Is it time?
Hadassah felt at her stomach, for perhaps the fifth time this hour. She was in no way as sanguine as she had pretended to Seth. But the new arrangements had really helped. The Horsegirls were so helpful. Indeed one of them, the oldest, who she called ‘Ruth’ in her head (she never had gotten used to Kelii names. They were so impersonal, ‘first Daughter of Terssi’ etc.) rode over.
“Is it time?”
“I don’t know. They are coming more often, and seem more regular.”
“How many this hour?”
“I lost count. Perhaps twenty or more.”
“It may be time then. Let us ride off for a while.”
The girl signalled to her siblings, and they turned off from the main herd. One of the Horseboys rode over and found Seth.
Once they were together and out of sight of the rest of the herd, Ruth said: “Take your skirt off.”
Hadassah looked at her, startled, and looked at the Horseboys. Ruth followed her gaze, and said, bemusedly, “Don’t worry. We picked them carefully. They are Horseboys.”
Hadassah’s brain heard the connotations of the word. Unlike the other races, in Kelii the word for ‘boy’ was essentially sexless. It implied someone who ‘would be’ male eventually; just as the word for ‘girl’ implied someone who ‘would be’ female. Accepting the rebuke, she handed her skirt to Ruth.
“Lean back,” that latter said. She complied. Ruth looked for a minute.
“You may be getting close, but it isn’t quite time yet.”
“So, should we ride back?”
“No. This is good. I think it will be soon, within the next day, anyway.”
The next day? Hadassah wasn’t sure that she could survive that long.
The pains were coming more and more often, and getting stronger and stronger. They had only been riding out for an hour or so when she noticed something else, “Ruth. I − I’m all wet.”
Of course Hadassah herself knew what this meant, but it was easier to hear it from Ruth.
“Oh, good, your waters have broken. Lean back again. No, I can’t − well, wait a minute. Yes, when you have your pain I can see you bulging a bit.
Hopefully it won’t be long now.”
Hadassah hoped so, too. The pain was getting unbearable. And she hoped that the girls would ignore the things she said to them over the next couple of hours. And then… “Ruth, Ruth, I want to push! Oh, I want to push, but it hurts so.”
“Lean back. Good. Now push with the pain. Breathe, breathe now.
Now, push with the pain. That’s right, here it is. No, stay back, push again, grab it with your hands − there. Lift it, lift him, up to your breast. But stay back.
We’re not done.”
Hadassah stayed leaning back. It looked like it should have been uncomfortable, but it wasn’t really. She looked around, where was her Husband? “Seth, Seth!” she yelled and Seth, who was riding several yards away and looking panicked, came galloping over. “Look!” she said, pulling the baby from her breast and holding it up in the air, where it promptly began to scream, “Look at the Son I have born you.”
Seth’s eyes wavered between the baby and what Ruth was doing, and finally settled upon Hadassah’s own face. “Oh, my Love, you have done wonderfully!” he said − and she, contented, put the baby back to her breast.
Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!
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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
Links
Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.
The entire book is scheduled on Substack, and there are several sequels. This is a book I wrote years ago, so it is in a bit of a rough form. Critiques and comments are more than welcome, they are requested.