Diya massaged her temples while Bram paced back and forth across the room in front of her, mumbling to himself.
Though she still resided in the bunkhouses, many had moved out into their permanent homes so there were fewer beds and more space to set up a cosy home, and she made every effort to. She hoped she too would have a house of her own one day but she wasn't the only one without, and therefore resolved to make the best of things.
Sitting cross-legged on an old blanket gifted to her by one of the older women of the village, Diya worked hard weaving a large basket that would serve as her unborn child's first bed.
The thought of meeting her child filled her chest with warmth and her eyes with tears of joy. Caressing her swollen stomach with her sore fingers Diya gazed around the space reserved for her in the bunkhouse and sighed at the sight of her second-hand belongings.
In a basket by the bed was a selection of donated baby clothes, they all needed a thorough cleaning and many also required repair.
'What on earth is your problem!' Diya suddenly yelled, surprising even herself with the outburst.
Bram stopped short and stared at her confused, he had been ranting for a good twenty minutes.
'Vada-'
'Of course!' Diya exploded again, throwing her arms up in exasperation, 'why did I even ask!'
'Diya, I'm thinking about the welfare of the village-'
'Wherever she went, she took a guard, like you and Vin wanted. She has done nothing wrong and yet here you stand in a rage!'
'She took Tye, the Junketta tribesmen who shot her with an arrow!'
'Tye,' Diya began, trying to control her volume, 'the same Tye that YOU said was a very impressive warrior?'
'Well yes...' Bram replied uncertainly, adding, 'but he was a Junketta-'
'As were we!' Diya snapped yet again, cursing herself for her lack of emotional restraint. The baby was messing with her in many strange ways as of late, but truth be told, she felt that Bram needed to be set straight.
'You wouldn't defend her if you knew-' Bram chuntered under his breath, turning away from her to scowl at the wall.
'Knew what?' Diya frowned.
'It doesn't matter-'
'Tell me now or so help me, I'll walk out of this village and never look back!' Diya raged, struggling to her feet, wincing as a pain shot down her left leg, almost making it buckle.
'She went to meet Rivik...' Bram turned slowly but he couldn't look the heavily pregnant girl in the eye when he blurted 'He kissed her!'
Diya sucked in a sharp breath holding it in as she felt her heart break painfully. She turned Bram's words over and over in her mind while he stood watching her apprehensively, wondering what she would do next.
Her words were not what Bram had expected.
'He kissed her?' She confirmed.
'Yes, he grabbed her and kissed-'
'So he instigated it-'
'Why on earth does that matter!' Bram yelled, picturing the two of them sent his temper rocketing through the roof.
'It matters because she didn't do anything wrong, HE did!' Diya raged.
Enough was enough, she was angry, upset, heavily pregnant and her body hurt in ways she wasn't comfortable explaining.
Barging past Bram she left the bunkhouse behind and marched through the village attempting to hold back her tears.
A heavy ache blossomed in her lower abdomen forcing Diya to stop to breath slowly through it, rubbing her stomach soothingly as she struggled against the growing intensity of the pain.
'Diya?'
Diya was surprised by the flood of relief that took over her, upon hearing that voice. Her tears finally spilt over as a gentle hand was pressed against her back and the visitor bent to look at the hunched girl with a face contorted with concern.
'Chieftess,' Diya gasped, 'It hurts...'
'Don't worry, let's get you to Ryke-'
'No, no, he is but a boy!' Diya protested, pulling away as best she could.
'You're right, what was I thinking!' Vada replied, somewhat out of her depth, 'my place it is, and I'll call for Marin.'
'It's too soon, Vada,' Diya sobbed, 'the baby can't come yet, it won't survive!'
'Your stomach has grown incredibly fast Diya,' Vada stuttered, eyeing her expanding body, 'are you sure you aren't futher along?'
'No, I can't be, it's impossible-' Diya hissed again, wailing, 'It's too soon!'
An idea struck and Vada switched sight. Before turning to look at Diya's swollen belly Vada took a deep steadying breath. Given Diya's words, Vada was deathly afraid to witness the childs life waning and have to deliver the news.
What she saw, however, was quite the opposite. The baby was large and thriving, upside down and kicking gently, as though attempting to swim. The heartbeat was strong and fast, but what really stood out to Vada was the gentle blue light of the infant's lifeforce.'
'Diya... the baby... it's-'
'Something's wrong isn't it! Tell me my baby is okay please, please!' Diya begged, distraught.
'No, you don't understand, the baby is Kin!' Vada explained in a hurry, heaving Diya up to get her moving again, 'there's no time to sit around in the middle of the road.'
'No, that's impossible-'
'Bram is one of the strongest Kin in the village, it's far from impossible!'
'B... Bram?' Diya stuttered. She sounded confused but Vada put it down to shock and hurried her along even quicker, practically dragging her along.
'Damn, I'll have to get someone to fetch him,' Vada mumbled, 'its probably best I don't get him myself-'
'I wish... you two would... just-' Diya began panting, but her words were cut short by another hiss of pain.
'Don't worry about anything, just concentrate on the baby,' Vada soothed and Diya had no choice but to obey.
-
After he watched Diya leave in a temper, Bram began to pace once again, even angrier than he was before their argument. All of his problems stemmed from the bothersome Chieftess whose face flashed through his mind at all times of the day and night.
Once again, despite his best efforts to forget the sight, the image of his younger brother and his Chieftess locked in a passionate embrace rose up in his mind. Every detail painfully clear in his memory.
'How could he do that!' Bram growled to himself. He stopped then, seething on the spot as he thought about his brother's smug face.
At that moment, at that thought, Bram decided he would see his brother and demand he explain himself. He would not allow his little brother to break Diya's heart and play with his Chieftess's emotions. And he most certainly would not stand by and watch the Junketta royals sink their claws into the Kin village with their underhanded games.
-
Easing Diya down on her bed, Vada felt her heart race with panic. She had faced a great many trials and new experiences over the past few months but none of them had sent her into such a tailspin.
Vada was afraid.
What if she couldn't get Marin in time, what if something happened to Diya or the baby, what if Bram- no, forget Bram, she mentally asserted.
Shame coloured her cheeks as the memory of moonlight on Bram's face forced it's way into her mind and caused her heart to flutter, all while she stood over his lover who laboured painfully with his child.
'Vada!' Diya gasped, 'snap out of it!'
Shaking her head to dispel her thoughts Vada dashed from the room to race out into the village.
A gentle breeze caressed her face and Pria appeared in her tiny silver form, floating effortlessly on the breeze.
'Trouble, Chieftess?'
'I think the baby is coming, find Bram, Diya is at my house!' Vada instructed.
She then raced away, having spotted Marin disappear around the side of one of the newest houses on the far side of the ceremonial firepit that had become the centre of the village.
It was an easy enough task to chase the human woman down. And Luckily, unlike Vada, Marin had experienced with childbirth.
Soon Vada's house was a flurry of activity, and sensibly, she sat outside, staying out of the way.
It didn't, therefore, occur to her that the wind dragon had not returned with Bram despite Diya's quickly advancing labour until the sky began to darken and Diya's screams grew more intense.
Gazing into the distance, Vada called out the dragons names, attempting to pin down their energy.
Aegar perched on the roof of the house, having taken a miniature form now that the village was much more built up than it had been when he first arrived.
'How can I help?' He drawled, sounding as though he would rather do anything other than help. Vada hadn't made amends with him since the Rivik incident, and he was clearly holding a grudge.
'Should we clear the air first?' Vada sighed eying the creature as it landed on the porch beside her.
'If you think we need to,' Aegar replied haughtily.
'I apologise for racing off alone... again,' Vada droned, it wasn't the first time she had used this exact apology, 'I have been much more cautious since-'
'Ha!' The dragon burst, 'you haven't truly had the opportunity to be irresponsible yet!'
'I went to Riska with a guard!' Vada huffed with a frown, crossing her arms stubbornly.
'Oh yes, taking a singular guard to the village where a dangerous enemy and his warriors reside is the absolute definition of responsible decision making-'
'What would you have me do, turn up with an army!' Vada fumed, angry because she knew he had a point.
'No, but perhaps taking a dragon,' Aegar paused, clearing his throat, as though his next words had to fight to escape his mouth, 'and...an additional more imposing guard, like Bram, would have been a better choice.'
Though momentarily stunned by Aegar's endorsement of Bram, Vada ultimately found herself angry and frustrated and threw her arms up with a growl to demonstrate as such.