by Advocate
Bridget chuckled, knowing all too well what Faylinn meant.
Verdant eyes flicked to the partially completed cabin in the distance. It sat on a clearing’s edge, under a large, shady tree. Too far? Nah. "I can walk the rest of the way. I’ve been sitting far too long anyway and it’ll do me good," she pronounced, unwilling to hear any protests.
Faylinn drew in a deep breath of fresh air and nodded approvingly. She would, she admitted privately, miss the salty smell of the sea, but the scent of fresh blossoms, sweet grass and the tiny lake she could barely see in the distance more than made up for it. Not that any of that really mattered in the end. She turned her head and watched Bridget fondly, as the older woman stripped off Jezebel’s saddle, blanket, tack and heavy saddlebags. She set them on the carpet of soft grass at her feet.
The mare whinnied in appreciation then darted towards Apollo. When she reached the young stallion her gait changed and she strutted past him proudly, earning his full attention. Then she bolted across the field in a full gallop with the steed hot on her heels.
"Hussy!" Faylinn called as she felt Bridget’s warm fingers wrap around hers.
"C’mon. Let me show you the cabin. The inside and outside are finished. Only the roof remains to be done. I’m not sure what we’ll do for furniture."
"Are you as good a carpenter as I am?"
"Every bit," Bridget replied wryly.
"Uh oh." Faylinn covered her face with her hands and mumbled as she shook her head. "We’re in deep trouble."
"But at least you won’t be sleeping on the ground tonight. The last time Will and I were here we did some trapping, and I’ve some beautiful furs stored inside to keep you nice and warm." Bridget shortened her step to accommodate her lover’s humorous waddle.
Faylinn stopped walking and stretched her back. "Soft furs sound wonderful. I—" Her eyes went round as twin moons then her face twisted in disgust.
"What?" Bridget searched Faylinn’s eyes nervously and clutched her shoulders.
"Ewwww! Ewwww! Ewwww! It was more disgusting than I remembered!" she complained loudly. Her fists clenched and unclenched rhythmically.
"What?" Bridget was at a loss until her gaze tracked Faylinn’s. "You wet yourself?" Her voice conveyed her surprise and her brows drew together in puzzlement. "You’ve gone to the bushes every ten minutes. How is that even possible? Even with as much as you drink, you should be empty."
Faylinn rolled her eyes and squirmed wildly at the nasty feeling of drenched legs and boots full of warm, sticky liquid. "By God, have you lost your mind? I didn’t wet my pants!"
Bridget snorted rudely. "You don’t have to be embarrassed but it’s clear—" Her jaw dropped and the blood drained from her face. "You’re having the baby? Now?"
"Not at this very moment," Faylinn assured her, but she could see by the look on Bridget’s face that her words weren’t registering.
"Your water broke," Bridget told her needlessly.
"Really? And to think I thought I’d merely wet myself like a one-year-old."
"This is no time for jokes!" Bridget spun in a circle and with outstretched arms indicated her surroundings. "You’re having it here? In the middle of a field?" With no physician or mid-wife. No one to help. No medicines. Nothing!
"How thoughtless of me," Faylinn deadpanned, an eyebrow lifting sassily.
"Faylinn," Bridget warned in a deep voice. "I’m serious."
"So am I, honey."
"But it’s not time! Katie said we have at least two weeks, maybe three"
Faylinn rolled her eyes again. "Katie is not the one having… Ooooo," she hissed as a contraction rolled through her.
Bridget’s hands shot out to steady her. "Are you all right?" She pushed down her impending panic. Judith and Elizabeth’s mother died in childbirth. And her screams… God. She swallowed back the taste of bile, her body trembling.
"Bridget? Sweetheart?"
Faylinn’s low, concerned voice and a warm palm cupping her cheeks cut through her mounting dread.
"Yes?" Bridget replied quickly. "We’ve got to get you to the cabin. We—"
"We do need that. But I need you to be with me, not passed out." Faylinn grabbed Bridget’s hands and gripped them tightly. "Breathe," she reminded her. "Now, Henry was born fairly quickly. Or so that hag mid-wife kept telling me," she remembered wryly. "But it still took hours." She was about to tell Bridget to ‘relax’ when another contraction tightened her belly, causing her eyes to widen in surprise then pain. "Yeow!"
"Oh, God. Oh, God." Bridget’s eyes darted around wildly, looking for the horses. The cabin was at the opposite end of the long, sloping clearing and she decided instantly that it was too far for Faylinn to walk. "Let me fetch a horse."
Faylinn nodded and awkwardly sat down. "You’d better make it Apollo. Jezebel will follow him anywhere but doesn’t listen well on her own yet."
"Apollo!" Bridget gave a sharp whistle and across the field the steed’s snowy white head popped up. She turned back to Faylinn, expecting her horse to join her at her side. A few moments passed, while she continually asked how Faylinn was and her friend continually assured her she was fine, before Bridget impatiently glanced over to find Apollo. When she spied her horse her eyes narrowed to slits.
The smitten steed was still at the opposite end of the clearing, rubbing his nose against Jezebel’s shoulder, his mistress’ command completely forgotten.
"Dammit, Apollo." She whistled again and once again his head popped up and he slowly turned to find Bridget. "Get over here and leave that mare alone!" she called angrily.
"Ohhh." Faylinn’s eyes clamped shut and she hissed loudly as another contraction with even more force worked its way through her, the pain beginning in her lower back and settling tightly in her lower belly. "Damn." Her hands automatically went to her back and she realized with a start that what she had thought were aches and pains caused by riding for days were actually labor pains. And she’d been having those for hours. "Bridget?" She glanced up at her warily. "I think perhaps we should hurry."
Bridget paled and stood stock-still, staring at Faylinn.
Faylinn shook her head, suddenly glad that Cyril had gone to a local pub with his business partners and gotten drunk while she was in labor with Henry. He would have undoubtedly annoyed her even more than Bridget was right now, and she considered killing her just because she could. She started to get up.
"Wh—what are you doing?" Bridget screeched, easing Faylinn back onto the grass.
"What does it look like? I don’t want to have this child in the middle of a field, Bridget, I’m going to the cabin."
"You can’t walk that far." Bridget’s face suddenly reddened. "And I don’t think I can carry you with my arm. Let me get Apollo."
"I can—"
"No."
Faylinn sighed. Be patient. Bridget’s only trying to help. She’s just afraid. The blonde woman was well aware of how dangerous childbirth was and she felt a pang deep in her chest at the possibility of leaving Bridget and the life they’d barely started together. I won’t.
The muscles in Faylinn’s abdomen tensed to what felt like breaking point and she moaned long and hard. "Ugh!" When the contraction was over she was seeing tiny stars and she reminded herself to breathe or she’d be the one passing out.
The two horses were speeding through the grass, playing and stamping their hooves. Knowing she’d never catch him if he didn’t want to be caught, Bridget didn’t bother trying to chase him down. She took several long strides away from Faylinn, then stopped and roared at the top of her lungs, "Apollo, get over here now! Or I will run you through and turn you into a saddle for that slut Jezebel!"
Faylinn stifled a slightly hysterical giggle with the back of her hand.
Bridget whirled around and narrowed her eyes at the now openly laughing Faylinn. "You are not helping! He was trained by my own hand and has never done this before," she insisted indignantly.
"I think at the moment Jezebel can offer
him something you can’t, Bridget."
Bridget turned back around. Her voice was every bit as loud as before, but this time it held a note of menace that made even Faylinn blink. "Don’t make me call you again, horse!"
Hearing the unmistakable threat in his mistress’ voice, Apollo regretfully moved away from Jezebel and began trotting over.
"About time," Bridget mumbled as she bent to retrieve the saddle. Long fingers and strong hands got a good grip on the well cared for leather and she hefted it up, deciding it would be a good idea to give Faylinn something to hold onto as she led the horse to the cabin. Or maybe they’d go bareback. It would be quicker. She was spared the burden of deciding when Apollo galloped right by her at full speed, following Jezebel, who had decided she wasn’t done with her play.
Violently Bridget threw down the heavy saddle and it made a loud thumping sound at her feet. "I’m going to kill you, horse!" She took off running after them, leaving Faylinn to stare in wonder at her lover, who had clearly snapped.
Faylinn leaned forward onto all fours then pushed herself to her feet, determined not to have the child right here in the grass when the cabin was close enough that she could see it. Her legs felt a little wobbly and when she straightened she could feel that the baby had dropped, its weight pressing down between her legs.
The horses darted sideways and thundered past Faylinn at a dead run.
Bridget, who had nearly caught up to them, wasn’t quite as adept at changing directions while running at full speed, and her feet flew out from under her. But that was all Faylinn saw as her eyes clamped shut with the force of her next contraction. They were coming quicker now and her breathing was growing faster as she had less and less time to recover between pains. When she opened her eyes again, Bridget was at her side, covered in dirt, and grass staining the entire side of her body. "Are you all right?" Faylinn reached out and plucked a twig off Bridget’s shirt.
"Never mind about me," came the terse answer.
Bridget’s breathing was rough and Faylinn caught a whiff of skin, rich soil, and perspiration and for a long moment she drank it in with idle pleasure, forgetting about the pain.
"Faylinn?" Bridget’s eyes flicked to her partner’s bulging belly. "The baby?"
"We’re fine." Faylinn’s eyes tracked Bridget’s and she grabbed Bridget’s hand and pressed it to her own stomach. "It’s getting close." Her body instinctively bent over as another contraction tore through her making her knees shake. "Arhh… hurts."
Bridget let out a surprised breath at the feeling of Faylinn’s stomach growing as tight as a drum under her palm. "Hang on, love." She felt useless and scared and wanted to kill her horse and…
Faylinn released a shaky breath as the contraction came to an end and the long arm that had wrapped around her to help her maintain her balance gave her a gentle squeeze. "God," she hissed, sweat dripping down her throat and disappearing behind her shirt. That hurts!
Bridget heard the words in her own head. "I know," she soothed, pulling Faylinn close and saying a little prayer as she tried to calm her racing mind. She has to be fine. She just has to. She deserves nothing less and I can’t… I won’t live without her.
Apollo came within twenty yards of the women before Jezebel stepped in front of him. They both stood motionless for several seconds before the white horse trotted up to his companion and rubbed his nose against her rear flanks. Jezebel moved forward a step or two and Apollo, like a lamb led to slaughter, was helpless to do anything but follow. He began sniffing her again, this time managing to do a much more thorough job.
"Uh oh." Faylinn recognized the foreplay instantly. "Bridget I think we can forget the horses for a—
"Bloody hell! Not now!" Bridget’s shocked and disgusted voice rang out so loudly it stopped the noisy chatter of nearby birds and buzzing of countless insects, bringing a blanket of utter silence over the clearing. All except for the grunting and snorting coming from the horses.
"Ewww." Faylinn turned away from the scene, the absurdity of this entire situation causing her to burst into unrestrained laughter. "It’s not as though you can compete with that for his attentions, love."
"I don’t believe this," Bridget ranted. Part of her wanted to go over and pull Apollo from Jezebel, another bigger part of her knew that now would be a dangerous time to interrupt them. Her eyes dropped back to Faylinn and she was unable to stop her smile. The younger woman was nearly hysterical with laughter.
Faylinn’s laughter stopped as another contraction hit and she tried to focus on Bridget’s voice as she rode out the pain in the safety of her arms.
"At least Apollo chose well for his final activity before I kill him," Bridget said quietly into Faylinn’s hair, feeling the smaller woman’s body tense against hers.
Faylinn groaned as she was torn between laughing and crying out. "Do-don’t make me laugh now," she said through gritted teeth.
"I’m sorry, love." But Bridget wasn’t in the least.
When the contraction finally passed, Faylinn looked up to see Apollo sliding off Jezebel’s back and stumbling away drunkenly. "God!"
Startled, Bridget jumped. "What? What is it?" Her eyes ran over every inch of Faylinn, searching desperately to see what was wrong.
"Already? I’m so glad I’m not a horse."
Bridget let out an unsteady breath, feeling lightheaded. "You are going to kill me, Faylinn Cobb. I swear you are." But now it was Bridget that couldn’t help but laugh at her lover’s exclamation. "C’mon, let me be your horse."
Faylinn put her hands on her hips. "What?" You’d better not be suggesting what I think you are, Bridget Redding!
Bridget rolled her eyes. "Climb on my back, love." Her gaze shifted upwards. The sun had fully set, its last golden rays streaking across the horizon. "It’ll be harder for me to see where I’m going in the dark."
"I— Owww!" Another pain gripped her. "I don’t know if I can."
Bridget nodded, and when Faylinn’s wild panting began to subside she kneeled down in front of her. "Here. Just lean across me…. that’s it." She tightly grasped Faylinn’s wrists, and stood slowly with the pregnant woman draped over her back. "Good Lord," she grunted under the shorter woman’s weight as she began to walk. "Ouch!" Faylinn’s knee somehow ‘bumped’ her kidney.
"Don’t make me kill you now, Bridget. I was just starting to think you might live through this."
Bridget didn’t answer, instead she concentrated on taking slow steady steps and avoiding any potholes in the waning light. The sounds of the field seemed to intensify as she walked, Faylinn’s heavy breathing blending with the chirping crickets and the thumping her own labored footsteps.
Faylinn laid her face against dark hair and tried her best to wrap her legs around Bridget’s waist to make it easier. She could feel another contraction coming and tried to hang on through it, but it was too strong. "Stop, Bridget," she gasped. "Stop!"
Bridget immediately dropped to her knees, wincing as they hit the ground.
Faylinn pushed off her back and doubled over, almost managing to stifle a cry of pain as another contraction seized her, making her feel as though her body was being torn in two. Her face was flushed and her skin was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Bridget laid a comforting hand on her back and the blonde woman reached for it blindly, threading their fingers together and gripping it tightly as the pain swept over her. She could feel herself opening up and the pressure mounting between her legs.
They repeated this procedure again and again until it was fully dark and Bridget stumbled the last few steps to the sturdy-looking cabin. Its two rooms, a bedroom and slightly larger common room, shared a stone fireplace. The only thing not completed was the roof, which consisted of a crisscross of wooden rafters. With an enormous breath, Bridget lowered herself to the ground. Both women rolled on to their backs panting, but for different reasons. The dark-haired woman caught her breath long before Faylinn did and stumbled tiredly to her feet. "I’ll go back for our gear."
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br /> "No!" Faylinn shook her head wildly, feeling a sudden surge of panic. "Don’t leave me." She could hear Bridget swallow loudly and felt herself being pulled to her feet. This time she was cradled in Bridget’s warm arms like a baby and carried into the cabin. It was empty except for a large bird’s nest sitting in the middle of the floor and a partially constructed door for the bedroom that had been left leaning against the common room wall.
Bridget’s boots sounded loud against the wooden slats and she tightened her arms around Faylinn when another contraction racked her small form. "Here we are. Welcome home," she joked faintly, worry coloring her words. She shifted Faylinn until her feet hit the ground. "Wait here."
Faylinn wrapped her arms around herself. It had gotten cooler with the disappearance of the sun and goosebumps broke out all over her body even though she was sweating. She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth, hearing Bridget stalk across the room followed by the rustling of cloth. Then a hand was grasping hers and leading her over to a pile of soft furs that had been spread out on the floor.
"I need to get these trousers off!" Her voice held a note of rising panic. "The baby— Oh, God!" She clutched her stomach.
"I know. I know. I’m trying." Frantic hands pulled off Faylinn’s boots and stockings. Bridget tossed them aside and set to work peeling off her wet trousers, trying her best not to think about why they were wet so she wouldn’t be sick on their bedroom floor. "Okay, there," Bridget mumbled to herself, but Faylinn was already sinking into the furs.
Faylinn was panting and Bridget pushed sweaty bangs from her forehead. "I’m thirsty," she said softly and the older woman cursed herself for not thinking to bring the water bladder.
Bridget stroked Faylinn’s eyebrows tenderly. "Let me go get it. I can run and will only be gone a minute. All right?"
Faylinn’s face was still for a moment as she considered telling Bridget not to go, but her dry throat got the best of her and she gave her a short nod. "Hurry."
