A Hound in the Woods

Timing

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.

Kara's birth was drawing ever closer To prepare herself for the worst case, Angharad found a manuscript in the loft amongst her fathers books on how to deliver babies and difficult births. She studied the possibilities that could arise. She read about how to cut the birth canal if the head were to get suck and how to cut the child from the womb if it wouldn't descend. Angharad prayed that would not be the case.

Kara had 4 living children and if she didn't survive the birth, they would be left with their father and if Angharad had to cut the child from her belly and it were to survive, it wouldn't have a mother to care for it during their most fragile time. Angharad returned to the loft and found the soft roll of leather that belonged to her father when he studied at the Citadel. She unrolled the supple brown leather on her table. The shine of sharp metal glinted with the light of the candles.

The roll contained several long blades of varying thicknesses and 3 pairs of shears ranging from the length of a finger tip to the length of her hand. Angharad stared at the tools. With luck, she would only need  to use a pair of the shears to cut the cord of the baby after it was delivered and placed on Kara's chest. Sandor saw her from through the window, from the woodshed where he was cutting kindling. She hadn't moved from the tableside and Sandor grew concerned.

"Are you alright?" he asked from the doorway.

"I am worried," she admitted. She reached out and brushed the edge of the leather with her fingertips.

Sandor disappeared as quickly as he had arrived. He returned to the table with a whetstone in hand. With his free arm, he squeezed Angharad to he side and pressed a kiss to her temple. Without a word, he sat at the table and began to sharpen the surgical instruments. When he finished, he showed her how sharp they were by shaving a patch of hair off of his arm. She was grateful for his help, the sharpness of the tools eased her mind just a little.

It was afternoon when the wagon came over the hill, Jumper was at a trot and Ray called ahead for Angharad. The wagon skidded to a stop, dust billowing around the wheels. Sandor saw it from the smokehouse, and rushed to Ray.

"She's at the river, I'll go get her. Take the things from the table and load them into the wagon!" Sandor ran to the river. He yelled to her when she came into sight.

"It's time, Ray is here!"

Angharad had just finished the last of the washing. She left the bucket of wet clothes on the bank of the river and ran up the hill. Sandor followed her back to the cottage and lifted her up onto the wagon seat before climbing into the back himself. The wagon circled the herb garden and hurried off to the settlement.

........................................

Kara panted between her contractions, sweat beading on her brow. Angharad checked her progress. She was nearly open enough, the baby was descending as it should, much to Angharad's relief. A contraction gripped Kara, she groaned in pain as her muscles gripped around her core.

"Don't push yet, you aren't ready yet. Just breathe in..." Angharad led Kara by example in breathing through the pain.

Sandor stood outside the tent, listening to the cries coming from inside. He was never one for torture, but had heard it happen at the hands of others. The sounds he was hearing from the tent were indistinguishable from the cries of torture he had heard from the dungeons in King's Landing.

Nearly another hour passed. Angharad checked how open Kara was again, and she was ready. It was do or die. "Kara," Angharad coached, "it's time to push. I want you to work with your body. When you feel a contraction, I want you to bare down and we are going to count to 10. When we reach 10, ease off and breathe."

Kara nodded and kept breathing deeply, waiting for the next contraction. Other women in the tent wiped her brow with wet rags, held her hands, and offered words of encouragement.

"I feel one coming on," Kara warned, tightening her grip on the hands around her.

"Big breath in..."

Kara breathed in.

"Push! One, two, three,"

Kara bore down, tucking her chin into her chest, she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Four, five, six, seven,"

Kara began to let out a guttural groan.

"Eight, nine, ten. Breathe, breathe," the baby came further down the birth canal. "Good Kara, good job," Angharad patted Kara's leg, waiting for the next contraction to pick up.

5 more contractions came and went, with no further progress. Kara was growing more and more tired. Angharad grew more and more worried. If Kara didn't have the strength to finish the birth, she and the baby could die.

Another contraction, no progress. Angharad made the decision to change strategies. She had Kara squat and hold onto the other women's arms for balance. She had hoped that gravity would help speed up the babes arrival. Another contraction gripped Kara.

"Come on Kara, lets get this baby out. Push!"

Kara bore down and screamed, pushing with all of her strength. The head of the baby became visible. Angharad gently slipped her fingers around the babies head to help Kara as best as she could. Kara's contraction let up and so did Kara.

"I see the baby, they're almost here."

Kara nodded and began to push again, the baby's head came free. Angharad used her fingers to guide the shoulders out and caught they slippery baby in her arms. Angharad was so relieved that the baby made it out without harm to Kara.

"It's a boy!" Angharad cried out to the tent. "Lay her down," she instructed the ladies in the tent. Angharad swiped her finger through the babies mouth and cleared his airway. A strong, loud cry broke through the anticipation of the whole camp. Angharad placed the crying boy onto Karas chest and helped rub the waxy residue off of the baby. The placenta came easily after the giant baby. Kara wept tears of joy and held her newborn boy closely while Angharad cleaned her and cut the cord.

The birth was exhausting for Kara, who quickly fell asleep to regain her strength. Angharad held the swaddled boy in her arms and peeked out of the tent. Sandor had found a chair and was whittling a piece of wood.

"Pst-" Angharad got his attention. Sandor stood and came to the opening of the tent.

"Look at him, isn't he beautiful?" She held the baby up and pulled the blanket down from his chin so Sandor could see his face.

Sandor looked at the pink, wrinkled face peeking out from the crocheted wool blanked. "It's so ugly," he commented wrinkling his nose at the sleeping creature in Angharad's arms. Angharad smacked his chest with the back of her hand.

"Don't say that, he's quite handsome," she said. The baby squirmed in her arms. She looked lovingly at the boy, but Sandor only looked at her. Somehow she was even more beautiful with the baby in her arms. It was as if cogs were falling into place, she looked as if she was meant to have a baby in her arms. One that was hers. One that was his. One that was theirs.

..........................................

Angharad and Sandor walked back to the cottage with a borrowed lantern. Sandor took her hand and laced his fingers in hers. For the first time since he was a boy, Sandor thought with hope to the future. Angharad accepted who he was and who he is, and he would stay with her. He wanted to give her the world. Anything she wanted he would do anything to provide her with it. She had saved his life. Not only from a deadly infection but from the scared existence he had grown accustomed to living.

"We should be wed," the words fell out of his mouth without stopping. Angharad stopped in her tracks, stunned at the sudden words.

Sandor looked back at her. "Well? Will you marry this old dog?"

She just looked at him. He was so tall, and he had started to regain his weight. He was returning to health. He had only been in her life for a few months, and now she couldn't imagine what it would be without him. She had adjusted to his presence with such ease, it was just right.

"Aye, Sandor Clegane, I'll marry you."

Sandor scooped her up into his arms and spun her around.