe was born. If she could just have a few more
days...

What she didn't notice was the low thrum of noise from the elderly
green that had been set to watch her. The dragon had already clearly
announced what she had been trying to hide since her waters had
broken. Enali didn't realize what it meant, but she found the sound
comforting in a strange way, the way it ebbed and grew along with her
contractions. The pain eased and she leaned back against her bed
frame, catching her breath.

A small brown among the other firelizards crooned even as he sent
pictures to his person.

Cyradis sat up straight. The images were dark but she could tell from
them there was a woman in labor and it looked like Enali to her.

"Kielya," she called out. "Go get a healer to Enali's weyr." she said.
"She's in labor"

"Yes ma," the girl nodded and ran out the door. A few moments later
she arrived at the door of the infirmary. "The Weyrwoman says Enali is
in Labor '' she said to the first Journeyman she saw.

}:Gamsorth says the bad woman's egg is hatching,:{ Loseth told his rider.

N'vanik frowned, wondering if he should go up there. Would Enali try
to end things now that she knew her time was up?

Enali struggled to her feet, breathing through her teeth as she
gripped the post of the bed. As she rose, the trickle of birth waters
made her go still. It _was_ time. She licked her dry lips and looked
at the entrance of the small weyr she'd been assigned to. Behind the
flap of leather, the wind whistled, reminding her how high and
inaccessible she was. She swallowed, took a step, gasped softly as a
band of muscles around her belly clenched, then took another step,
knees shaking from both fear and a fresh rush of determination. If she
hurried, she might be able to do it.

The green's rider stepped in from the ledge, arms crossed to show the
bulge of muscle despite her age. "You should be resting in your
condition. Don't worry, a healer is on the way."

Gamsorth briefly interrupted her humming to call a greeting and
stepped aside to allow Loseth room to land.

Enali stared at the greenrider, a plea in her dark eyes before she
leaned against the wall and turned her face away. She grimaced and
slowly slid down the wall, cradling her aching belly. "Just leave me
alone and let me die."

N'vanik stepped into the weyr, his gaze quickly finding Enali. He
didn't say anything, only watched her struggle. Outside, Loseth moved
aside for yet another dragon to land on the ledge. The younger green
lowered herself, and the rider carefully helped his passenger down and
passed the middle-aged woman a medical bag. "Weyrleader." The healer
nodded respectfully before stepping past him.

Franah set her bag down and crouched next to Enali. "All right dear,
let's get you up." She set a gentle hand on Enali's arm. "Let's get
you over to the bed so I can examine you."

Enali turned her face away and grimaced, but did not let out the grunt
of pain that threatened to burst from her. Instead, she bit down on
the inside of her cheek. "No. Leave me here." She blinked back wetness
in her eyes. More than anything at this moment, she wanted her mother.
She wanted her mother to hold her hand, to tell her it would be okay,
to help her through this. The thought of birthing the babe terrified
her, and it didn't help that the Weyrleader was staring at her; she
could feel his gaze burning into her. She would not show him that she
was in pain. What little bit of pride she had left demanded it. She
wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"I need you to get on the bed." Franah's tone was still gentle but
there was a thread of steel to it. "I don't care who you are or what
you've done." Which wasn't entirely true, just true for this moment.
"My job is to help you deliver this baby, to give you as much care as
I would any mother."

A gold firelizard swooped into tke the small brood of flits in hand
and they quickly moved to give her the place of honor atop one of the
glows.

Ciara and Briata soon arrived on the back of Ciara's green Ellianith.
She helped Briata dismount and then they dove back down to the
weyrbowl to wait.

Briata nodded to the side of the room with her basket and baby
clothing. Cyradis had asked her to foster the newborn until final
arrangements had been made and she'd prepared for the arrival of the
new little one. She was aware of the tension in the room and gently
reached out to Loseth with a soothing thought.

**All will be well,** she told the magnificent bronze. Then she
summoned the tiny gold asking her to chivvy the rest of her fair out
to the ledge to keep them out from underfoot.

Enali refused to look at N'vanik or at the Healer, then hissed out a
breath as another contraction took her. She didn't want to push this
child out; she knew what waited for her after. When Briata entered,
she stiffened, knowing what the woman was here for, to take the child
when it was born. She slowly looked at the Healer as she heard a
rustling of movement and spoke quietly, her voice barely a whisper.
"Let me die."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," the healer said. She looked over at
Briata. "Help me get her to the bed." She hoped Enali might be more
cooperative if she didn't involve the dragonriders.

N'vanik stayed where he was, just watching. He was there to make sure
Enali didn't hurt anyone, or fling herself off the ledge.

Briata nodded and stepped forward with a solemn air to help the healer
make Enali as comfortable as possible. The tiny weyr was already about
as full as it could get. At least Jewel had gotten the fair of
firelizards to take up their watch out on the ledge by decorating
Loseth in all their bright colors. Jewel prominently on his head like
a little gold hat. Briata bit her bottom lip to refrain from smiling
at the sight.

"Sorry," she said to N'vanik as she squeezed past him. She'd promised
Cyradis she would keep her informed of the progress through Panitath.
She confirmed the woman was in labor.

Grunting softly as she was laid back on the bed by the two women,
Enali turned her face away from them and towards the wall of the tiny
weyr that was her cell. A tightening, painful spasm made her tremble
and she closed her eyes tightly, grinding her teeth together to keep
back a moan of pain. Instead, she wound her fingers into the fur and
clenched at them, then clamped her legs tightly shut.

"Weyrleader, could you please step outside?" Franah asked as she
dabbed Enali's brow with a cloth.

For a moment he looked like he might argue, then he nodded and moved
out to the ledge. He was only a few steps away and the greenrider was
still watching.

Loseth was not in the best mood, feeling his rider's conflicting
emotions and remembering through him what the woman inside had done.
But he allowed Jewel and her fair to perch on him in deference to
Briata and because he didn't want to cause more tension.

"I know you don't want to do this," Franah said to Enali. "But I need
to examine you, dear." She reached to move Enali's clothes out of the
way.

Briata had too much compassion as Y'gel always told her. But it looked
out of her eyes now as she smoothed back Enali's hair. "Sorry but you
can't hold it back. No matter how much you want to. Would you like to
hold my hand?"

At first Enali refused to respond, keeping her legs still clamped
together through the contraction. Her eyes squeezed closed as she body
writhed in response and as it eased, she heard Briata's soft words.
Tears leaked from her eyes along with a soft sob. "I want my mama."
She began to weep covering her face with her hands as her legs
relaxed.

The healer was as quick and gentle as she could be. "You're not yet
fully dilated. It may yet be a while." Then she set about propping
Enali up with pillows. "I'm sorry your mother can't be here." She
rubbed Enali's shoulder. "But Briata and I will care for you as best
we can. We'll get you through this, alright?"

Briata continued stroking Enali's hair as her own mother had done when
she was little. In fact even her weyrmate had picked up that tip to
help her stay calm. "Yes we will," she confirmed to the younger woman.
"Would you like a sip of water?"

At first, Enali moved away from the comfort of the two women, then
leaned into the stroking of her hair and swallowed, before shaking her
head. "No." She looked up at the two women, eyes pleading.
"Please...I'm going to die anyway. He's going to kill me. Just let me
die. I know it happens. Just let it happen."

"I'm sorry but I'm not able to do that." Franah had mixed feelings
about the whole situation, but her duty was to get both mother and
babe through labor alive. She didn't know what the Weyrleader had
planned for this woman and didn't want to make any promises she
couldn't keep. "Did you want to have this baby?" She'd heard rumors,
but best not to make assumptions based on gossip.

Briata continued to stroke the woman's hair but she knew too much
about what had happened with her. Y'gel and Urlene had both been
involved with saving the Weyrwoman, her baby, and several weyrlings.
Briata herself had been nearly overwhelmed by the dragon rage that
followed the poisoning. But none of that applied to the infant about
to be born. She looked at Franah with a tiny shake of the head.

Another contraction took Enali and she ground her teeth together as
she let every muscle in her body tighten in response and held her
breath. She'd seen enough births at home to know the process and what
would happen; she knew what she was supposed to do. She clamped her
legs together purposefully again, refusing to cry out as she shook her
head. It wasn't in answer to the Healer's question, but an internal
denial of the labor that she was now undergoing. As the contraction
eased, she slumped back, panting softly and closed her eyes.

The healer made another quick check. Closer, but not yet time. "If you
didn't want the baby, then think about it like this -- once you get
through labor, you can have your body to yourself again. But no matter
what, this child is coming out. You can make it easier on yourself, or
harder." Despite the stern words, Franah stroked Enali's hair.

The hum from the dragons and firelizards increased in volume and
Briata smiled. "See," she said. "They know what you're doing and are
saying hello to the new person in their own way. No matter what else
is happening here. They are welcoming your child."

They couldn't understand. The birth of this child would herald her own
death. She knew it and the man outside of this little room knew it.
And she was afraid. She began shaking her head, knowing that they
wouldn't understand. "No...no no...You don't..." The waves of the
contraction hit again, harder this time and she couldn't stop from
crying out in response as she tensed her muscles and tried to curl
into a fetal position instead of breathing through them. She felt the
pressure, wanted to push, knew she should push, but instead tried to
pull away from both Briata and Franah. She tried batting their hands
away, her panic only growing. "Leave me alone...don't touch me...I
don't want this!"

Franah had had guided many women through birth, but she felt a bit out
of depth with this one. "What would your mother tell you, if she were
here?"

"Goodness," Briata gasped. "I can see the head."

"NO!" Enali strained, fighting against the contractions even as she
felt the burn of pain. Her body bowed as she struggled, panting. "No
no no..." Her head grew light as her body rejected her efforts to find
a way to get the labor to stop. She cried out in pain, shaking her
head as she sobbed. "Please...don't...please... I can't..." Her body
tightened again with another contraction and she wailed, clawing at
the bed sheets. "I'm scared! Make it stop!"

"Shh, shhh." Franah rubbed her shoulder, trying in vain to soothe the
girl. "Your body knows what to do. Just let it happen. Push, Enali."
She truly hoped she didn't have to call the greenrider over to hold
her down. This was unpleasant enough as it was.

Her body took over, despite her objections to the process, and Enali
fell back weakly with a miserable moan. Her swollen abdomen visibly
contracted as she whimpered, then strained. Fingers wound in the furs
and with a final strain and a cry of pain, she felt a surge of release
as the babe emerged with a loud cry.

"A boy," Briata said and held out the cloth for the healers to deposit
the little guy in her arms.

Franah passed over the infant for Briata to clean and then dabbed the
sweat from Enali's brow. "Would you like to hold him, dear?"

Her face revealed the strain of the birth and her legs trembled even
as Franah wiped her brow. The cry of the child barely roused her, but
she opened her eyes wearily. Her head turned as she looked over at a
waving arm thrust out of the blanket that Briata held. It was so tiny.
Tears welled in her eyes and for a moment, she stretched her hand out
towards the baby. "A boy. My Grenal...my baby..." Her eyes rolled back
up into her head and her hand dropped as she passed out from
exhaustion.

Briata grew wide eyed at the offer then relieved when the woman passed
out. They quickly tested the infant and she cleaned him up. A cap of
fluffy blond hair tufted his head and she held him close for a few
moments until he fell asleep in her arms. Then she placed him in her
basket and walked out to the Weyrleader. "Can you have someone take us
down into the bowl," she asked, including Loseth in her question.

"I'd like to hold him for a minute." N'vanik's expression was soft as
he looked at the sleeping baby.

"Of course Weyrleader," Briata said and put the basket down to scoop
out the sleeping newborn and place him in N'vanik's arms.

N'vanik cradled the child against his chest, smiling down at his
sleeping face. "Don't you worry about what your mamma did," he said
quietly. "I'm gonna make sure you have a good life." Faranth, he was
so _tiny_. J'ackt's son . . . but N'vanik would make a claim to be a
potential father and watch over the kid as he grew.

After a long moment he bent down and placed the infant back in the
basket. "I can take you down. Loseth will be careful."

"I know," Briata smiled as she took the little one back. "He told me
he is always very careful." She had the feeling that maybe N'vanik was
the boy's father because of the way he'd looked just now. "Would you
like to name him," she asked a little shyly.

"Yeah I was gonna talk to Cyradis about that." He rubbed the back of
his neck. "I was thinking maybe . . . Nievan." N'vanik once had a
little brother. Neigan had died in infancy, following their mother
after two brief, difficult days. N'vanik liked the idea of this child
bearing a similar name.

She smiled. "Hello, Nievan," she said as she tucked him into the
basket. "You'll have to meet your foster sister Nisheyl and brother
Brigel." She looked back up at N'vanik. "Ready to go. It will be nice
having a little one again. Y'gel and I will make sure he's happy and
healthy."

"I know you will." He helped Briata climb onto Loseth's neck and got
her and the newborn securely strapped in. Just before he left, he
glanced back toward the weyr where Enali lay and all the warmth
drained from his expression. The child was innocent. His mother was
not.

Last updated on the March 14th 2024

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Traitorous Birth