The Dyke-lander's were fully indoctrinated in a culture that adhered to a long list of rules and so even as death lurked, Jayah was distressed that she would breath her last while breaking a sacred law. Being on high ground and surrounded by open beach was the worst place to be during a lightning storm.
Reclined, Jayah lifted her head enough to see the swift approach of black clouds, and her concern intensified, and then she had a thought, if I could just make it to the crevice... and to the upper entrance to the cave. With concerted effort Jayah used her arms to pull herself slowly along, her legs too weak to carry her any further.
The upper entrance to the cave was a sheer drop to a cluster of round boulders of every size that lay at the very bottom of the knoll's hollow interior. It was a drop guaranteed to kill her instantly. Caves were considered the protective womb of Ayah, a sacred and safe place to be at any time, and this is where many of their elders chose to be as their time drew near... refusing sustenance to quicken their end. Even if Jayah took her own life in the end, she felt that Ayah would approve, and she also felt that Ayah had mercifully brought her to the realization. This cave, Ursus Minorica, was a good place for herself and her unborn child to die... if by chance her child still clung to life.
As Jayah rolled on her back and waited for the contraction to pass, she could still see the flash of lightning from behind tightly closed lids, and then the piercing crack as it shattered the darkened sky. She made the count -- three fingers away, and from where the sound came, she assessed that the storm was moving away... back out to sea. She was confused, does this mean that Ayah wants me to hang on?
Another contraction seized Jayah as she slipped into the shallow crevice where the thick bed of moss greeted her tired aching body. Even through the intense pain, she could feel the soft reassuring comfort and took pleasure in what she believed to be a show of compassion from Ayah. Jayah felt a warm sensation of peace and at that moment another contraction came, and for the first time she felt the force of it move her child down and she felt an urge to push. Instinct kicked in and she responded with all her might.
She felt her flesh tear, and then a great sense of relief as her body did the rest, a final contraction that emptied her womb and brought forth her baby. Her relief was only momentary, there was no sound... no cry... not even a whimper. Jayah wept as she bore through the final contractions that brought forth the placenta. As the mixture of sweat and tears burned her eyes, she pulled her baby's still, slippery body up into her arms.
Jayay was only five rolls away from the caves upper entrance, but it would have to wait as she took a few precious moments to mourn her loss. In the still silence is when she felt it... she felt her baby move... it was subtle, but she was sure of it. Is it possible?!
Jayay tried to look down at her child but she was too weak and all around her was beginning to grow dim, and yet there was clarity as her mind grappled with the gravity and hopelessness of their situation. What does it matter if my child lives.
Jayah felt the familiarity... as though what she was now experiencing had happened before. Turning her head to one side she looked through the tendrils of mist and to the vague outline of a lone towering pine. It's the dream! It came back to her in a flood, the time when she was barely fifteen summers old. It was a vision!
Things unfolded as with the vision: her legs felt as though on fire... and then from the mist emerged a lone figure... one the Bahr-Bahr.
Dorag looked down on her with hate and loathing in the icy blue of his eyes. What followed was just as predicted by the vision, Jayah lay still, helplessly watching as events unfolded, she saw the Bahr-Bahr reach down and lift her baby up by the ankles and then she heard the whimpering cry, she saw the spear poised to strike before all around her turned black.
Reclined, Jayah lifted her head enough to see the swift approach of black clouds, and her concern intensified, and then she had a thought, if I could just make it to the crevice... and to the upper entrance to the cave. With concerted effort Jayah used her arms to pull herself slowly along, her legs too weak to carry her any further.
The upper entrance to the cave was a sheer drop to a cluster of round boulders of every size that lay at the very bottom of the knoll's hollow interior. It was a drop guaranteed to kill her instantly. Caves were considered the protective womb of Ayah, a sacred and safe place to be at any time, and this is where many of their elders chose to be as their time drew near... refusing sustenance to quicken their end. Even if Jayah took her own life in the end, she felt that Ayah would approve, and she also felt that Ayah had mercifully brought her to the realization. This cave, Ursus Minorica, was a good place for herself and her unborn child to die... if by chance her child still clung to life.
As Jayah rolled on her back and waited for the contraction to pass, she could still see the flash of lightning from behind tightly closed lids, and then the piercing crack as it shattered the darkened sky. She made the count -- three fingers away, and from where the sound came, she assessed that the storm was moving away... back out to sea. She was confused, does this mean that Ayah wants me to hang on?
Another contraction seized Jayah as she slipped into the shallow crevice where the thick bed of moss greeted her tired aching body. Even through the intense pain, she could feel the soft reassuring comfort and took pleasure in what she believed to be a show of compassion from Ayah. Jayah felt a warm sensation of peace and at that moment another contraction came, and for the first time she felt the force of it move her child down and she felt an urge to push. Instinct kicked in and she responded with all her might.
She felt her flesh tear, and then a great sense of relief as her body did the rest, a final contraction that emptied her womb and brought forth her baby. Her relief was only momentary, there was no sound... no cry... not even a whimper. Jayah wept as she bore through the final contractions that brought forth the placenta. As the mixture of sweat and tears burned her eyes, she pulled her baby's still, slippery body up into her arms.
Jayay was only five rolls away from the caves upper entrance, but it would have to wait as she took a few precious moments to mourn her loss. In the still silence is when she felt it... she felt her baby move... it was subtle, but she was sure of it. Is it possible?!
Jayay tried to look down at her child but she was too weak and all around her was beginning to grow dim, and yet there was clarity as her mind grappled with the gravity and hopelessness of their situation. What does it matter if my child lives.
Jayah felt the familiarity... as though what she was now experiencing had happened before. Turning her head to one side she looked through the tendrils of mist and to the vague outline of a lone towering pine. It's the dream! It came back to her in a flood, the time when she was barely fifteen summers old. It was a vision!
Things unfolded as with the vision: her legs felt as though on fire... and then from the mist emerged a lone figure... one the Bahr-Bahr.
Dorag looked down on her with hate and loathing in the icy blue of his eyes. What followed was just as predicted by the vision, Jayah lay still, helplessly watching as events unfolded, she saw the Bahr-Bahr reach down and lift her baby up by the ankles and then she heard the whimpering cry, she saw the spear poised to strike before all around her turned black.
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