Storm Born

[Karuka]

Note: This thread takes place under Karu's Level 1 profile. I'm not linking it since she won't be using any of her abilities, but it is necessary to note that it is before she lost her accent. Closed to the Ambria siblings, all bunnies approved.

I'm ne'er gettin' on a boat withou' knowin' where I'm goin' e'er again, a little red-head grumbled to herself as she trudged through the snow. Sure, she'd wanted to get out of Corone and see more of the world she'd been stranded on, maybe even find a way back home, but this was ridiculous. Of course, it served her right for getting on a north-bound boat when the late autumn frosts were starting to kiss the red oak leaves in the morning, but she'd never expected this. Berevar was truly not a land designed for Irish lassies used to fairly temperate weather.

She was wrapped tight in her old cloak and battered canvas, but they did little to combat the chill of the vicious storm that battered her back and forth. It was all she could do to be grateful that this winter, she had sturdy boots to protect her feet and real clothes instead of rags. If she'd come here the previous winter, the skeletal waif that she'd been, she knew that she would have succumbed to the cold within hours, storm or no.

Each breath burned her lungs with the cold and sent clouds of steam billowing out. She couldn't feel her nose anymore, and the only reason she knew she wasn't succumbing to hypothermia was because she could still hear her teeth chattering and body shaking from the cold. I've ne'er seen so harsh a winter.

Everything around her was white. Snow and ice blew from seemingly every which way, making a thick plain of sterile whiteness that devoured each footprint with the same rapaciousness that it would devour her if she didn't find some good shelter soon. It was the worst attack she'd ever been through, and going on her eighteenth year, the little red-head had seen and been through a lot.

She trudged along for a little longer before she noticed that her teeth had stopped chattering and she wasn't feeling so cold. She'd grown up with harsh enough winters to know that the moment you stopped feeling cold, you were dead unless you got some warmth fast. She knew she couldn't find it on her own, so she slipped her mother's pendulum from around her neck with stiff, numb fingers.

Please... It swung westward, despite the northeast wind, and without any other knowledge of the land or motivation to go another way, the little lost red-head struggled toward where the sun would be setting if there was any sun to set.

It was almost dark when she saw the light. She'd been feeling warmer and warmer, and had she not seen it, she would have fallen down and just let the deadly whiteness consume her. She was tired...so tired that every breath seemed a burden and every step seemed a miracle. A flash of hope squirmed through her, maybe she could seek shelter at the light. Maybe, though, it was just a fae light, and when she got there she'd be taken.

Better'n jus...jus'...I dunno.

A few minutes later, she found herself face to face with a door. It seemed impossible, an illusion for a cold and addled mind, but it was a chance, so she reached up and knocked, not bothering to try and bat the ice from her eyelashes or shoulders.

"Please..." It was a whisper, a prayer, a hope beyond hope. "Please..." There wasn't anything else to say.

[Taviri Ambria]

It had been months since he had taken his sister in, not that he had much choice. The girl was a wreck, she had run off doing something he had warned her specifically against, and she had been burned badly by the situation that had cropped up. However, when she begged him to take her in, in the condition she was, he couldn't deny her. Pregnant with a child and having lost the father only shortly before finding out they had conceived, had been a nightmare for Liliana Ambira.

Hence why it was up to Taviri to make sure a nightmare was all it became. Liliana had forgone her vows in the Seraphs of Sintyre to try and seek a calmer life. She instead found herself thrust into situation after situation, while Seth Dahlios, the man who had seduced her, tried to figure out what the hell he wanted. The end result was Seth's death when he took a friend's bad advice, and Liliana only making it out because of the Lavinian Demon's sacrifice.

He hated to admit he was wrong about the situation, he really did. However, Seth seemed far more chivalrous than he had ever anticipated. With his death Sarah, his counterpart, for lack of a better term, had seen to it that Liliana was made safe. Escaping to Salvar though Lavinya, it had taken her the better part of her pregnancy to get here, and when she did, Taviri doted on her, if only to calm the girl. She was in near hysterics from the journey, and the loss of the man she claimed to still love.

Still she seemed to be sleeping easy as he rested reading the tome of Demons. It was something he used to pass the time, since the Seraphs had seen fit to allow him leave until Liliana and her child could be left alone for extended periods of time. He figured it would be a couple of years, and that any study to prevent the dulling of his hunting skills would be sufficient. He sat back in the chair he had beside the fireplace as he sighed looking about the quaint cottage.

The bright orange flames of the fire licked at the logs illuminating the room with a decent amount of light. There were two chairs that sat by the fireplace, one of which had a small basket, that Liliana kept a few books she would read around the fire before going to bed. Claiming herself a bit more tired than usual she had called an early night, not that Taviri minded. It was awkward being around his sister who had changed so much.

A few pictures hung from the walls, portraits painted a long time ago by Seraphs and given to the Ambria siblings as gifts. One was of Taviri and another of his sister. The final one was of the two of them together. He remembered that picture, for it had been one of the longest times he had ever been forced to stand still. The picture itself was beautiful, but he wasn't sure he would ever go through the torture again. It was when he returned to his book that the knock on the door became apparent. Narrowing his eyes he grabbed Fury, his runic staff from its spot near the fireplace before he moved over to the door, focusing on the rune that shrunk the staff.

Palming it he opened the door, to a rather frigid looking red head. Shock covered his face as she stood there asking him, or begging him, for admittance. Grabbing her he quickly brought her into the house and sat her next to the fire as he spoke, "What are you doing out there? That’s a full blown winter storm; you'd have gotten yourself killed acting like that."

He shook his head as he said, "I'll be right back." Rushing into the guest bedroom he grabbed the warmest of the quilts and returned wrapping it about the girl as he spoke, "Catch your death of cold had you stayed out there much longer..."

[Karuka]

Light and warmth. Even as she staggered in, pulled by a strong hand, the red-head doubted the reality of her situation. It had to be an illusion, she had to have died somewhere back in the cold. This was a gateway, it had to be. Everything seemed shrouded in its own halo of light. Scolding words swam lazily in, making her feel a dull sense of shame, along with confusion.

Why should a spirit scold a soul for dying of cold? Didn't everyone have to die someday?

It wasn't until he sat her down did she realize that she still inhabited the realm of the living, the sudden altitude change and solid sensations of the chair under her grounding her and making blood flow again. She shook her head, banishing as much of the snow as she could before a thick quilt was wrapped around her half-frozen frame.

She was shivering again within a few minutes, making up for the lost time out in the storm. She couldn't seem to find words until she started shivering, her body more focused on heating her up than in granting her so much as the ability to thank the man who had pulled her in from the cold.

"I-I'm Karuka," she said by way of introduction. "Thank y' fer lettin' me in...I jus' got off th' boat an' started walkin'...y' can't do anythin' but walk when y'v no where t' go, ay? An' nex' thing I know, 'tis startin' t' snow, an' a wee bit o' snow isn' bad, but then 'twas more snow than I'd e'er seen, an' no where t' go but for'ard."

She flexed her fingers, grimacing as pain shot through the mostly-frozen digits just starting to get blood flowing back to them. Hot water would have been the best way to make sure they were safe, but aside from being almost as white as the snow had been itself, they didn't seem to have been too badly frozen yet.

Now that she was sure she was alive and the recipient of a real person's hospitality, she started looking around the cottage. It was a fairly cozy place, if it lacked the feel of a real home. It had a table and chairs, the standard cooking tools, a chest for linens, and more books than she'd ever seen in a place smaller than the great Library of Scara Brae. Where she'd come from, books had been so very expensive it was rare for anyone who lived in anything less than a stone house to even touch a book once in their lifetime, but to own several? It boggled the mind.

There were three portraits on the walls, and the woman in them looked vaguely familiar, like she'd seen her before on the street, or in a dream, just once. "She's a pretty lass. Yer piu - sister," she corrected, stopping the Gaelic before it finished, "or yer wife?"

Either guess seemed accurate enough. They didn't look very similar at all, but she'd seen siblings that bore no resemblance to each other at all, and there was a sort of affection between the two in the painting where they stood side by side. From Karuka's viewpoint, the girl didn't even look young for a bride in those pictures. She'd helped girls of her village deliver their babies when they were that apparent age, although the men were typically at least five years their senior, if not ten.

[Taviri Ambria]

He nodded acknowledging her speaking as he looked her over; trying to make sure she was recovering. Pain was washing over her; he could see it in her eyes, even as he laid a hand gently on her shoulder, “Kal Mani.”

It was a prayer the gods recognized as his hand glowed softly, hopefully leeching away a bit of the pain and restoring some of the more damaged portions of the body. He then sighed as he looked upon her and said softly, “Hopefully that will help you on the way, it’s the best I can do under the circumstances.”

She looked about the area as she spied the portraits, only two years old. She seemed keen on it as she asked the obvious question. He chuckled as he heard the question, Liliana as his wife? It only served to offer a bit of amusement on an otherwise boring night. Shaking his head softly he looked at her before he had to laugh trying hard to contain it as his sister was sleeping. Deciding to take the moment to peer over his glasses, he saw that she was still much the same, but with a cut over her heart. It was the mark of one who had recently lost their innocence. No longer would they be guilt free of wrong doing.

"Sister," Taviri correct softly. The girl seemed to come alive after being brought into the heat, even as she curled into the warmth of the quilt. She identified herself as Karuka, which was nothing like any demon name he had ever read, enough to convince him it was just a rather slow witted girl. He sighed as he spoke softly, "She has been in a rut of bad trouble recently. I would suggest being quiet and let her sleep, perhaps the only time she can relax."

He looked out the window at the raging storm that tried its damndest to blow over the cottage, despite ties rather secure place in the small valley. He looked at the girl before he said, "Perhaps you should thank the gods you were lucky enough to wander on this place. It’s by all technicalities not even near a village, we're just an hours journey to the nearest village, but prefer our privacy when possible." He then went into the kitchen and grabbed a pitcher of water. Pouring the water into a glass he turned back into the room before he offered the glass, "Slow careful sips, it'll help thaw your body."

He eyed her over carefully, noting the clothing for a much warmer climate before he carefully picked up his tome and set it in the basket beside his chair, the only occupant of that basket. Liliana would chide him for being so work oriented, but he countered to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Still, there was no reason to have the book now that he had a guest. Looking at the girl he spoke, "You can stay till the storm blows over, then I'll take you to the Village, from there you can continue your journey hopefully with a bit more direction."

It wasn't that he didn't like company; it was more that he couldn't afford it. Liliana would undoubtedly push herself to try and be a good host, and he couldn't afford that any longer than absolutely necessary. As he looked down in his hand he noticed his white knuckles gripping his runic staff, with a sigh he released his tight grip on the weapon, letting it extend back to its old length before he placed it against the fireplace, back in its resting place. He then yawned softly before he shook his head, looking at the girl, "I'll start fixing up a room for you..."

[Karuka]

"If 'tis only an hour, y' jus' need t' point me th' direction when I'm a wee bit warmer, an' I'll be fine," she offered quickly. There was an unusual tension from her host, and from the way he acted, she had to assume his sister was sick, and he wanted her out of the way so he could focus on her. "'Tis been snowin' fer more'n a single hour."

She took the cup carefully, but instead of sipping it directly, stretched out and set it on the hearth to heat it up. She'd watched her mother and the old crone from her village take care of enough half-frozen watchmen to know that the warmer the liquid was when it went down, the more the men complained and the quicker they got better.

"'Tis a pity about yer sister. I hope she does better soon."

Deciding that hot or not, the water would be warm enough at its current temperature, she took it back up, taking a slow mouthful. She let it hit her like a kick to the stomach, not so much as flinching, since the warmth of it would travel through her organs soon.

She wouldn't have survived another hour's trudge to the village, she knew, but somehow she felt bad about disrupting the evening. Had her host seemed in the mood for a story, she would have told any sort he wanted, in the Celtic tradition, but it was a silent house, brooding, like something was about to break or change.

'Tis th' same sort of tension as I've seen in houses where some'un was dyin', or about t' give birth.

"In th' meantime, while I'm here, if there's anythin' I can do fer y' or yer sister...I've done everythin' from splittin' wood t' helpin' with children, e'en set some bones, made some medicines, an' helped deliver a few bairns*. Th' ol' medicine woman in mi hometown was trainin' me t' take o'er, but I was only twelve when she died."

She looked at her host over her cup, seeing long weeks of frustration in his eyes, before realizing that he'd taken her in from the claws of winter and she didn't even know who he was.

"What's yer name, an' that o' yer sister?" It was blunt, maybe even to the point of rudeness, but that didn't so much matter. If she only knew this person one hour, she wanted to know who he was. There were too few kind people in any world to not warrant remembering the ones you met.

*children

[Taviri Ambria]

Taviri chuckled as he spoke, "Ah, my manners escape me. I must apologize; my sister has been a bit on my mind. I am Taviri Ambria, and my sister is Liliana Ambria. Both of us are clerics tot eh Seraphs of Sintyre, though she has stopped practicing as of late. I'm merely her care taker until she gets back on her feet."

He then sighed as he leaned against the hearth. The fatigue of being on edge for days straight was weighing down on him as he just wished the gods would get on with it and have her give birth. It wasn't that he couldn't take the strain or the pressure; he just wished that Liliana's child could be born so she could go back to some semblance of a normal life. She wasn't cut out for the Monastery, that much was certain, but at the very least she could raise her child and know some joy.

As if the gods themselves had sought to answer his prayer, a scream pierced the night.

Taviri didn't even bother with Karuka as he rushed into his sister's bedroom already rolling up the sleeves of his shirt as he entered her room. A small candle had been lit, possibly in just such an emergency. Before him lay a girl with a bulging stomach, at the peak of pregnancy, who even now let out another anguished scream. She gasped and whimpered in pain as beads of sweat poured down her face. Her hair was a curtain about her, as she tried to fight back against the obvious pain she was in. His sister, Liliana, had arched her back, trying to squirm away from what he could only guess at was intense pain. As he rushed over to her he grasped her hand as he spoke, "Calm down Liliana, calm down..."

"Don't tell me to calm down you bastard! Help me!" Was all she managed between clenched teeth as she sat up in the bed groaning, "I think its time..."

Taviri cursed as he nodded and moved her pillows to support her back, "Alright, I'm here, let’s do this..."

[Liliana Ambria]

The months had been unkind of Liliana. Her days were spent sitting, because she was so pregnant it was tiring just to do the things she had taken for granted. Hell, it was tiring just to sit sometimes, and that had been the case that night. After spending only a few scant minutes with her brother she just couldn't stay awake and sought her bed. As she curled in she lit a candle, much like her and her brother had agreed upon. She had even managed to get to sleep, and was dreaming of Seth, when a sharp pain in her stomach had pulled her from the realm of dreams and caused an ear splitting scream of pain to fly through the air.

When she screamed again she followed it with a moan as the waves of pain began. It felt like someone had taken to stabbing her in the stomach over and over again, twisting the knife as they removed it each time.. Already it was overwhelming as he wanted so badly to pass out, but something kept her awake. She had only heard of such pain, and experiencing first hand she knew one thing, when Seth came back he was going to get an earful of it. Still she couldn't blame the Lavinian Thief for not being present, on the account he was dead, but dear gods how she wished he had fulfilled his promise to return already.

As Taviri held her hand she squeezed it tightly trying to offload some of her pain onto his. He spoke, telling her to calm down, and she had hit her limit. While she was often one of the most patient clerics the Seraphs had, the cry for calm when she was going through this pain caused her to spit venomously, "Don't tell me to calm down you bastard! Help me!"

She whimpered again in pain as Taviri looked at her confused. Finally she managed, "I think it's time..." The words seemed to sink in a lot faster than the cries of pain, as Taviri's eyes showed an understanding that had been missing in the moment's prior. She wanted to hit him he was so frustrating right now. As another wave of pain washed through her she cried again as she felt like she wanted to dig herself a hole and die in it. She had undergone painful things in the past, not the least of which was the torment that Seth had given her when he was under the sway of his magic. Even still, this was nothing compared to being stabbed by Ebony viciously.

She would have preferred the pain be Ebony, Seth's weapon blacked dagger. At least then she could get rid of it on a moment's notice...

[Karuka]

The cry of pain had made Karuka bolt upright in her chair, processing that particular cry from the others she knew. It was a woman in agony...most specifically, a woman in labor. From the sound of it, it was the first baby she'd ever had.

The second cry of pain had her up and padding over the wooden floor and into the woman's room. She looked different now, calm and collected, rather than the stuttering iceblock that she'd been when she'd set foot over the threshold.

Her bright blue eyes scanned Liliana quickly, noting the agony and panic. The panic was so thick that she could smell it, along with the saltwater that had burst from the womb as the baby struggled for its freedom. This woman had no idea how to even be pregnant, let alone give birth, and that would work against all of them now. But she couldn't give birth in such a dark area.

Karuka's eyes snapped to Taviri. "Get as many clean cloths as y' ay can, an' some cool water. Untie each an' every knot about th' place, lest th' wee bairn be caught, an' I want a' leas' three more candles in here t' work wi'."

Her host looked at her, wide-eyed and shocked, like he wasn't any more prepared for this moment than his sister. "A cleric was coming tomorrow..." The words seemed a pale apology, even as they fell from his lips.

"Y've got no cleric now, y' have me. 'Tis th' ninth or tenth wee bairn I've helped wi'. MOVE! NOW!"

Orders given, Karuka leaned over Liliana, placing one hand gently over her stomach and brushing her hair back from her forehead with the other. She kept her face and voice calm, since the last thing the poor soon-to-be mother would need was anything to make her feel even more nervous.

"Liliana, I am Karuka Tida. I'm ay a frien' of yers, an' I'm here t' help y' wi' th' birth t'night. I need y' t' calm down an' breathe. I know i' hurts, but y' need t' breathe. I'll take care of y'. It'll ay hurt, but y'll be all righ', y' an' yer baby. All righ'? So breathe an' calm down."

That said, Karuka took the knot out of her own hair and folded up the blanket over Liliana, because it would soon get far too hot for her. It was a boon to them all that it was so cold outside; the fire in the main room was low and it was really quite cool.

That done, Karuka stepped up and put her hands on Liliana's belly, pressing and feeling around, trying to find where the baby's head and toes were, and explaining very calmly to Liliana what she was doing, and that she wanted to know if the head was down or up, because babies normally came head first, and it was safest that way. When she found that the baby's head was indeed in the correct position, she checked to see how far along Liliana actually was.

"'Tis not time yet t' start pushin'," she said, taking Liliana's hand. "Try t' relax an' calm down." She wasn't sure if it would be a good or bad idea to ask about the baby's father, so she decided to play it safe, instead. "What are y' plannin' t' name th' wee 'un?"

[Taviri Ambria]

Taviri immediately ran for more candles as well as clothes. Grabbing a knife he came back before he quickly undid the knots on the bed, giving Liliana much more freedom. Lighting the candles they quickly were spread about the room to give more light. He then placed the cloths on the bed stand next to Liliana as he moved about trying to be as helpful as possible. Moving out of the room he looked about panicked as he sighed and leaned against the wall next to the door, unsure of what else was to be done.

Liliana meanwhile focused hard on breathing, despite how much she wanted to scream. Taking deep breathes the pain lessened slightly, but only slightly. That stabbing pain continued as a fresh wave of it washed over her. Another cry left her lips before she collapsed back on the bed. She then continued to try and breathe as she moaned softly in pain. Her heart sank when Karuka told her she wasn't quite ready yet. She would have to endure this how much longer? She wasn't sure if she could.

Still Karuka seemed on her game about how to keep her mind busy on things other than the pain. She closed her eyes as she focused on the names her and Seth had picked out. It had seemed so long ago, when she had been with him in Otaria, in the safe house that he had been using while he hid from the world. They had just made love for the first time, and they began talking about the future, and their plans. Finally the names drifted out as she gasped trying to suck in more air, "If it was a boy we decided on Garret, something about..." She moaned in pain as she focused on Seth's words, the memories of him comforting her, "He had put up with Seth long enough, and deserved the honor..."

Panting as a fresh wave of pain washed through her gut it seemed less and less time was passing between the waves. Her stomach churned as if she was trying desperately to expel everything in her. Whimpering softly in pain, she focused once more and said, "Samantha if it was a girl. I picked it, and he agreed." She continued to breathe her breath falling into a pattern as she tried to get as much air as possible.

Taviri merely waited at the door for more instructions, unsure of just what to do. This was entirely out of the realm of the normal for him. He was a brave man no doubt, but now that he was facing a birthing, he wasn’t sure if he didn’t wish he had a demon to kill, or a cultist to hunt…

[Karuka]

Seth was a common enough name, but a Seth with a Garret that gave him advice? That was ringing far too much of a bell for it to be mere coincidence. Could this woman be the mother of Seth Dahlios's baby? Was that the question he'd asked her?

"Relax, relax," she coaxed absently, raising her pendulum over Liliana's belly and watching it swing lazily in circles for several seconds before untying the knot and tucking it into her rune pouch. "'Tis a wee lass."

She propped the pillows under Liliana, bringing her up more and glancing out the door at Taviri. The poor man seemed even more afraid than his sister, and probably with good reason. The first birth was always the most dangerous.

Dipping one cloth into the cool water, Karuka washed her hands, then rolled back her sleeves and washed her upper arms as well. She then took another cloth and started dabbing over Liliana's face and neck.

"I met a Seth once," she started on a hunch, "about eight months ago. An ay mild man who wanted ev'ry'un t' jus' leave 'im alone, but when we were attacked by pirates he was th' mos' deadly one of th' two of us that fought 'em. Took out almos' all th' pirates an' then almos' went after th' passengers, too."

Karuka grinned at the memory; it had been a long, hard, and painful few days, but she'd survived them and had become stronger for them.

Suddenly, she had a flash of insight. She was all but sure that Seth had moved to this woman on the dock as everyone had disembarked the ship, or at least one that looked very much like her. But he'd asked his little red-headed friend a question first... "Is she?"

Is she... The reason he'd wanted to ask that question was all too clear now, as she watched this scared young woman holding off to give birth until it was time.

"Taviri," Karuka called, "take this cloth an' keep i' damp. Keep dabbin' it o'er her face an' neck t' keep her cool." She moved to the foot of the bed. "Only a few more minutes, lass. Jus' try t' breathe."

[Liliana Ambria]

Taviri moved immediately to follow instructions, being careful not to flood Liliana with water. She nodded as she gasped again trying to fight the closing waves of pain. Finally she managed to speak, "That sounds like Seth, afraid of what he can do until he has to do it..."

She managed another scream before she leaned back against the bed. She could feel something lodged between her legs. It was causing her pain, too much pain, she wanted it gone, she wanted it out! Focusing on the invader she began to push against it, feeling it slowly work its way out of her body. Gasping with the first push she panted heavily as she took Taviri's hand and squeezed it tightly. Preparing herself to push again against the invade she growled as she pushed again, trying hard to eject the invader. As she relaxed back against the bed she steeled herself for another push before she tried hard to expel whatever was inside her.

It still wasn't gone, but she had felt it shift. It was ready to go, she just needed to push a few more times. She wasn't sure if she had it in her to push anymore. Still this girl had been encouraging her, reminding her of the man she loved. Seth had gone through so many horrid things, just to try and atone for his sins. If he could endure such trials, trying to prove his worth to a world that didn't care, she could take a few more pushes. Breathing deep and taking in a few more gasps she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as she pushed again against the oppressive weight.

She felt it slide, this time not inching along, but actually moving. Pain blossomed as she screamed again in agony, before she clenched her teeth and pushed again. Another cry echoed through the air as a new life was brought into the world. As she steeled her will she screamed one last time pushing with all her might, "Seth!" Liliana could feel the invader slide free of her as she collapsed back on the bed panting. She felt drained, and as swiftly as the pain had come, it was gone, and she felt empty, as if someone had taken a large piece of her away. There was also an amazing freedom, as if she was finally okay.

Lying against the pillows she felt the tears flowing down her face as Taviri gently wiped her forehead and chest. She sobbed at the thought that Seth had not come, but been here in spirit. The memories of Seth had comforted her as she managed softly, "I wish Seth had been here..."

[Karuka]

Karuka had watched intently as the baby came, murmuring words of encouragement to Liliana, as well as reminders that she needed to breathe, and telling her when to push. Out of all the births she'd seen, this had to be one of the easiest ever. The baby crowned within an hour and a half of labor beginning, and it wasn't long after that that the head pushed its way out.

Grabbing the shoulders and twisting slightly, Karuka pulled the baby the rest of the way out with the next contraction. She was as wrinkled and slippery as any other baby the lass had ever held, and Karuka wasted no time cleaning out her nose and mouth.

"Han' me a couple cloths," she told Taviri, holding the baby's nose shut and blowing into her mouth. Within moments, a weak cry and cough sounded from the infant, before she started wailing full force. "There's a good lass."

She started cleaning the baby gently, glancing at the knife that Taviri had brought. The thought of it not having been purified made her shudder; infants whose cords had been cut with unclean knives tended to die more than those who'd had clean knives.

"Run th' blade through th' fire, an' then we'll cut th' cord."

Already, the bond between mother and child was starting to grow still as the baby was able to move and breathe on her own. She had ten fingers and toes, two eyes, two ears, and a little tiny nose. She moved about with energy, which was as good as Karuka could ask for, not being a professional midwife.

"Y' have a wee bit lass, Liliana. An' she's as perfec' a wee bit lass as y' could ask th' gods fer."

[Taviri Ambria]

Taviri nodded dumbly as he handed over a few of the cloths next to him. Grabbing the knife he ran out to the front room, where a blast of cool air hit him. For a moment he hesitated as he thought that a window had been torn open by the storm, only to realize the room had been stifling hot with the birth of Liliana's child. Shaking his head he ran to the fire and held the blade on the flames, moving it so as not to char, when it turned slightly red he pulled it from the fire and returned to the room, seeing it had cooled.

"Here you go, as clean as it’s going to get..." He replied before he moved to his sister and wiped her down again. She whispered her thanks and she lay back drained. Taviri only nodded his assent and acknowledgement as he waited for the child to finish being cleaned up. He then looked at Liliana before he said softly, "She looks strong, like her mother."

"We'll see about that. Butter me up anymore brother and I'll toss you ass over tea kettle out of here," Liliana replied, obviously too tired to care much about what was occurring. Taviri only smiled and nodded, knowing better than to argue with his tired sister. Things would only get harder from here, as Liliana would be lacking sleep from nightly feedings of the child. Taviri would probably have to help her, as much as she'd let him at least.

Looking at Karuka he said softly, "Samantha is it?"

Liliana nodded as she said, "I thought it was beautiful name."

"It is," Taviri said softly. He then looked at Liliana, "You should rest soon, as soon as Karuka is done with Samantha, you should both rest, it’s been a long day for the two of you..."

"No arguments here," Liliana replied as she lay still on the bed, saving her strength. Looking at Karuka she said tiredly, “Thank you, thank you very much…”

[Karuka]

"Thank yer brother," Karuka told the other girl as she cut the cord and then pinched it. "He pulled me out o' th' storm, an' if not for that, I'd be dead an' frozen solid, an' y'd have been alone t'night."

She finished wiping down the baby with a damp cloth before wrapping her up and handing her to her mother. "She'll likely jus' want t' sleep until mornin', when we'll give her a real bath. Talk to her a wee bit."

She started washing her hands in the little bit of water left in the basin, feeling all the aches and pains of true exhaustion creep up on her. Her toes felt like they were going to fall off, her knees ached, and her shoulders felt obnoxiously tight. The air was stifling in the little room, smelling of perspiration, blood, and birth. Still, it was as good as it could be, especially for the first time.

"Yer as good as I can do fer y' t'night, so jus' try an' get a wee bit o' rest. Y've earned it, lass."

Karuka gave Liliana a final pat on the arm before turning to Taviri. "If y' don't mind, I think I'll take y' up on the offer of stayin' th' night after all."

A final grin at the siblings and baby, and the little red-head slipped out of the room and sat back down by the fire, closing her eyes wearily. Now that she had time to herself, she felt a little conflicted about what had just happened. It had gone absolutely perfectly, which was as much as she could want for her first time midwifing on Althanas - for her first time doing it alone. She'd helped bring a beautiful baby girl into the world, and she'd had enough experience to reassure two people who had started off very afraid.

But the last birth she'd attended had been the birth of her brother, Fiachra. It had been much the same situation - a cold, stormy night. But that night, everything had gone wrong. Her mother had died, and by the time her stepfather had kicked her out, the baby had only been hanging on by a thread.

She'd been storm born, herself - a difficult birth, since she'd been born upside down. She'd been born amidst rain and thunder, though, rather than snow. It foretold trouble, as far as she knew. Ay too much trouble, she thought, gazing into the low fire.

[Taviri Ambria]

Taviri looked down on his niece as he sighed thankfully. He had heard of many complications that could have cropped up, and the fact Karuka had shown up had been a godsend. There were so many coincidences that happened tonight, that he wasn't sure if the gods had put their hand forth to save his sister and his niece, or if it was merely the act of dumb luck. Either way they had all survived a trying night. For that he was certain to repay the girl.

Moving to the guest room he quickly set the bed before he moved out, to see the drained girl sitting in the chair. He smiled softly at her tired form before he spoke, "I made up the guest room for you, go sleep. You of all of us earned it. Were it not for you...I don't know what I would have done, probably screwed it up royally...."

He let the words linger in the air before he said softly, "You know, as a man of Faith you'd think I'd see this as a miracle, but I can't help but feel that there wasn't something far more...planned in this. While I don't accuse you of knowing ahead of time you'd be a midwife today, I can't help but feel Seth pushed you down this path..."

It was hard for him to accept that it could at all be possible his gods had nothing to do with tonight. Still he said softly, "I don't pretend to know Seth, he was and always will be a murderer to me. However, Liliana saw something in him, and obviously you saw the same thing. Either way, it seems that even in Death's firm grasp Seth defies all restrictions put on him, every definition of him. If you see Seth in your travels, tell him to come here and get her. She needs him more than he knows now. Especially now..."

The words felt odd, they bubbled from somewhere deep within him. No source could be given to them as they trickled to the surface and burst forth from his lips. However, a truth seemed to emanate from them, and that was what intrigued him most. Rather than question them he accepted them, knowing it could have been many things, an intuition or perhaps even divine inspiration, but he knew these words were what needed to be said. Finally he turned to go, checking in on his sister to see her sleeping with her child resting comfortably on her chest.

Going to his own room he took off his glasses as he sighed. Looking to the holy symbol and hat that hung from a nearby hook he gently held the symbol in his hands, despite it was heavy and could simply not be damaged in any meaningful way. As he looked upon his he spoke softly, "Varias give me strength; the true work begins tonight..."

In his mind the final words of that sentence completed, ...may we not raise another demon.

[Liliana Ambria]

Liliana felt as if she had suffered for every night she had spent doing anything other than sleep. The weight of fatigue settled heavily upon her as she cradled the child in her arms. Looking down upon the baby Samantha she cooed softly as the infant nestled itself close to its mother. It seemed that being born had been a rather tiring experience, as much as Liliana giving birth to Samantha. Smiling down at her child she whispered, "You are so beautiful."

She could hear Taviri talking in a low voice with Karuka in the family room of the cottage. She was grateful they had left her with her child, who had been born strong and healthy. She had feared so much that some by product of Seth's heritage would complicate the birth, but those fears evaporated as she looked down upon her daughter. While it pained her that Seth wasn't there to see the fruits of their passion, she knew he would be one day.

He had to be, he had promised her he would crawl back from the land of the dead.

Knowing it was only a matter of time before he returned, she held onto the hope that he may show up any day. They could start their family, and Samantha could grow up knowing her father. A single mother in times like these was often found struggling to keep up with their child. Especially in the war torn Salvar, of which a civil war had broken out. It was welcome Relief to the Seraphs who had been branded cultists by the Church of the Ethereal Sway, for they were too far north to properly exterminate, and were the lesser of two threats to the church.

Remaining quiet on the bed she yawned softly as she smiled down on her child. While it was stifling hot, she knew that she would appreciate the heat later, with the raging storm outside that threatened to suck the warmth from her body. Gently kissing Samantha's forehead she whispered, "One day, one day we'll be a family Samantha..."

With that she finally closed her eyes and drifted off in a slumber of her own.

[Karuka]

How strange, thought Karuka as she settled into the bed she'd been offered. I was going to fall asleep in a frozen bed, and instead I have warm blankets.

The room she'd been offered was tiny, but all she had was one bag, so it was plenty big enough for her needs, and the bed welcomed her with the same enthusiasm as a lover. Deep sleep claimed her before she could even fully appreciate the fact she was getting a real bed.

The storm lasted for two more days, and Karuka stayed through it to help Taviri and Liliana learn how to take care of the baby. They were more than eager to have her there, with her experience, and she was more than glad to stay in a place with a warm bed and hot meals. Beyond that, she discovered that Samantha's father was the same Seth that had been with her on the pirate ship. She stretched some parts and downplayed others, but what Irish storyteller didn't, if it made the story more palatable?

A little after sunset on the third night, the storm finally wound down, so she and Taviri decided it would be best if she left the next morning. It would still be cold, but she would manage, and she would probably head South, where it would get slightly warmer. It was only autumn, after all.

How funny it was that she should have wound up among friends while wandering in a storm, and that she, of all people, who had always been so weak and useless in a fight, had actually been the perfect one for the situation. Taviri might have been torn between calling it a miracle and attributing it to Seth, but she called it dharma. It had simply occurred because it was meant to occur. She'd gone the way she was supposed to, and he had not turned her away.

The gods ne'er play at knuckle bones, she mused as she sat down on the spare bed that last night. It was time to ask where she belonged next. The runes spread swiftly over the quilt, spelling out a location in their inscribed letters.

Daeg, Hagall, Eoh, Ansur, Thorn, Eohl, Is, Nied. Dheathein - probably Dheathain. It was one of the few times she'd been given a place directly, so it must have been important that she get there. She'd have to go south through Salvar and Alerar and catch a boat from there, and she'd have to foot it, because there was no way in Hel she was getting on another boat so soon. Maybe it would be dangerous, but that didn't matter.

She would follow her dharma and trust in the gods. The only way to go was forward, after all.

[Skie and Avery]

Quest Judging
Storm Born

STORY

Continuity ~ 7/10. There weren't many problems here. The way Seth's imminent return was put forward was a little ill-managed. Someone coming into this story would see all that "When Seth comes back" business squished between bits and pieces of "Seth's dead" and be confused. There was once later when you did fully articulate the thought of "When Seth comes back from the dead like he said he would." but when you mention something like that so many times, it really needs to be explained better. How did Seth know he was going to come back from the dead? Is he Jesus?
Setting ~ 8/10. Not bad at all. I liked the way you guys handled the room heat with all the movement and energy going on in the birthing room.
Pacing ~ 6/10. I would have liked more suspense building up to the baby coming out and being fine. For one, there were problems with how the birth was written that will be outlined in Action, but also the low level of suspense that got built up until you decided to have the baby "slide" out wasn't much for your climax.

CHARACTER

Dialogue ~ 7/10. I love accented Karu. Taviri was on task, but I thought you fell a little short with Liliana. It could have been the huge disadvantage she had at only having 3 posts in the thread, but her words conveyed so little of her personality. The voice mimicked Taviri's, even though it's been said how different they are. You did, however, do well with her internal dialogue.
Action ~ 6/10. Never send a man to write a woman's job, I say. This was great until the birth. Too fast! I could tell poor Karuka was trying to slow it down a little, and the Ambria's would have done well to listen to her. You didn't have to detail every minute in the hours of labor, but when you pop the fetus out like that in Baby Bazooka fashion, there's some bit problems that read with it. FIRST of all, labor is the time when the woman dilates. If the baby comes too fast, the perineum will rip to shreds, the baby might get stuck and die, and generally bad things all around happen. Part of the Lamaze breathing system isn't just time management. The outward breaths are done such to constrict certain muscles and slow the baby's descent as much as possible to get the woman's body ready to give the child. As a writer, you have to bring scenes to life. Just because you're a man, it doesn't mean you can't write a realistic birth. There are tons of resources and personal stories to find on the internet to advance your knowledge, and when it comes to writing something that will draw in your readers and bring the world to life for them, knowing is half the battle.
Persona ~ 8/10. Karu was great, and I liked the feeling of fear that Taviri gave. The tension of those personalities were just right, but as I've said before, Liliana felt a bit flat.

WRITING STYLE

Technique ~ 7/10. This wasn't bad, but it's nothing more than I've come to expect from either of you.
Mechanics ~ 7/10. I don't recall seeing any mistakes from Karuka. Taviri/Liliana had some struggles with the right word usage (such as using "of" in the place of "to" in post 7), spelling and comma usage problems.
Clarity ~ 9/10. Great job.

MISCELLANEOUS

Wild Card ~ 6/10. Pat isn't allowed to write any more birthing threads until he's had kidney stones.

TOTAL ~ 71/100.

Rewards

Karuka Tida gains 2490 EXP and 227 GP
Taviri Ambria gains 1112 EXP and 170 GP
Liliana Ambria gains 1075 EXP and 85 GP

[Witchblade]

EXP and GP added!

Liliana reaches level 4!