SoulMate - Chapter 2

      Barnabus and his two-man crew visited for three days before heading home without the Senator. A community party was held the night before they departed and all stops were pulled, first to show Barnabus how much they appreciated his trips back and forth and, second to show Senator Fortisimus that they were nearing self-sufficiency. The women and Cadrius outdid themselves with the abundance and variety of food and the latest offering of berry wine overflowed. Kira had mentioned to Dominicus and Vidius that she’d heard of using potato peels to make an alcoholic beverage spurring them to experiment with all manner of plant matter. Their first offering was hot off the still, so to speak, and each man had a sample. There was a lot of coughing and gasping mixed with laughter as they tried to down what had turned out to be a very potent brew. Barnabus thought there might be a market for it back home and an amphora filled to the brim was loaded aboard his ship. He intended to take it around to several taverns in the hopes of obtaining orders for more. Spirits were high at the possibility of having an exportable product.

      Senator Fortisimus had gone out of his way to be agreeable and “one of the guys” and, as a result, had been accepted unconditionally by everyone but Arik. They dismissed the stories of his ruthlessness as unkind gossip and gave him a chance. For the first time in too many years he felt accepted for who he was rather than what he could do to advance someone’s position or wealth. He laughed more than he had since losing his wife and no one minded that he poked into everything. His curiosity was seemingly insatiable and he was impressed at the skill and ingenuity that abounded between so few. Knowledge was pooled and seemingly impossible tasks, like running water in every kitchen, were discussed, tossed back and forth, and tested until a solution was found. Nothing was impossible to them. They were currently trying to devise a sewage system for each house and they were close to an answer. The Senator admired them, one and all. Especially his son for keeping them all together and working as a group, for the group, rather than each man for himself. It took a special sort of man to do that, he realized, and he wondered how he had missed this quality in his son. Then he wondered where his son had acquired the skill. Since Arik was still doing his best to avoid him, Fortisimus decided to ask Kira.

      She smiled at the question. How could he not see? “From his parents, silly,” she said. When he looked confused, she continued, “Arik saw you ruthlessly command and manipulate people to get what you wanted and he saw Heddwyn use compassion, empathy and understanding to accomplish the same thing. All he did was put the two styles together. Don’t get me wrong. On occasion, he’s needed to be ruthless to keep order,” Kira’s face clouded briefly at the thought of once such occasion, “but even so, these people would follow him anywhere and do any task he set for them. He digs in and does whatever needs to be done. He doesn’t hold himself above anyone and they know it. He would never ask them to do anything he wouldn’t do himself. In fact, he makes sure he’s involved in all the nasty jobs.”

      “It would never have occurred to me to work alongside my underlings.”

      “Now see, there’s your first mistake. When you start thinking of everyone as equal, including women, your perception starts to change. Given the right training and education, there isn’t anything a person can’t do. They may not want to do it, but they won’t be incapable. That’s why the school. Every child here will have the same start. What they do with it after that is up to them. You’ll be impressed by how far some of them will go.” Kira saw the Senator glance at little Moira. “Yes, even the girls. Women can do anything men can, you know. They might have physical limitations, but there are ways around those. Work smarter, not harder.”

      “You are certainly passionate about this,” Fortisimus commented.

      “Well, yeah. After seeing how women in this time are held back and left behind because they’re,” Kira traced air quotes with her fingers, “second-class citizens, it’s got my dander up. I want to help them find their place. And they’re making progress. Junia was the one who devised the actual filter in our filtration system. The men couldn’t come up with anything on their own. It took a woman’s special knowledge. So now the women are included in the brainstorming sessions. It’s really great to see.”

      The Senator made a non-committal noise in his throat. The entire societal structure here was like nothing he’d ever seen before and he’d traveled widely in his younger years. It remained to be seen how it fared over time.

      Kira patted his arm. “You’ll see,” she told him.

      “Do you know where my son is?” he asked. He’d looked for Arik since dawn.

      “He and Merius left hours ago for the quarry to get more stone for your house.”

      “My house?”

      “Sure. If you’re going to be here a while, we thought you should have your own space. The houses aren’t very big and now that Polonius and Feliciana are getting married, we thought you might feel in the way.”

      “They will be long married before my house is ready.” He looked askance at the houses around him. There looked to be no end of manual labor involved in building them.

      “Don’t be silly,” Kira said. “After building so many, it’s down to an art now. Everyone pitches in and it’s finished in less than a week. You’ll be nicely settled before you know it. Certainly before the wedding.”

      Senator Fortisimus shook his head doubtfully and turned back to Kira. “Why are you not with my son? I thought you two were always together.”

      Kira screwed up her face. “Yeah, seems like, doesn’t it? Ever since that nasty incident with the people up the road – well, one in particular – he’s afraid to leave my side. He thinks as long as he’s with me nothing bad will happen. It’s sweet, really, but he needs some guy time. I promised I’d stay put right here today and try not to get into any trouble.”

      The Senator perked up. “Nasty incident? I have not heard of such a thing.”

      “Nor will you. Very few people know about it and we’d like to keep it that way. It’s over and done with and there’s no need to stir everyone up about something that will never happen again.”

      “Heddwyn’s people did something? I find that difficult to believe. They are the most gentle people one could meet.” Senator Fortisimus had met his wife twenty-five years ago when, as a young soldier, he’d been stationed in this area.

      “It was just one of them, Senator.” Kira slid her hand under his elbow and steered him towards the dock for privacy. She should have kept her mouth shut about the incident, she realized, for now she was going to have to tell him about it. “You’ve met Adriyn, right?”

      “The red-headed young man who lives in the woods with the twins?”

      “That’s the one. Anyway, his father, Daffyd, attempted to control their Council using the lure of power to win them to his side. He could do things no one thought possible, so it stands to reason they’d be curious and impressed. Everyone wants power, right? Well, Conor tried to make them see the error of their ways and after a while, most of them agreed with him because the power came at a dreadful cost. It was dark and, well, evil. This led Daffyd to try a different tactic to win them over. Apparently, no one in that village appreciates our presence here, so he decided to attack us on the road to win points that way. We had all the children with us on a special outing, and he did his best to kill us with a spell.” She checked to make sure the Senator was still with her.

      “I am aware of the things Heddwyn’s people can do,” he said. “What happened? I assume he was unsuccessful?”

      “Adriyn and I were able to keep everyone safe, which, as you can imagine, didn’t go over well with Daffyd. To have his son and a little girl thwart his efforts made him more determined to find a way to get rid of us.”

      “And?” he asked when she paused longer than he thought necessary.

      “He set things up so I’d have to give my life to save the twins. His own grandchildren! Can you believe that? It still pisses me off.” Okay, Kira, she told herself, get a grip. She closed her eyes until her heartbeat normalized. “Arik was there and he couldn’t do a thing to save me. He’ll have nightmares about it for years.” She touched the Senator’s arm. “He’ll never be able to forgive himself for being so helpless when I needed him the most.”

      “And yet, here you are.”

      “Yeah,” she said quietly, “here I am. My parents arrived and he was dead before he knew they were there.”

      “Your parents arrived from where?” He’d never given any thought to where she might have come from, but that she had parents surprised him. Funnily enough.

      “You know how I can pop around in the blink of an eye?” He nodded, having experienced this novelty. “Well, my mom can do it, too.” She looked sideways at him. “I called her across time and she came to protect her baby. You know how ferocious mother bears can be.”

      “Across time?” This was something he’d not heard before. Suddenly he was looking at her like she’d sprouted horns or something.

      “Kira comes from the future, Father.” Arik’s arm rested comfortingly around Kira’s shoulders.

      “Where did you come from?” Fortisimus jumped and paled at his son’s sudden appearance out of thin air.

      “The quarry,” Arik said. “Merius and I went to get another load of limestone blocks.”

      “I don’t think that’s what he meant,” Kira said, glancing up at Arik. “What are you doing here? And won’t Merius miss you?”

      “Merius thinks I am answering nature’s call. I felt your distress and I thought you might need me.” His hand stroked soothingly down her back and she felt the tension slowly ease from her muscles.

      “Thanks,” Kira said, laying her head briefly on his arm. “It was just . . .”

      “Reliving it.”

      “Yeah. I thought your father should know what’s been going on but I didn’t think it would bother me so much to talk about it. I thought I’d put it behind me.”

      “It takes time, Kira.” Arik shifted his attention to his father who, he was happy to see, had regained some of his color. “Is there anything else I can tell you?”

      Fortisimus had to clear his throat a couple of times to make his vocal chords work. “I do not understand how Kira could be from the future.” Kira could have sworn she had mentioned it during one of their early conversations. Hadn’t she?

      “She does it the same way she travels from place to place. She can go to any place in any time.”

      Arik’s father took a breath and looked from Kira to his son and back again. “I can see this does not bother you.”

      “Should it?” Arik’s posture became even more protective and his words acquired a defensive tone. “She is still the same person.”

      “Yes, yes,” Fortisimus waved his hands. “It does not change who she is.” He took another breath and settled. “It is part of who she is. I have no difficulty with that. I have accepted her as I did your mother. They are very alike, you know. Gentle creatures, both.” He smiled, remembering Heddwyn’s beauty and grace and her other-worldliness. “If Kira knows the future, then she must know what will happen to whom and when. She can direct us in the best possible direction.”

      “No,” Arik said. “She is free to heal those who need her but we live our lives as we always have. Whatever comes, comes.” Kira relaxed at his words. There was no way she wanted to be the village seer, looking into the future to tell everyone what he or she should do. Free will was always best. She didn’t mind “tweaking” now and then to make life a little easier, but to tell people which direction to take? No thanks.

      Arik narrowed his eyes as a thought occurred to him. “Did Mother help you out?”

      The Senator shook his head. “She was determined to live like everyone else, to fit in. She seldom used her power and in time I almost forgot that she could do things that others could not. I do not think, though, that she could travel through time.”

      “Nor could she move from place to place,” Arik said. When his father raised his eyebrows, he continued, “Kira taught Conor how to do it. If he had known, others in the village would have as well. Especially his daughter.”

      “There was something Kira was able to teach Conor?” Fortisimus asked in disbelief.

      “Kira has been able to teach this old man many things,” Conor said, coming up behind the Senator. He had opted to walk out of the forest rather than appear as Arik had done.

      Fortisimus swung around, startled once again. “Conor?” he asked stupidly.

      Conor smiled, pleased that he’d caught his son-in-law off-guard. “I heard that you were here and I thought to make you welcome.” He studied Fortisimus for a minute. “The years have been kind to you.”

      “Mmmm. Well, I thought it was time to visit my son and see how Polonius fared with Heddwyn’s land all these years. I am greatly disappointed with the latter but inordinately pleased with the former.”

      Conor’s laughing eyes caught Arik’s dumbfounded look. Obviously, the man was not free with compliments. “He is a fine young man and has much of his mother about him.”

      “Yes,” Fortisimus agreed. “Much that I did not give him credit for.” He turned to his son. “I apologize, Arik, for pushing you into a career you did not want. All I wanted was to ensure your safety and success so that you would be set for life. I tried to explain this to Kira once but it did not sound right then, either. I meant well, but I see now that it was not what was best for you. I should have asked what you wanted from life rather than assuming that I knew better than you.” He held his hand out to his son. “I am sorry.”

      Arik stared at the hand for a moment before taking his arm from Kira’s shoulder and embracing his father. His voice was a little unsteady when he said, “I cursed you for many years for the choices you made for me, but at this moment I want only to thank you. I would not be where I am today,” his eyes caressed Kira, “if you had not chosen my path for me.”

      Was this a group hug moment, or what, Kira thought? She knew years of being forced against his will would not evaporate overnight, but this was a start. Now maybe the tension between these two would start to fade.

      Fortisimus cleared his throat and stood back. “It will not happen again. You have made better choices lately than I would have in your place and I am proud of the man you have become. I envy you your life.”

      “Aww,” Kira sniffled a little as she said telepathically to Arik, “that is just about the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

      Arik bit the inside of his lip to keep from smiling and ruining the moment. He nodded to his father. “Thank you.”

      “Take a walk with me,” Conor said to Fortisimus. “You can tell me all about what you have been doing all these years.”

      “I doubt you want to hear about that,” the Senator said. “I have made many poor choices that you do not need to know about.” He clapped the old man on the back and Conor was glad he had his staff for support. “Instead, I will tell you about Arik’s childhood.”

      “I expect he will make most of it up,” Arik said with resignation when the two men were out of earshot. “After Mother died, he had very little to do with me except to force me to his will.”

      Kira listened to Fortisimus for a moment. “You’d be surprised, actually. He apparently grilled your nurses and tutors every day about the minutiae of your life.” She listened again. “You fell out of your neighbor’s tree and broke your arm?”

      Arik huffed. “Does he know why I was in the tree?”

      “Youthful antics, apparently. Boys will be boys. What were you really doing?” She could have read his mind but he looked so uncomfortable she wanted to see if he’d tell her.

      “The merchant next door was obnoxious and rude and the fattest man I have ever seen. But,” and Arik looked into the distance, remembering, “he had the most beautiful daughter. I was trying to get her attention when the branch that put me on the level of her room broke. I think I might even have screamed as I fell.”

      “Wow, I’ll bet that made a good impression. How old were you?”

      “About nine, I think.”

      “And did you ever get to spend time with the fat merchant’s daughter?”

      “No,” Arik grinned, relieved that Kira didn’t think less of him. “She was appalled that I might have been able to see into her room. You can rest assured I never tried that again. I learned my lesson.”

      “She wasn’t worthy of you anyway,” Kira said, patting his arm. What she didn’t tell him was that the child had been incredibly spoiled and had tried to get Arik into a heap of trouble. For daring to cast aspersions on his son, justified or not, Fortisimus had intimidated the fat merchant into moving elsewhere. The poor man had sometime thereafter fallen on ill fortune and lost everything. Just a little harsh, Kira thought, to protect your young son from being called a Peeping Tom. She noticed that Fortisimus, whose thoughts were incredibly loud, didn’t share this information with Conor. “Hadn’t you better be getting back to Merius?” she asked in case Arik was reading her mind. This was something he didn’t need to know. “He’s going to wonder what you’re up to.”

      “Will you be all right until I return?”

      “Sure,” Kira said, touching his cheek. “It was sweet of you to come. Thanks.”

      “It bothers me when you are upset. There was no need for you to relive that alone.” He kissed the top of her head because he couldn’t help himself. “I will be as quick as I can.” He glanced around to make sure no one was watching before disappearing.

      Kira turned to walk back to the settlement. A visit with Adelya might be nice, she thought. She really needed to find something to do. Drifting through each day without purpose was a little tiresome. It was different for Arik because he had his fingers in everything that was going on. A dozen times a day someone or other sought his advice on something so he was always busy. She felt like a fifth wheel hanging around needlessly. Maybe a house to look after wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. But then, she thought, would she ever cook or clean the traditional way? She thought not. That sort of activity just didn’t interest her and if there weren’t eyes to see her, she’d get the job done as quickly as possible, and that meant the non-traditional way. That being the case, there wasn’t much need for a house. Now that winter was here, Arik might prefer sleeping under a roof, though, a niggly little voice spoke up. Kira quickly squashed the little voice. If Arik wanted a house, he could board with his father. There was no way she was living in a house with Arik unless they were married. No one would believe that they weren’t “sleeping” together if they shared a house. As long as they all knew that she slept in the tree and he under it, her reputation was as safe as it was going to be. Even so, people talked and speculated. She heard their thoughts and tried not to let them bother her but there were times when it was difficult. Especially when she heard from the women that she was too strange, too foreign, too skinny or too something else for him. It was all very well, she heard, for him to use her if she was willing, but to marry her? He could definitely do better. Knowing a few people harbored thoughts like that made it difficult to look them in the eye and keep her feelings to herself. But she lived among them, she reminded herself, and did the best she could.

      Adelya welcomed Kira with open arms. Now that she was too big and uncomfortable to attend school, she was confined to the house. Marcus wouldn’t let her lift a finger and she found the days long and tedious.

      “It’s a fairly decent day for a change,” Kira said. “let’s take advantage of it and go for a stroll.”

      Adelya looked longingly out the door but shook her head. “Marcus will have a fit if he sees me walking around.”

      Kira took her arm and pulled her gently outside. “Then I will have a word with him. Walking is the best thing for the baby. It helps get the wee thing in position so you need to get out every day for a bit. If Marcus wants, I’ll escort you so there’s no reason for him to worry. Or, he could take you out himself.” From across the settlement, Kira saw Marcus’ head snap up and turn in their direction. What? Did he have radar where his wife was concerned? He started running in their direction, his face clouding darker and darker the nearer he drew. Before he could say a word, Kira held up her hand. “Don’t say it,” she said. “Not one word. I realize you’re worried and, after what Adelya’s already been through, I don’t blame you, but I know what’s best for this baby. Right now, he needs his mom to be up and about. Every day.”

      Marcus’ mouth opened and closed several times but nothing came out. Kira wished she had a camera to show him how goofy he looked. Adelya had to turn away to hide her grin. “He?” Marcus finally choked out. “Our baby is a boy?”

      Kira rolled her eyes. “It’s just an expression, Marcus. All unborn babies are referred to as ‘he.’ Just like cats are always female and dogs are always male. I didn’t say it to convey your child’s gender. You have as much chance of having a boy as you do a girl. And don’t let me hear you say that every man wants a son.”

      “No, of course not. I will be happy with whatever we have. You have already assured us that the baby is healthy and has all his fingers and toes.”

      “Good. Now, you can go back to whatever you were doing. Your wife is in good hands. I’ll call if we need you.”

      It didn’t sit well with Marcus to leave his wife, who so obviously could not fend for herself, with this slip of a girl, but he knew Kira’s capabilities. He brushed his lips lightly over Adelya’s cheek and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. “I hold you responsible for anything that happens,” he warned Kira.

      “Fair enough,” she said with a grin. She shooed him away. “Go on. We want to talk boring baby stuff.” With one last backward glance, Marcus left them. “Wow, he’s really over-protective. I thought he was bad before but, man, this is ridiculous.”

      “He means well,” Adelya said with a little sigh.

      “He loves you and he’s terrified of losing you. When so many women are lost to childbirth, I can understand.” Adelya paled and Kira mentally kicked herself. “Oh, geez. I’m really sorry.” Kira took both of Adelya’s hands in hers and looked her directly in the eye. “I promise you absolutely that both you and this baby will come through the birth in perfect health. You know me well enough to know that I can deliver on such a promise. There is no reason whatsoever for you to worry. I can even take the pain away if you want.”

      Adelya shook her head. “No, I want to experience everything as it should be.”

      “Uh-huh. Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”

      “Sure.” Adelya sounded a little distracted and Kira saw why when she looked where Adelya was staring.

      “Wow, those two are really moving fast.” Cadrius and Glenys were lip-locked behind the barn, completely absorbed in each other. Kira plucked Adelya’s sleeve. “Let’s go the other way,” she suggested.

      With one last look, Adelya let Kira steer her away. “I am so happy for Cadrius. Marcus says he often talks about going home to find a wife. So far, the men have been able to talk him out of it but he was getting to the point where he was past caring if he was arrested the instant he set foot there.” Adelya squeezed Kira’s arm. “Maybe we can have a double wedding.”

      “Would your father mind?” Polonius didn’t strike Kira as the sort of man who was willing to share a day as important as his wedding day.

      “If you had asked me that a couple of months ago, I would have said yes. But Daddy has changed. Maybe being happy has done that, or maybe it was finally having the truth about my mother out in the open. Either way, he is almost a different man. I like it that he laughs so easily now. Feliciana is good for him. She was a good friend to me when I was growing up. She is only a few years older than I am and she practically raised me. It always bothered me that Daddy kept her and the others as slaves. I wish I knew what prompted him to free them all. Not that it matters. It was a good decision.”

      For once, Kira kept her lips buttoned. If Polonius wanted his daughter to know that Kira had pretty much forced him, he’d tell her. Let everyone think he finally came to his senses. “Maybe he finally realized he was in love with Feliciana and wanted to marry her. There must be some rule about marrying a slave. If not, it’s probably socially unacceptable.”

      “You could be right,” Adelya said. “I care only that he is happy.” Adelya clutched her belly. “Oof! That was a powerful kick.” She gently massaged the spot to soothe both her belly and the baby.

      Kira quickly scanned mother and fetus and discovered that the baby was perfectly positioned for birth. It wouldn’t be long now. “You know,” she said, “we should wander over to see how Velana is doing.” If Adelya was this close to delivery, Velana, who had conceived before her, should be ready, too. They turned in the direction of Vidius and Velana’s house and Kira sent her senses ahead. She shook her head and wondered why she hadn’t picked up on it sooner. Velana was in labor but hadn’t told anyone yet. Her husband and young daughter were oblivious. Kira searched for Marcus and, catching his eye, waved him over. “When Marcus gets here, I need you to get Moira and take her home with you for a while. I’m going to find Vidius.”

      “Why? Is something wrong?” Adelya sounded anxious.

      “No, no,” Kira assured her. “Everything is very right. The baby is coming, that’s all.”

      “How can you know that?”

      “I can feel Velana’s pain. It’s all part of being a healer. Look, I have to go. Here’s Marcus. You explain to him and I’ll see you later.” Kira searched the settlement with her mind, looking for Vidius. She finally found him in conference with several others, tossing around a small detail about the sewer. She hurried over to the group. “Vidius,” she said quietly to get his attention. If she waited for them to notice her, she’d be there the rest of the day. When he turned to her, she said, “Can I talk to you?”

      Vidius nodded to the others and joined her. “What is it?” he asked, looking down at her from his great height.

      “Your baby is coming.” His head snapped up and he started in the direction of his house. Kira had to run to keep up with his long strides. “Velana should have called me. How long has she been having contractions?”

      “She hasn’t called me yet, either. I don’t think she wants us hanging around for hours and hours, but this baby is coming faster than she realizes. Adelya and Marcus are looking after Moira, in case you’re worried about her.”

      “She should have called me when she had the first contraction,” Vidius protested.

      Kira patted his arm. “Yeah, well, you know, women in labor can be contrary.”

      Vidius threw open the door to his home and they found Velana, sitting rigidly straight on a kitchen chair, clutching her belly and white as a sheet. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was holding her breath.

      Kira pried one of Velana’s hands loose and held it between hers, transferring healing energy through her palms. “Don’t hold your breath,” she said. “Remember when I showed you and Adelya how to breathe during labor? You were supposed to practice.” Velana’s contraction ended and she opened her eyes. “I know it’s difficult to think of anything when you’re in that much pain, but it helps to concentrate on something else.”

      Before Velana could reply, Vidius said, “You were supposed to call me the instant your contractions started. I could have been here helping you breathe to ease you through this.” He dabbed at her sweat-drenched forehead with a cool, damp cloth.

      Velana took his hand in her free one. “I thought it would be long and drawn-out like Moira’s birth. When I realized this baby was coming much faster, I could not go for you.” Her hand squeezed his. “I was afraid I was going to have this baby alone. How did you know to come?” She doubled over with another contraction. Vidius propped her up and demonstrated the little puffing breaths they had practiced. She clutched their hands so tightly Kira was sure she was going to have broken bones, but the instant Velana started the breathing technique, she relaxed and got through better than before.

      “Kira knew somehow. She came for me,” Vidius said when the contraction ended. Both sets of eyes regarded Kira.

      “It comes with the healing. I can feel another’s pain or illness.” She wondered if they were going to buy it. “Look, we need to get her to bed. We don’t have much time. This baby is coming now.”

      Vidius swung his wife into his arms and carried her awkwardly up the narrow staircase, managing to bang her head only once. Just as he set her on the bed another contraction claimed her. This time she launched into the breathing technique on her own. At the end of this one, Kira made Velana comfortable and checked the position of the baby’s head. She was startled to see the crown of wet, black hair.

      “Okay,” Kira said, “with the next one, I need you to push. Vidius, you get up behind Velana and support her.” The contraction came before Vidius was completely in place and Kira ordered, “Push.” Velana’s face turned red with her effort. “You still need to breathe, Velana,” she instructed. “Push and breathe at the same time.” Kira’s hand massaged Velana’s belly, encouraging the baby and soothing it at the same time. “One more push,” she said and the baby entered the world with a whoosh! Kira only just had time to catch him. Her hands were gucky and bloody from the baby but she didn’t care. “Oh, wow,” she said reverently. “You have a son.” She checked the baby over quickly and found everything in perfect working order. He was breathing and just looking at her from a wise-old-man face. Kira smiled at him and fell in love. “Vidius, I need something to wrap him in. We’ll get Velana finished up then I’ll wash him for you.”

      Vidius handed Kira a clean sheet and gently received his son when he was wrapped. Immediately, he took the baby and sat on the bed next to his wife. Kira handled the placenta when it came, setting it aside for the little family to bury later with ceremony. She’d read about the custom but had never thought to experience it.

      Kira raced down to the kitchen to fetch warm water to wash the baby and came face to face with Gracilia just coming in the door. “Oh, thank goodness,” Kira said. “I wish there’d been time to send for you earlier but the baby came so fast. I did the best I could and he seems to be just fine. Would you mind, though, checking him over, please?” He didn’t need checking but Kira wanted Gracilia to feel needed. As she lugged the water up the stairs, she wondered if Gracilia would wash the baby, too. She could do it herself but she was still a little in awe of the wee thing. Never having been near a baby before, she found his size daunting. He was so tiny and yet so perfect. He seemed so fragile and yet she knew him to be strong. In short, he intimidated her and the thought of holding him made her nervous. Holding him to wash him gave her visions of a wet baby squishing through her fingers and shooting across the room. It wasn’t funny. She could feel Arik’s amusement in her head, which was better than his concern a few minutes ago, but still, it really wasn’t funny. Let’s see how he felt about holding a newborn.

      Gracilia relieved Kira of the water and set about washing the baby. She cooed as she sluiced water over him and he turned his face to her to catch the sound. “You did very well, Kira,” Gracilia said. “He is beautiful.”

      “He is, isn’t he? And anxious to be born. What was it Velana? Not even an hour from start to finish?”

      Velana, now clean and dry in her nightgown, perched on a chair while Vidius changed the bedding. “I think so but it seemed like so much longer.”

      “Pain’ll do that to you. All you can think is that you want it to be over but it seems to go on and on forever.” She’d had first-hand experience with pain when she’d broken her arm and hadn’t been able to heal herself. Time had practically stood still. “Here, give me those,” she held her hand out for the soiled bedding.

      “They will need to soak in cold water for a while to get the blood out,” Gracilia instructed.

      “Okay, thanks,” Kira said. “I’ll just go take care of this.” Velana was resting comfortably, her swaddled son in her arms. Kira was no longer needed. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that but she wasn’t going to hang around when they had the more experienced Gracilia.

      Once outside, the bedding bundled in her arms, she went straight to Adelya’s home. Moira would want to know about her new baby brother as soon as possible. Marcus opened the door and looked anxiously at her before Adelya elbowed him aside. “The baby has come already?” she asked.

      “Yes. Gracilia was surprised at the speed of this delivery. She was disappointed that she didn’t get there in time so I left her to whatever details there are.” Kira held out her bundle. “I’m on laundry duty.”

      “Marcus, let her in,” Adelya said and he stood aside so Kira could enter. “Moira,” she called when Kira stood in the kitchen, “come see Kira.” They heard thundering as the child raced down the stairs and they smiled when she erupted into the kitchen.

      “My wish came true?” she asked breathlessly.

      “Yes it did, Sweetpea,” Kira told her, squatting down to her level. Several months ago Moira had wished on a four-leaf clover for a brother or sister because her mother desperately wanted another child and hadn’t been able to conceive again. Unknown to anyone, Kira had fixed Velana’s problem. “You have a brother.” Kira glanced up at Marcus. “Maybe Marcus will take you home now so you can meet him.” Moira’s face lit up.

      “Sure, Moira.” He held out his hand and she clutched it like a lifeline. “I will not be long,” he said as he allowed himself to be towed outside.

      Adelya shut the door and turned to Kira. “I want to hear all about it, but first, what are you going to do with that?” She nodded at the bundle Kira still clutched.

      “I was just going to fold everything and return it later. I cheated and cleaned the sheets the easy way.”

      “Really?” Adelya asked. “You can do that?” Kira nodded. “Is that how you always do laundry?”

      Remembering the time she’d taken over laundry duty from Adelya, Kira had the grace to blush. “Pretty much. Stirring a big tub of dirty laundry is really hard work. Wringing out boiled clothing burns my hands and spreading it all out over the bushes seems like way too much work to me.”

      Adelya laughed. “You must teach me how to do that. Once the baby comes, I doubt I will have much time for laundry the traditional way.”

      “You already know how. It works exactly the same as changing the color of your hair, which you’ve been doing for years. Laundry should be a snap.”

      Adelya looked skeptical. “If you say so. I will try it tomorrow when Marcus is out. If it works I will tell him, otherwise I will keep it to myself.”

      “It’ll work. You have a gift for this sort of thing. I just wouldn’t let anyone else know about it. They’re pretty tolerant as a whole but there are one or two who would happily burn me at the stake for my ability to heal. Apparently it’s an unnatural ability.” Adelya’s eyes widened. “Be careful is all I’m saying.”

      “These people who would burn you, are they here in our village?”

      Kira mentally kicked herself again. How many times was that today, she wondered? “Yes, they’re here. I try to underplay my abilities whenever they’re near. No point freaking someone out.”

      “How do you know who they are?”

      Kira’d been afraid Adelya would finally come to this one. “Some people broadcast their thoughts and I can’t block them out. I hear all kinds of things I’d really rather not.”

      “Can you read my thoughts?”

      “Not so much,” Kira said. “Probably because of your unique abilities you automatically shield your mind. It’s a relief for me to spend time with you. All that incessant, noiseless chatter can be pretty overwhelming and it gives me a headache when I’m in a crowd.”

      “Is that how you knew Velana was having her baby?”

      Kira nodded. “Yeah. Her thoughts were screaming in time with her contractions.” She decided it wasn’t time to tell Adelya that she could also hear the baby’s thoughts. Instead she shook out the clean sheets and started to fold them. Adelya picked up the other end and the two of them made short work of it.

      “It must be difficult for you,” Adelya said and there was great sympathy in her voice. “That is not a gift I would choose to have. It might be fun from time to time but only if I could turn it off.”

      “I used to be able to but I’ve become more sensitive so it’s on all the time. And I wouldn’t exactly say it is fun. I know some pretty awful stuff about these people. Things I would never have dreamed possible given who they are now. I can’t help that it affects how I interact with them.”

      “Really?” Adelya asked. “Like what?” Then she shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. “No, no. I do not want to know. It would be a burden.”

      “Yeah, I have to agree with you there. Ignorance is definitely bliss.”

      The door opened and Marcus came in, a stunned expression on his face. He walked blindly to a chair and all but flopped into it.

      “What is it, Marcus?” Adelya asked, worried. He was never like this.

      “I saw the baby.” They had to strain to hear him.

      “Is something wrong with him?” Adelya looked to Kira to see if she was concerned. Kira shook her head. A corner of her mind was linked with the baby and would remain so until he was older. You could never be too careful when so many children died in infancy.

      “No, Vidius says he is fine. He is so tiny.” Marcus’ Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he gulped. “I had no idea babies were so small and fragile.”

      Having had the same reaction herself, Kira said kindly, “He’s actually a good size and far stronger than you’d think. He’ll grow quickly and thrive on his mother’s milk. In no time you’ll wonder how you could ever have thought him fragile. Really. I promise.”

      Marcus took a deep breath to gather himself. He didn’t want his wife to know how terrified he’d been but one glance at Kira and he knew from her look of sympathy that she was aware of how he felt. He could only hope she kept it to herself. “Did you have laundry to do?” he asked Kira to distract himself.

      “All done,” and Kira pointed at the pile of folded bedding on his table.

      “How did you dry it so fast?” Marcus asked, astounded.

      Coming to Kira’s rescue, Adelya said, “The same way I change the color of my hair.”

      “Ah, I see.” Marcus was completely at a loss for words. One could do laundry like that? What else could she do? He really looked at her for the first time in a long while. He saw beauty beyond compare, compassion, gentleness and he had no doubt that she could do whatever she chose. Funnily enough, he found it didn’t bother him in the least for he was certain – and it was a bone-deep certainty – that she would never harm anyone or anything.

      Kira read his thoughts and her heart warmed. Complete acceptance from someone besides Arik was unexpected. “Could I leave these here overnight?” she asked, indicating Velana’s bedding. “They’d be a little suspicious if I returned them this soon.”

      “Yes, of course,” Adelya said. “I could return them tomorrow when I visit. I would go now but she probably needs her rest.”

      “Yeah, she does. The delivery was fast, but that doesn’t make it any less exhausting. And thanks. It would be great if you could return the bedding for me.” She squeezed Marcus’ hand and kissed Adelya’s cheek. “See you later,” and she slipped out the door.

      Arik was approaching from the barn, filthy from loading and unloading the limestone, then seeing to the oxen. Kira didn’t care. She launched herself into his arms, laughing. “I delivered a baby today,” she announced, bubbling over.

      Arik smiled against her hair and cautiously set her aside. “I know,” he said. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her this excited. “His name is Griffyth in case you have not heard. The news has spread to everyone.”

      Kira cocked her head a moment to consider the name. “I like it,” she finally said. “It suits him.”

      “I am sure they will be happy you approve,” Arik teased. His eyes creased deeply at the corners when she grinned.

      “C’mon,” she said, taking his arm. “You need to bathe and change. I’ve invited your father and grandfather to dinner. Well, I sent the invitation to Conor. I assume he’ll pass it on.” They were nearly to the forest when Kira broke into a little jig making Arik laugh. “I’ve never delivered a baby before. It was the most incredible experience! I felt as close to creation as I’ve ever been. What d’you think we should have for dinner? Your father is used to a certain standard with course after course. I’m not really up on all that. We’re going to need a table. D’you think he’ll mind that I didn’t actually cook the food myself? I was kind of hoping to make a good impression. I know Conor won’t mind.”

      “Shhh,” Arik said, putting his arm around her.

      “I’m babbling. I’m sorry.” Kira laid her head on his chest as they walked.

      “There is no need to be sorry. There is also no need to work yourself into a dither over a meal. My father has already formed his opinion of you. Whether or not he likes what you serve him will not change that.”

      “I know, I know,” Kira said as they reached their tree. “There’s a towel and a clean tunic down by the stream. I could do a hot bath for you if you’d prefer.”

      “Thank you. The stream will be fine.” What he really wanted was a hot shower like the one he’d had at Kira’s home in the future.

      “I could arrange that for you,” Kira called after him in answer to his thought as he disappeared from sight. If they had a house, they could have whatever they wanted in it, including a flush toilet and a hot shower. It was something to consider, she mused. Although, come to think of it, she could put a modern bathroom in the middle of the forest if she wanted. Hmmmm.