The Discovery
Kadryn slipped into the house. It was midnight, and she’d just returned from Serenia after completing the last ritual of her growth. She set the sleeping form of Chu Lin, her panda (as he called himself) companion. Normally he was larger than her, but he could shrink himself down to the size of a cub and be carried.
Wrapping him up in a blanket and setting in in the middle of a pile of pillows, she smiled. Kirosh will be proud, she thought as she looked around at her house. The stone walls had been softened with wood paneling and floors. Thick rugs in strange and colorful designs that Kirosh had collected over the years stood out against the dark wood floors. The sofa and large padded chair abut the fireplace and small table. The paintings she’d bought hung on the walls. It was very different from when she’d left; Kirosh had been hard at work putting the finishing touches on the house. There were even some flowers and small stubby tree or bush things in plotters along the corners. She didn’t know what they were, but figured Kirosh could tell her later.
The furniture, before rough and vey simple, had been replaced with heavier and more elegantly carved pieces. Though again, the colors were off. Probably cause Kirosh can only see in shades of grey, she thought and grinned as she looked at the pillows. All very eclectic colors and designs, not a single one matching the couches or curtains! She chuckled and shook her head.
“Are you mocking my choices in designs again?” She heard Kirosh’s husky voice come from the hallway. Looking over she wrinkled her nose at him and grinned.
“You have the worse sense about colors!” Walking over she gave him a hug and stood on her toes to kiss him.
“Mm, but the designs look pretty!” He replied before kissing her again for longer. “Did you have fun visiting home again?”
”Uh huh. I also got a surprise… but I’ll show you later!” She said with a grin. “Good work on the house. Feels much more lived in now.”
“Wait till you see what I did for the bedroom.” He grinned and hoisted her up on to his shoulder.
“Hey! Kirosh!” Kadryn laughed as he carried her like a sack of potatoes up the ladder to the smaller second floor that made up their quarters.
“Hush woman. If I don’t do this you’ll chatter at me! There’s much more entertaining things we can be doing~”
~~~
Next morning she rolled over and had to run to the bathroom, her stomach queasy and upset. It’d been that way somewhat when she’d stayed the night at her parents place after the Ritual, but this was much worse!
“You alright?” Kirosh asked her sleepily.
“Urg. Yeah. Probably caught a bug or something when I went to Serenia.”
Kirosh walked out and rubbed Kadryn’s back as she cleaned up.
“Hope it’s nothing to bad. You mentioned something about a surprise?”
She flashed him a smile. “Oh yes! Hey Chu Lin! Get up here.” She called down the stairs.
“Chu Lin?” Kirosh gave her a weird look and started as he heard something large clamber around downstairs then up the ladder. His eyebrows raised and he whistled as he saw the large and very obviously magic creature’s head poke up through the trap door.
“Dark Goddess.” He muttered before looking at Kadryn. “You summoned a companion?” He said, impressed, as he walked over to look over Chu Lin.
“Mmm.” She said as Chu Lin shrunk once more to fit through the trap door and wander over to Kirosh.
“Lightning….” Kirosh muttered “Yup. That’s you alright!” He laughed and shook his head. “Well, what are you? You look kinda like an arrical. But the shapes not right, soo rounded. Not a boawi either.”
“He says he’s a panda.” Kadryn said as she put her clothes on and ran a hand through her short-cropped hair. “No clue what that is, but boawi and arrrical mix is what I thought too.”
Kirosh looked at the smug Chu Lin who was investigating the room. “Jealous….” He said with a gleam in his eyes.
“Yes Kirosh... .we can go hunting an Arrical for you.” Kadryn said with a laugh.
He looked at her with an innocent expression, “Well, if you insist!”
“Hush you!” Kadryn giggled and kissed him. “Get dressed already! Wandering around naked is going to get you a cold!”
~~
The next few weeks were uncomfortable for Kadryn. Her cold didn’t go away… in fact, it got worse. Every morning, and when she was cooking, she’d get sick to her stomach! And what was worse were the cravings… she wanted the weirdest of foods!And at the oddest of times! Chu Lin and Kirosh were also weirded out. This wasn’t like the colds they were used too. And… Kadryn sighed as she looked down at her stomach. She was putting on weight.
What is up with my body? She thought as she finished checking on her small garden. Should I see a healer or something? The tribe had a few with them… But her wondering was all for naught.
That night Kirosh showed up with a friend; Nemish the Ysali that had helped them first set up the house.
“Kirosh says you have a cold or something that’s not going away?” He asked in his soft voice as he dismounted.
“If you can call it that! I get sick in the mornings, sick when I smell food, have the weirdest of food cravings…” She started to complain before Nemish started to laugh. Both Kirosh and Kadryn gave him a glare.
“Sorry! It’s just…” He chuckled and shook his head. As a healer he’d seen colds and he’d seen pregnant women. Most people didn’t mistake a cold for morning sickness but maybe Kadrn just…. hadn’t talked to her mother about it? Or something? “That’s not an illness! You’re pregnant!” Kirosh and Kadryn stared and she put a hand to her stomach. He laughed all the harder at their stunned expressions.
“Well..” Kiosh said after a moment. “You did want kids...” Kids so soon, he thought. How am I supposed to raise kids! But he looked at Kadryn’s face as she started smiling and sighed. He’d figure it out somehow.
They’d figure it out.
“Drat,” he said with a sigh. “Now I’m going to have to share you… and we’ll have to change one of the guest rooms to a nursery! Just after I got the house all set too.” He slid as he slipped an arm about Kadryn, who smiled up at him with shining eyes. Yeah. He’d get through it. Plus, he could always wander away for a hunt or three if he needed to relieve stress.
“Well, it explains the weight gain.” Kadryn said with a grin. “I was wondering why I was putting on weight.”
Nemish sighed and shook his head. “Haven’t you talked to a female friend, your mother… aunt… somebody about children?”
“Umm… no?” Kadryn said with embarrassment. “I think my parent’s figured I’d recognize the signs or something... I did help out with my little brother so…”
He buried his face into his hands. “Ugh. And you of course were just a kid so didn’t pay attention… Well. I’ll make visits once a month to check up on you and once you’re in your final tri semester I’ll set up house in a room and stick around to help with delivery.” He sighed. “This is going to ruin my plans! Ruin them!”
“Oh please!” Kirosh said. “What plans? Mooning after the Chief? Like you have for the last decade?”
“What! I’ll have you know I have been courting her, not mooning after her!” He said in an offended tone”
“Uh huh… riiiight.” Kirosh said with an eyebrow raised in derision. Nemish huffed and remounted his Hastar.
“And I came all the way out here to help you!”
Kadryn giggled. “Thank you Nemish. Um.. is there anything I shouldn’t do while pregnant?”
“Fighting.” Nemish said in a serious voice. “A wound can cause you to miscarry. Though do keep active just… not too active. Even if your body complains, eat; bland foods won’t make you upset as much. You’re feeding more than just yourself. Also get enough sleep. Avoid alcohol and drink lots of water. Oh, and Kirosh. Once her stomach gets too large… no sex. That can, in the last few months, trigger labor too early.” He turned his mount and started to trot away. “Don’t stress! I’ll be back to check on you often enough.”
Kirosh watched him ride off then looked at her. “Well, at least you don’t have an illness.” She looked up at him with a sympatric smile as she leaned into him.
“Freaked out a little?”
“A little.” He admitted. “I’m just… nervous I guess.” He wrapped her in a hug and rested his chin against her hair. “Will I like them? Can I be a good father? How am I supposed to take care of them? Can we be a happy family like you had; will they grow up to be someone I can be proud of; what if I hate their guts. All these questions….”
She tightened her arms about him. “It’ll be fine. I think you’ll be a good father. Since you’re worrying about it, it means you care.” She kissed him. “So. Fun part now! What names do you think we should call the child?”
“Names? Ah.. right…. We’ve gotta name it.”
“I have no clue.” She wrinkled her nose, “We should come up with a boy and girl name just in case.
“If it’s a girl can we name her Pelia after my mother?” Kirosh asked.
“Sure.” Kadryn smiled, she knew that Kirosh’s mother had died giving birth to him, and that not having a mother was something that hurt. “Well, that was easy... now to think up a boy name.”
