by Lexy Wolfe
Taylin knelt, touching Storm’s belly with both hands and closing her eyes in concentration to ‘see’ the situation. A soft glow haloed her hands briefly. “I mended an internal tear,” she said once done, looking up to her patient. “I will need to widen things enough so they can come out as they should without risk of you bleeding to death. I can’t mute the pain of actually forcing physical changes. It requires too much focus to do both.”
“Do not worry about me,” Storm said through gritted teeth. “Protect my children.” She could not suppress a cry when another contraction shook her.
A looming shadow blocked the light from the entrance, a massive, cloaked humanoid with broad shoulders. When he entered, the torchlight revealed the cloak to be folded wings, and a long tail lashed behind him. “Daughter!”
Storm’s eyes popped open and a trembling smile touched her lips. She let go of Seeker’s wrist, reaching out to Him. “Father?” His massive hands swallowed hers as He took hers in both of His. “Thank you for allowing me to come home. I thought I would never see you again,” she whispered.
“You have been greatly missed, Daughter.” He closed His eyes. “Forgive Me for putting such burdens on your shoulders.”
Taylin snapped, “Talk later! I must focus. There are two babies about to be born too early, even for Desanti!” She looked to Storm as she put her hands on the sides of her lower abdomen. “Are you ready?” Storm nodded.
The tribe and Totani who waited outside the cavern looked over when Storm’s scream of agony filled the air. All turned away with pangs of sympathy for the young woman. Izkynder hugged his father tightly, hiding his face against his chest.
He looked up when a soothing hand touched his back to meet the reptilian yellow eyes of a man possessing every shade of white over his patina-patterned skin. “Do not fear, young one. Your Alanis will not be crossing the blade today, however close she may stray to it.”
Star’s eyes went wide as did that of the other Desanti. The three Swordanzen lowered their eyes and bowed deeply in respect. She took a hesitant step forward, her hand held out as if to touch him to prove he was real. “Citali? You are here?”
Unblinking eyes crinkled with his smile as he clasped her hand in both of his. “Of course I am, my beloved Star. This is the Rumblelands. Home of our lord father and His Totani.” He tilted his head. “Do you think I dwell only on the other side of the blade?”
“It was the only place I knew you to be,” she pointed out. “I have never been to this…place.”
“Ah. This is true. And I suppose it never came up in conversation with Storm.” He arched an eyebrow at her and Seeker’s ashamed silence. “You do not speak with her? Why ever not?”
Star flushed, lowering her eyes. “She is Totani’nasi! Zhekali reborn. We are not worthy to—”
Citali’s smile faded, his demeanor suddenly stern. “No. She is not Zhekali. She is Aelia na’Zhekali. Storm il’Thandar. Whatever name you wish to call her by but Zhekali.” She cringed at his censure. He sighed, touching her chin lightly. “Respect her wish to be one of you and treat her as an equal. You well know how painful loneliness can be. She has known it longer than you.” He smiled faintly. “Well, be wary of her temper. Even we know to not push her too far.”
A tiny wail stopped all discussions among humans and Totani, joined by a second. Several minutes later, Ash emerged with two very tiny bundles in his arms. For once, he did not bother hiding his emotions behind a facade of neutrality. Wonder, joy, and perhaps a little uncertainty filled his expression as he looked up from his children, both not even twice the length of his hands. “Meet our daughter Keaira.” Much like her father, her skin was pale and hair black with thin streaks of copper and bronze. “And our son Aiden.” In contrast to his sister, his skin was dark copper and hair bronze with the same streaks of copper.
“They are so tiny,” Lyra whispered. She looked up at Ash. “Is Storm okay?” His smile faltered as he glanced back.
“THERE,” TAYLIN SAID as she finished cleaning up and tucking a blanket around Storm. She ran her hand over the other woman’s damp hair. “It is over now. You did a wonderful job.”
Storm managed an exhausted smile. “Because of you, tlisan. Thank you.” She shifted, but could do little more than move a tiny bit. “I can hardly move.”
“You should recover from this faster than you had the shli’zarii. Provided you listen to me and don’t argue. It will be for your good and your children’s, understand?” Storm closed her eyes with a faint smile and nod. “Good.”
“Leave,” the human-shaped Desanti god ordered, His eyes only for Storm. “I wish to speak with My daughter alone.”
“Only for a little while,” Taylin stated with brisk tones as Skyfire left. The god looked at her in surprise at her brazenness to tell a god what to do. “She needs her rest, Lord Desantiva. She has been under a lot of strain since the testing at Fortress and the pregnancy did not help. Keaira and Aiden should be with her.”
“Very well. I will not be long.” The humanoid dragon god blinked when Taylin leaned over to kiss his temple, turning to watch the woman leave with a bemused expression. Without turning, He stated sharply to the shadow in the corner as it stood away from the wall, “Mosir, stay. You said you vowed to stay by her, you will remain by her.” The humanoid drizar bowed his head and returned to the corner he had been occupying.
With a voice as conversely quiet and gentle as it had been booming and inflexible, he spoke to Storm. “Daughter.” He waited until she raised her eyes to his. “I am proud of you. You have endured more than I would have ever purposely burdened you with.” He touched her cheek with the back of one finger. “Any forgiveness you feel you need, is yours. Be at peace.” She nodded, eyes closing as she fell into a sound sleep.
The god did not turn his head, holding her tiny, fragile hand in his. “Why did you not return to Me, Mosir? You know the limitations on Us immortals with regards to mortals.”
“Of course I know. But we found each other before I awoke. I had no idea who she had been until then.” He crossed his arms. “I did not intend to break that promise to her then, nor will I break it now. I will remain by her side.”
“It is not possible. She will not stay here.” He looked at Mosir. “You know she will not.”
“Then I will go with her!” Desantiva released Storm’s hand, turning to face Mosir, crossing his arms. Mosir straightened away from the wall, putting his fist over his heart. “I can protect her! I have protected her since—”
“Do you want to risk what happened to the Trisari to happen to your brothers and sisters?” He demanded. “Totani are permitted the Githalin bond with mortals. No more than that. To have any other sort of relationship with mortals risks the ancient trinity’s wrath.”
“It will not happen. Any actions by the ancient trinity would be met with violence and They do not want that. They want her back as Zhekali, but They refuse to see They do not need Zhekali to return.” The dragon god’s scowl did not lift.
Mosir crossed his arms. “She continues to perform her duties as she had before, and I have aided her. She is only limited by her mortality. You would take me from her now? Look at her.” He waved his hand toward the unconscious woman. “She needs me now more than ever.”
Desantiva opened His mouth to respond when Ash and Taylin returned with the infants. He growled in his chest, narrowing his eyes on Mosir. “We will speak on this later.” He strode out without a look or word to the humans.
Mosir watched Ash nestle the babies by Storm’s sides, all three relaxing once they were together. The Totani knelt, moving the swaddling aside enough to look at the girl’s sleeping face. “I have seen many mortal infants traveling with Storm.” He frowned. “They are very small.”
“Their spirits are strong, but their bodies are very fragile.” Taylin’s expression was troubled. “They are developed enough to survive, but the slightest thing could sicken them. Or kill them. No matter the precautions we take. The first
months are always the most dangerous for newborns up north. I can only hope that time is shortened for Desanti infants.”
Ash nodded, his expression grim. “I understand. Thank you for helping to keep them alive, Taylin.” The woman did not answer, just putting her arms around Ash. He closed his eyes with a sigh, returning the embrace for several long moments before she turned to rejoin the others.
“Drizar…Mosir.” Ash did not move his gaze from Storm as he spoke, kneeling to adjust her blanket. “Would you stay with them? I must attend to the tribe.”
“Call me drizar.” He retook the form of the desert beast, baring his teeth. “Mosir is a lost Totani’s name. Drizar is Githalin Swordanzen Storm il’Thandar’s unnamed beast companion. That is who I will always be for her.” He laid by her and nuzzled her hair. A small smile curled her lips as she turned her head toward him.
“Thank you, drizar.” With a lingering look back, Ash left to rejoin the others.
IN THE NATURAL courtyard of the half-circle cliff pocked with caves, the group sat on a circle of low, flat rocks. Several Totani sat among them. Everyone raised their eyes when Ash emerged. Lyra ran to him, hesitating to touch the man, her eyes dark with worry. He put an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. “You can relax. They are all resting. Drizar is watching over them.”
Kailee traded a look with another Totani. “You mean Mosir.”
Ash leveled a tired look on the feline Totani. “I do not have time nor energy to play games, Totani Kailee. I said what I meant. Now, if you would excuse me, I would like to speak with my tribe and our companions.” When no one moved, he added, “In private.”
Fur bristled as Kailee bared her teeth. “What does it matter if we are here or not, Northborn? You have Githalin among you. My Githalin is one of you. We will know what you discuss.”
Ash took a deep breath and clasped his hands behind his back. “Most honorable Totani Kailee of Desantiva, your adherence to my request matters because I know Totani respect the wishes of mortals better than Trisari ever had. I wish to discuss our current situation with my tribe and companions without your most appreciated desire to offer us your very generous and wise advice or gracious assistance.” He waved a hand toward the cavern Storm rested. “Now that the crisis is past and Storm is safe, we must center and reorient ourselves as we decide where our journey will lead from here, and when. We cannot remain forever in the immortal realm after all.”
The other Totani laughed quietly, most amicably departing the gathering. “Come, Sister,” Citali called cheerfully. “There will be plenty of time to sit among the mortals and torment them as you so love to do.”
“So many words!” With ears flattened back and tail lashing, Kailee grumbled, “He could have just said ‘please.’ Annoying Northborn.”
“Let’s go, Kailee,” Dzee soothed as she herded away the cat and a few others dragging their feet.
Nolyn chuckled as he offered Ash a cup of water. “Here. You look like you could use something stronger, but this is the best we have.”
Ash’s posture belied his exhaustion as he mutely accepted the cup from Nolyn. He took no notice of Nolyn’s smile falter as Ash settled beside Mureln on the larger flat rock. He gritted his teeth and sat beside Star, shaking off her hand from his shoulder in irritation.
“It is too bad Emil and Emaris aren’t here,” Mureln commented. “They would have been torn between agreeing with her or admiring your deft handling of a prickly tempered divine servant.”
“I was bound to learn something with Storm as my lifemate,” he replied, resting the cup on one knee as he propped his head up. He sighed heavily, closing his eyes.
“Ash, you look like hell.” The bard shifted just enough so he could see Nolyn, arching his eyebrow at him.
“You should go be with Storm and get some rest,” his spirit brother suggested. “Watching your child being born is exhausting in its own way.” He clasped Star’s hand, kissing the back as he offered her an apologetic smile for his earlier mood. “Not nearly as much for the father as for the mother and child, of course.”
“I will. But not until the tribe is taken care of. I am Alanis after all.” He squared his shoulders, shaking off the exhaustion. “This is an unexpected detour in our journey. While I am grateful to Lord Desantiva and His Totani, and the fact we do not need to spend the next while in a poisoned land, we still have a mountain of a task ahead of us. While I am sure Storm and the twins would be welcome to remain here forever, I am less certain how long the welcome for the rest of us will last.”
“How soon will it be until Storm will be able to travel?” Tyrsan asked.
Taylin shook her head. “It is hard to say. But not terribly soon. Most women who have had difficult births I have attended do not fully recover for at least a half a year. Just to become somewhat functional half of that, and then they still exhaust easily and have little of the strength they had to start with.”
“Even with her being Desanti?” Bella asked, tilting her head with a quizzical expression. “She heals faster than anyone I’d ever seen before and she nearly died from that backlash injury.”
“If only it were that simple. You must take into account how long Storm has been suffering and the utter lack of reserves her body has,” Taylin explained, her reluctance to give voice to such grim fact obvious. “Just the fracture in her Githalin bond has been a drain on her. On top of that, the stress of carrying twins, traveling, and the responsibility for all of us as Alanis, and healing from…her ‘discussion’ with the ancient trinity…it has taken a heavy toll.” She ruffled Izkynder’s hair. “It is not simply recovering from the birth, either. She’s been recovering from her brush with soul death. And she’s the twins to support as well.”
“I can help nurse the children,” Star offered. “Laurel is nearly of an age she will not depend only on me for sustenance.”
Ash smiled at the slight woman with deep-felt appreciation. “It doesn’t matter how long. If we do not make plans to attend the tasks before us, she will push herself too far trying to take care of them herself. For once, I cannot fault her for any of it.” Ash straightened up and squared his shoulders. “We have a duty as na’Zhekali to reconnect the A’tyrna Ulan to their tribe. And the Blighted Lands must be cleansed of the toxins that poison it.”
“And to free the A’tyrna Ulan,” Terrence added in a low voice, eyes fixed on the back of his right hand. “They deserve to be released from their unending servitude. Their effort was never meant to last forever, and they have waited nearly too long. They are tiring as well.”
“But how do we free the A’tyrna Ulan, Terrence?” Lyra asked. “No one knows how they did what they did!”
“I don’t know!” Terrence snapped, glaring at her. His atypical flash of temper startled even the Desanti. “I am doing my best to understand Desanti magic, but I am novice at best and they were masters of it.” He calmed a fraction when Jaison put a hand on his back. He exhaled, shoulders sagging. “I’m doing my best.”
“We know you are, Terrence.” Ash’s voice held no criticism, only weariness and pride. “And we will all be there to support you when it is time to make the attempt. But no matter how quickly or long it takes you to figure out how, Etienne and Nyla must have their bayuli-volsha to the na’Zhekali restored. If for no other reason, to spare them the isolation they have been relegated to. They are the last two we must reach.
“After I have gotten rest, I will speak with Lord Desantiva. If he will permit it, we will split up to finish reconnecting the A’tyrna Ulan. We will need to have at least one Githalin with each group to ensure we can return here.”
He paused, drinking his water as he considered the group. “I will take Terrence and Skyfire to find Etienne. Star, you are most familiar with Nyla. You and Seeker go to find her. Mureln is adept at sensing the unseen, so he can perform the task of establishing the bond with her with your assistance.” He gave the group time to digest his words.
He resumed speaking when
he sensed no objection or qualms from the others. “I’ve been assured the drizzen will stay near here to guard us. I suggest we get some rest. The cavern is big enough for all of us to use. It would give Storm some peace having her tribe near her.”
“What about Thandar?” Skyfire asked, brow lowered in worry. “He must be found as soon as possible so his and Storm’s Githalin bond can be mended.”
Ash sighed. “If a god and His divine servants cannot find him, I do not know how we can find him without Storm. And she is in no shape right now to do anything but try to recover her strength and health. We will do what I am certain we can achieve for now. Once Etienne and Nyla are with us, we’ll look to tackle restoring the Blighted Lands, and freeing the A’tyrna Ulan. Hopefully in that time, a means to locate Thandar is found, then we can see to mending their bond. But we can only focus on the tasks that are not so ambiguous.”
Watching the group file into the cavern from behind a boulder, Kailee’s ears flattened back. She growled deep in her chest, long teeth baring before she slunk back into the shadows.
Propped up by the pavilion canvas covered with spare robes and cloaks, Storm rested with Aiden in her arms, her expression one of uncertainty. Star knelt by her side, offering her an encouraging smile. “Do not worry. They know what to do. You need only hold them to your breast. Like this.” She carefully shifted the other woman’s arm until the hungry boy latched on and began nursing.
Storm tilted her head, her face reflecting several emotions. “It feels strange. I do not dislike it.” Her frown softened as she brushed the boy’s hair in place. “I am just not sure I enjoy it.”
Star giggled quietly. “It takes time to become accustomed to it.” Both women looked at Keaira as the girl scowled, wiggling impatiently. “She is hungry, too. I could not imagine having two to feed at once.”
