Khy'eras

"You're late."

Kat placed her bag on the counter and rubbed eyes. "I had a long night." She said, stifling a yawn.

"Indeed." Elára's gaze flicked to the young with a moment, before going back to her book. "You have a full day, I have yet to see your assistant, so I ..."

"Helo isn't my assistant." Katarya said, quickly.

This time, the Elven woman looked up. "I had no finished speaking, Almá." She handed Kat some parchment. "Remember your place."

Kat nodded her head. "Yes, Quimellë ... wait ..." Kat looked at the page. "Cora is in labour! Why wasn't I ..."

"We knocked ... repeatedly. I suggest you go, Almá Katarya."

***

Kat had never run so fast in her life. Cursing her heavy bad and actually wishing Helo was here to help, but she had to get Cora as quickly as possible; there was no way to know when the baby might come ... it might already have arrived, and she knew Cora would never forgive her.

With a few hasty 'good mornings' and an occasional wave, she arrived at Cora Hage's house and pushed right in. "Healer calling!" She said, out of habit.

Mac appeared before her; the large man looked worried and angry at the same time. "We called for you hours ago!"

Kat shrugged off her cloak and threw it at him. "I'm here now ... where is she?"

***

"I can't! I can'd do any more!" Cora wailed.

Kat was right where she needed to be, wishing by Ny'tha that old Mrs Migs were a better midwife and actually showed up to births! "You can, darling! You can. Slow breaths ... good girl."

"Stop calling me that!" Cora said, angrily. Then lent her head back on the pillow. "I'm sorry. She sobbed.

Kat shook her head. "Sweetheart; I've been called from a pig to a dog when women are going through what you are going through. Okay now ... one big, big push for me, Cora and baby will be here!"

Cora gave a strained cry and a long wail, and soon the room was filled with the cries of a baby.

***

"One to wet the baby's head?" Mac said, holding out a small glass of some red spirit.

Kat rubbed her brow. "How about two? Oh!" She exclaimed when the large man suddenly grabbed her into a hug (spilling the drink)

"Thank you so much!" He said, into her shoulder. "I know we haven't always seen eye to ..."

Kat disentangled himself from him and gave him a smile. "None of that matters now. You have a baby boy!" She lifted her half-filled glass. "To the three of you."

***

Arriving back at the Hart, Kat slumped down into a chair and took a deep breath. Her hand rested on her stomach, which had been causing her problems all day; small pains and the like.

"Wine?" Raya said, appearing at her table.

Kat took a deep breath and looked up. "You're a darling."

Raya smirked. "You're predictable!" She sassed, and then moved off.

Kat winced again as pain flashed through her. She need to look at this.

***

Katarya looked at the blood on her hands and closed her eyes, willing herself to be wrong. Willing that there was not more wrong than she had already gone through.

After cleaning herself up, she took a seat, taking a small draught of a pain relieving potion.

She tried to distract herself, reaching for The Book, pouring over it's pages and trying to ignore the twinges in her abdomen. It was a strange feeling; she had never wanted children, but had assumed she would always have had one to pass on the Frost legacy to. Who would get the book when she died? Would the line of witches end with her?

In the end she closed the book, put on her shawl and headed for a place she never wanted to visit as anything other than a healer; a hospital of House Enlann.

***

"You've not been looking after yourself, young miss." The greying healer said, as he stepped around the bed. "You suffered a severe trauma and you have not ..."

"I've been busy." Kat practically snapped at him. She was in pain and scared. The latter didn't sit well with her. "Is it just bed rest I need or is there something else?"

The older man didn't seem at all fazed by Kat's attitude. He moved over to wash his hands. "Your grandmother was always a little more pleasant, when she visited." He turned to give her a small smile. "Yes, I know who you are, Miss Frost. Lilian was a most singular woman, and you could be too; but perhaps a little less attitude might not go amiss." He held up his hand before she spoke. "Lots of rest; as much as you can. No sex, no draughts or potions that will interfere with ..."

"I know the routine." She said, then sighed. "My apologies. It's been quite a day."

The older man smiled. "Just get better; that's my only command, Miss Frost."

***

Kat returned back to the Hart with her shoulders less tensed and her chin not quite so high; it had been a trying day, and if she did not get better ... she might never get better.

With an order of fruit juice (much to the barkeep's surprise), she told them she would retire to her room. A night of study would be in order; anything to forget these pains and all the things they meant for her future

Artemis realized slowly that he didn’t have anything pressing to do. The inspectors, the real ones, wouldn’t arrive for another few days and the East Hall was in the best shape it could legally be before he received the full writ of ownership and operations. Feeling a small twinge of sadness as he got out of bed, the fleece mattress Ksenia had gotten was truly decadent, he rose and dressed. “May as well see my Love,” he said to the empty room, grinning at the thought of going to meet her. He triggered the ring he always wore, remembering her mentioning she could sense his use of it.

He made his way into the sunlight a bit dazed, he’d let the rings power linger for far longer than normal. He missed Katarya, having not seen her now for more than a handful of days. He hoped she was recovering well, he couldn’t imagine his own guts taking the sort of wounds she had. He made his run to the Hart at a dead sprint, stretching his muscles out and enjoying the rush of blood and wind. He landed on the street across from the building breathing heavily, but still slipped down and strode in with a grin on his flushed face.

He snapped a nod to the counter and it’s keeper before scanning the room. He didn’t see Katarya, but Raya caught his eye. “She’s in her room. She’s been busy…” the elf said with a strange tilt to her words. Artemis nodded and took the stairs two at a time before coming to stop outside her door.

He knocked a quick tune onto the wood and triggered the ring for a fleeting instant. The image of her filled his mind in a flash that left a lingering joy. “I’ve come calling on my favorite healer and woman,” he said through the wood.

Kat felt the buzz of the ring's magic and it sent through her so many conflicting emotions; guilt at what she had done with Helo, pleasure at the thought of seeing Artemis, and then the pain ...

When he knocked on her door, she rose, steadying herself for a second. Her hair was out of its braid, instead tied back in a simple tail. She had enough stresses to worry about without a pulled scalp!

She took a breath before she opened the door and forced a smile. "Tinwé!" She said, and moved to embrace him.

What might have given her away was her rigid posture; the beads of swear on her forehead, and the sweet smell of medicine on her breath,

She kissed his cheek and motioned for him to enter. "It's been much too long. Tell me everything." She said, trying her very best not to hold her stomach, which continued to cramp.

Artemis could immediately tell something was wrong and shuffled Katarya forcibly over to the bed. "You've clearly not been resting. Let me guess, healer's advice is for healers to ignore?" he asked her with a shake off his head as he pushed her to sit on the edge of the bed. "How's your wounds? You've taken medicine, but have you eaten or had anything to drink? Idols did you take a few tumbles too so you could hit every single bit of advice with disregard?" he grinned as he finished the question and placed a hand on her stomach to attempt to spread calming warmth. "I can go get a warm water bladder," he added before realizing he was simply running her over with questions. He sat down beside her and grew quiet. "I love you," he whispered out and then went quiet again.

Katarya let herself led to the the bed and took a seat willingly.

"I'm fine," she assured him, patting this hand. with his remark about 'taking a tumble' she gave a scoff. "I don't know what you think of me, Artemis Black, but I don't take 'tumbles' quite so easily." She lied again.

When they were both sat on the bed, she patted his arm. "it's been forever. You must tell me everything ... unless it includes Ksenia ... you can leave those bits out." She gave him a quick smile, as her hand rested on her stomach.

Artemis listened to her, responses, growing worried as she casually dismissed his concerns. She was hurt, that was painfully easy to see. He wondered where the soft, gentle, trusting woman he loved was. “You don’t have to lie to me Kat,” he said, wiping a bead of sweat from her face before it could slip down. “I know you’re likely held together with pain, medicine, and force of will. I don’t need to see you like this. I’d rather see the you I can care for.”

He rose slowly, careful not to bump her needlessly. “Wait here, I’ll be right back with the bladder and some food. Then you can listen to me prattle on until I’ve filled your head with my wool gathering.” He moved to the door and slipped out into the hall, closing the handle carefully behind him. He stood there for a moment, frowning intensely. ‘She didn’t say it back,’ he thought with a nagging fear creeping into the pit of his stomach. He idly thumbed the ring, dismissing the vision immediately.

Making his way quietly downstairs, he caught Raya’s attention and moved to speak softly to her. “I need a warmed water bladder and something light to eat please. She’s in a rough way. Any idea what in the world happened?” he was trying not to shout for the entire room, but also knew the elves could likely hear him regardless.

Kat rested her head back on the pillow. She had given in her Artemis' demands (most unlike her) and waited for him to return.

While she did, Nyx chattered at her, to which she waved a tired hands. "The best secrets are those set in stone." She said, before shifting to make herself more comfortable.

***

Raya stepped to Artemis' side as the serving lad dashed off for the provisions. "She's not in a good way, the young girl said, frankly. "The Quimellë even tried to stop her going out to work, but you know what Katarya's like!" Raya lifted her chin and adopted an imperious manner "'I shall do my rounds whether they are prescribed or not!'" That's what she said. Elára gave in." The young girl gave a shrug. "Truth is, the woman ain't looking after herself, and won't let a healer near her; I reckon she thinks she thinks she knows better."

The boy arrived with the bladder and tray of soft foods, he gave his head a dip before vanishing.

Raya wiped her hands on a towel before giving him a nod. "Good luck up there."

Artemis realized halfway between Raya's words that he was acting as if this was a place he was trusted. 'There's no way she was running off around the district. Especially not without some help, but the Elves stand on ceremony, Kat is higher rank. I'll get nothing from this,' he thought as he thanked the woman and took the food and bladder. His guts roiled as the fear started to grow stronger. Kat was closed off, and he want sure he wanted to know why. 'The tough things are what we have to do. No one else will do them for us.' The memory flashed through his mind. The only piece of advice Cook had given him freely. He moved back upstairs quickly but with care.

He knocked lightly before opening the door and slipping in. "Your food and warmth," he said as he gently placed the bladder against her stomach and set the tray on the table. He sat himself on the edge of the bed and took a breath to firm his resolve.

"There's something you're not saying. I don't know what, but you're acting as if my concerns don't matter and I'm just a visiting friend. You once promised me you wouldn't abandon me, but if you give me the same distant walls then that's much the same. What's going on Kat? What did I do?" The words came out of him in a wavering voice. He was scared. Scared of losing her, of being alone, of doing something to ruin what he had.

Kat took the bladder and pressed it against her aching stomach, sighing with relief almost immediately. "That should have been something I did for myself ... you could make a healer!"

When she had settled, her eyes went to him as he suddenly became somewhat morose. At his questions, many things ran through her mind; should she be honest? Should she tell him about Helo? What about the other arrangements she had made, even without the knowledge of the Kelbé?

"I'm a woman, Artemis. I have a million secrets" She said, flippantly. But frowned, when he seemed not to take her joke so well. She lent forward, wincing as she did. "I'm afraid I must be stern," she said, after a moment. "In the last few days I learned that my uterus was destroyed and I would never bear a child. I have a legacy of my family that I can no longer pass on. If I am at all .... distant, it is because I am grieving." She sat back. "Because I do not cry, people assume I do not feel. But that is not the case. I am devastated. And I am still trying to figure out how I am to deal with all of this. This is not because of you, Artemis, it is because I have been given the worse news a woman can ever be given - news I have had to give to others myself, and it was awful - so I ask you; don't take my pain and devastation and use it against me."

Nyx warbled on the side, and Kat's eyes flicked to her familiar before turning back to Artemis. "I still care about you. But when I am bleeding and hurting, I can't always shower you wish the attention you need. I hope you understand that."

Artemis didn’t laugh at her poor joke, and the fear in his gut threatened to boil over when she spoke of being stern. He listened, desperate to know what had gone wrong, what he was doing that she pushed him away. ‘…don’t take my pain and use it against me,’ her words reverberated in his head and the creeping fear turned into burning anger. It consumed him and flared outward to eat all his thoughts. ‘I am offering to help, and you turn me away,’ his anger roared, threatening to extend to his fingers. He wanted to strike out, to defeat whatever he could, but there was no threat he could attack, only the woman he loved.

Then her next words came and he felt like a shard of her ice had struck him in the temple. “I can’t always shower you with the attention you need.” The fury was gone now, all his burning wet anger that threatened tears blasted away with another casual dismissal. He stood suddenly, turning around to look at her with his arms out wide and his palms open. It was a sign of peace among thieves. The knowledge that they would share something with you, but that danger was never distant.

“I am not some urchin child on the street demanding candy and coin,” Artemis said, his voice clipped and full of sharp edges. “I am not some dandy to carry on your arm and beg your attentions. I am the man who carried you in his arms away from the destruction of your home, who returned to that home to recover something you considered beyond precious and paid with my death. I am the man who carried you here, and stayed with you as you learned the ‘worst news a woman can be given’. I am the man who has seen you cry, and knows more than others the depths of your worry and pain. I am the man that is still here and only asked to know why you are treating me like a distant acquaintance. Why you are unable to set aside your pride and let your body heal.”

He laughed, a short humorless bark, and shook his head. “His name is Lynwood, and the feeling of his wanting me was sweeter than any drink, but my need for him lasted only as long as I held him in my mouth. This was well before you were hurt, and I was worried you knew. Thought I had betrayed you in some way. That I was seeking something more than physical comfort, that I had let my feelings for you wane. I see now that this was not at all the cause. That it was simply your pride.”

He took a short shuddering breath. “I was taught to give even an enemy one chance in conflict but a friend three. I have given you two, and I will not sit here and have your pride waste the third.” He reached out and pulled the ring from his finger, looking at the sparkling gem with a deep sadness. “You told me to use this, when I truly need you. I use it now,” he dropped the delicate jewel onto her bedside table. “Come find me when you’re ready to actually treat me like a lover instead of a dinner guest. Nyx knows the way if you’ve forgotten.” Then he turned, walking jerkily out of the room with a deep set frown on his features.

He stood in the hall, remaining completely stock still. He was uncertain where he was supposed to go now. He’d perhaps just lost another thing he cared for. So many things, always taken from him. If he couldn’t keep it with his knife perhaps he wasn’t meant to have it. He wasn’t certain how long he remained in his own thoughts just outside Katarya’s door with his knuckles white and a scowl on his face.