Archives: Search for Azala
Chapter 23: Crossroads in Adan
Thalia had gone up and down several streets on the west side, asking about Nat and offering the description Amara provided at every inn she passed. The city of Adan was a common stop for travelers, so the city had an abundance of inns. As she realized this, Thalia was beginning to feel overwhelmed, but with a prayer to Marfa, she centered herself again and continued her search. However, she had little luck. No one seemed to have seen Nat so far.
The priestess finished her survey of one street traveling north to south when she came to one of the main streets, which led to the west gate of the city, mostly taken by travelers from Shinning Hill. This was the road that separated her search area from Amara’s. The search had gone on for a few hours, and it was growing near to lunch time. Her stomach growled at her and she wrapped her arms around her waist, as if to muffle the sound. No one was close enough to hear though. At the next inn, she should probably get something to eat, but for now, Thalia had to sit and rest on some crates stacked next to a building. She wished she would have brought some water as well, that would calm her stomach until the next inn.
Amara searched most of the streets on the south side, but had gotten weak and dizzy as she came upon the last street. The mage had asked everyone on the streets and in the inns about Nat, but the only thing she had gotten out of her search was either the wrong person or nothing at all. The girl tried to keep herself happy, but failed miserably as she continued her search.
Finally, after a few more hours, the girl ended back up on the main road. The mage walked down the street, tired and exhausted as she finally stopped. Tears were quickly filling Amara’s eyes as she tried to wipe them away. “My stomach,” the girl said as she went to the side of the rode and sat. The girl gently touch her stomach and stared at it. Why is it hurting so much? Why aren’t Thalia’s blessings working? Amara shook her head, regretting ever sleeping with Nat and leaving her family. The mage wished silently as she cried that all the bad she did would just go away.
This wasn’t the first time she cried like this, it was actually the fourth. She tried not think about the bad, but it would always get to her. Amara wiped away her tears and looked up at the sky, saying a small prayer to Falis as she stared at the clouds. After a few minutes of talking to her god like he was right in front of her, the girl got up and started down the street again. The pain was still there, but not as much.
The mage continued walking until she saw Thalia, sitting on crate and look a bit tired. The girl tried to smile as she walked over to the priestess. “Thalia, are you okay? Have you finish your search?” the girl asked as she tilted her head. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying.
Thalia lifted her head to see Amara across the street and crossing to meet her. She was a little surprised that their searches had brought them back together so soon. As Amara approached, Thalia could see her red-rimmed and puffy eyes; apparently the search wasn’t going too well for her. “No, I haven’t found anything, I was just taking a break,” Thalia replied. “Are you alright?”
Amara froze up when she heard the question, but after three seconds, the girl laugh nervously and smiled. “Yes, I am alright. Come, lets get something to drink... and eat,” she said with a joyful smile.
Thalia didn’t believe her for a second, but she didn’t pry anymore for now. Her stomach growled again, and she wrapped her arms over it again. “Excuse me,” she said politely. The priestess stood up and brushed off her robes. “I was just about to go find a place to eat lunch,” she replied to Amara. Taking Amara’s hand in hers, as a sign of much needed support for the young mother-to-be, Thalia led her down the next street she had yet to search and began to look for an inn.
After walking a couple blocks, a sign hanging over the street caught their attention. A painting on the wood relief showed a battered sword, identifying the inn as The Old Sword Inn. Thalia pointed out the sign and turned to Amara. “Do you want to eat here?” she asked.
* * *
Inside the inn, high elf Lien sat patiently at a table in the far corner, sipping a cup of tea. The morning had been filled with preparations for the journey to find Seri, though they had wasted more time than she wanted, Lien was accepting of the circumstances. She spent some time communing with the spirits this morning to learn that Seri was in the east, leaving the desert. She couldn’t imagine the hard time the high elf had trekking through the desert while pregnant. After all, a pregnant woman’s body temperature was higher than normal, often making excess heat even worse for them. Not to mention the dry environment. Seri, whatever possessed you to cross that accursed wasteland? the midwife wondered.
Aside from the search, Lien’s new traveling companions needed to update their supplies and prepare for what would be a long walk. There was talk of getting horses, but the cost of buying them and affording their upkeep was more than the small group was willing to spend. Instead, they decided to charter a carriage to Lesmoa, then Roid, but from there, but after reaching the holy city, how they continued on was a different story.
As Lien waited for Azala and Mia, she noticed a pair of human women through the front windows who caught her interest. One wore the robes of a Marfa priestess while the other was quite pregnant.
With her traveling back packed, Bella hopped downstairs, leaving Midau behind upstairs. She was in good spirits, despite what the rest of her companions were feeling; Midau was reminded of painful past memories by the presence of Lien, Azala had become rather stoic with the news of his pregnant ex-lover, Mia was concerned with supporting her friend, and Lien, though she restrained her emotions, was likely discomforted by Midau and Azala, as well as worried for Seri. Bella felt for Midau, but hardly knowing the rest, she wasn’t really concerned for their emotional wellbeing. The least the little grassrunner woman could do was support Midau as he faced his past. As for herself though, she was happy to be back on the road, and looking forward to the chance to speak to the high elf about the spirits and her homeland a little. She was quite impressed with the way Lien had found Seri’s location half-way across the island from Sylph.
As she came downstairs, she noticed the two women outside as well, but she wasn’t interested in them. Instead, she turned toward the back table where Lien sat and silently joined the high elf. There was much she wanted to ask, but she was intimidated by the ageless elven woman...
* * *
Amara continued to smile as the priestess led her down the street. The girl felt much better since she found Thalia, but the pain was still there and the thoughts still bothered her. The girl was in deep thought when Thalia asked her the question, but as soon as the mage looked to where the priestess was pointing, she figured out what the question was, well, sort of.
The girl stared at the sign and nod. “Yes,” she said as she smiled at the priestess. Amara walked into the inn and looked around. To her surprise, there was an elf and a child sitting to the back of the room. The girl nodded to them with a joyful look on her face and looked back at Thalia.
With a small smile and a nod, Thalia followed Amara inside and headed to the counter. She noticed the elven woman and a smaller child-like figure, whom she assumed was the elf’s daughter. However, if she had been able to see Bella’s figure through the chair, she would have realized that the girl was a grassrunner. After all, Thalia had just traveled with a female grassrunner mercenary a few weeks earlier.
“Excuse me sir,” she said to the innkeeper. “We are looking for a half-elf named Nat. You wouldn’t have happened to have a bard pass through with that name, have you?”
The innkeeper shrugged. “Can’t say that I have,” he replied, but he gave the two young women an accommodating smile. “Ye need anything else there priestess?”
“Actually, yes, we would like some lunch,” Thalia replied with a warm smile.
“Anything in perticuler?” he asked, leaning on the counter.
After gathering their supplies, Mia and Azala came downstairs from their room to join up with the rest of their party. The female elven mercenary was short, but strong for an elf. Her pale hair and green eyes were traits of a light elf, but her skin was a dark tan that light elves couldn’t achieve even if they tried. She had a few scars on her body and face, including a couple split eyebrows and a small chunk missing from her ear. She was dressed as a mercenary in leather with a pair of fighting daggers sheathed on a belt slung across her hips. Behind her followed the incredibly handsome common elf Azala, who seemed pensive. He was dressed in mostly elven style garb, with a broadsword slung across his back. His facial features and light green eyes were similar to Nat’s—after all, that’s where Nat got his good looks.
As Mia stepped into the common room and lifted her eyes from the stairs, she immediately saw the familiar Marfa priestess they had traveled with weeks before, along with a young pregnant woman. Oh boy, this can’t be good, she thought, automatically assuming that there was a good chance the girl had been knocked up by her good friend Azala. “Priestess,” Mia said with a gasp. “What brings you here?” The elven mercenary’s eyes drifted down from Thalia’s face to Amara’s pregnant belly. Azala came to a stop behind her, but said nothing, waiting for a response to Mia’s question. Apparently, the weight of Seri’s pregnancy was enough to kill his desire for Thalia.
Amara stared at the priestess as she spoke. The girl’s desire to eat was growing rather quickly, but this was a daily thing that happened when she tried to hold her hunger. Amara touched her stomach softly as a small growl came from it and she blushed as she rubbed her neck. “I would like some...” the girl stopped as she saw the handsome common elf coming down the stairs with another elf. For a moment, he reminded her of Nat.
Thoughts slowly filled the girl’s head as she stared at Azala. Why did he look so much like him? Why did she had to say yes to this inn? The girl quickly looked away from the elf, with a touch of hatred in her eyes as she watched the floor. “Bastard,” she said softly as she blush and tried to collect her mind. Oh my... Why did I say that? If... If I am acting like this now, imagine what I will do when I see him? the girl thought as she looked back up at the elves. She smiled at them nervously and waited for Thalia to answer the woman’s question.
“You,” Thalia bristled at the sight of the handsome common elf. “Of all the inns in Lodoss...” she muttered, but Azala didn’t give her quite the response she expected.
“Good to see you again, priestess,” Azala said, a cold edge to his voice. He seemed a bit annoyed by her reaction to him. His eyes moved over to the girl with Thalia, his sharp ears having caught the word ‘bastard’. She was pregnant, and he had a sinking feeling in his gut when he noticed it, but he had never seen this girl before. “Excuse me miss, but I don’t believe I’ve ever caused you a slight to warrant being called a bastard,” he said rather dryly.
Amara blushed as she heard what the elf had said. Ohh... he heard me, the girl thought as her face became sad. “I am sorry sir, I did not mean to call you such a bad word,” she told the man as she bowed a bit. “I am sorry, it is just that you reminded me of my lover,” the girl said looking back up at him. “Oh! Do you know a man by the name of Nat? You two look like travelers, so I guess you might have seen him,” she said with a small smile and hope in her eyes as she watch the handsome elf.
Mia’s eyes widened. “Nat?” she asked incredulously, then started laughing. “Ohohoh...he’s real chip off the old block!” She looked up to Azala, but he obviously didn’t find it as amusing.
“Shut up Mia,” Azala said with a sigh. Mia immediately stopped, and suddenly adopted a regretful expression. Turning back to Amara, Azala spoke; “Nat is my son. I assume he must be the father of your child?”
Amara’s eyes watered a bit as she listened to Mia. She didn’t know what to think up to this point. Was it just a normal joke or was it serious? The girl stepped back a bit and looked at her stomach, nodding slowly to the elf’s question. “Yes,” she started, letting her mind control what she said, “and I am sure he has many. Maybe he realized that I was pregnant and quickly left because of this child that is growing inside of me,” she said then sighed. “I know I shouldn’t have left, I know I should have just stayed there and accepted my punishment.” Amara wiped away some of the tears that had streamed down her face, but more kept coming like a waterfall.
Amara quieted down for a while, then finally looked up at Azala trying to keep a smile on her face. “Forgive me, sir. I did not mean to become so umm... Well, yes, I am carrying his child, and since he is your son, I see why I mistook you, just for a moment, to be him,” she said with a small smile, then rubbed her stomach.
Mia gave a sigh, and the elven mercenary became more serious. “Look honey,” she said, putting her hands on Amara’s shoulders. “I don’t think this boy is the person you think he is, and maybe he has left a path of quarter-elf kids in his wake, but you need to confront him and make him see the consequences of his actions. This behaviour can’t be allowed to continue. The last thing the world needs is more broken families, so someone has to make Nat face reality,” Mia explained. This was exactly what she felt when it came to Azala too. She liked use it as fodder for jokes, but the situation had become too serious with knowledge of Seri’s pregnancy. Maybe Azala was on the verge of learning something about self-control as well... At least, she could only hope.
* * *
Midau came down after getting his pack ready and slowed as he saw Azala and Mia talking to a priestess of Marfa and a pregnant woman. Midau couldn’t help but grin and shake his head. The white haired dark elf moved over to Mia and Azala, but kept out of the conversation unless he was dragged into it. He kept his eyes out to see if he could see Bella amongst the crowd or whether she was still upstairs packing.
Bella overheard the conversation between Azala, Mia and the two girls and shook her head. It was obvious that Lien was listening in too, as the high elf’s long ears were tipped forward and she wore an expression of disappointment. Hearing someone else come downstairs, Bella looked behind her seat to see Midau. The grassrunner waved him over, though hopefully he wouldn’t be too uncomfortable with Lien at the same table.
Midau wormed his way over to the table with Lien and Bella and took his seat. He didn’t want to push the discomfort that he forced upon Lien last night, and the day was relatively good thus far. It seemed that Azala’s young had propagated and landed him in the same heat his father was in. Midau couldn’t help but see the irony of the situation, and while amused by it, he kept a stoic face. “Slept well?” he asked generally to the two women at the table.
“Good,” Bella replied to Midau with a smile. She was trying to cheer him up more than anything.
“Fine,” Lien replied absently. In actuality, the high elf hadn’t been sleeping well in human accommodations. She soldiered through though, her thoughts were with Seri’s child, not herself. She had been distracted though by the young woman who was apparently pregnant with Azala’s grandchild. Like father, like son, she thought.
* * *
Amara nodded to Mia as she spoke. The elf was right, but Amara was just too soft. She sighed softly and looked down, staring at her stomach as she went into deep thought. The girl sighed once more then looked back up at the two, well, three elves. “Oh, there is another one,” she said, smiling sweetly. “Thank you so much, miss. I guess I will try my best to talk to him when I see him,” the girl said as she looked at Thalia and back at the two. “Forgive me for messing up your morning or afternoon,” she said, bowing slightly to them.
The elven mercenary waved dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, our morning was already ruined last night,” Mia said with a chuckle. “Now, we last saw Nat at the Tiger Lilly Inn in Shinning Hill. Can’t say if he’s still there, but he shouldn’t be too far from Shinning Hill.”
“Shinning... Hill.” Amara looked down at the floor and stared at it. “Why is he in Shinning Hill? Isn’t he suppose to be with his ill mother?” the girl asked as she looked up at Thalia and then at the two elves.
“Hmph,” Azala scoffed. “His mother is well, from what he told me,” he explained. Obviously, Nat had to be running from something; either he knew the girl was pregnant, or she pushed for a commitment. Another grandkid, Azala mused, shaking his head.
Amara looked back to the floor as tears came to her eyes. The girl nodded slowly to Azala and said softly, “Thank you.” Amara bowed to them and then walked over to the counter.
“Umm...” Amara started as looked up at the innkeeper before continuing, “May I order bread and cheese with a slice of ham in it?” she asked softly.
The innkeeper, who had been privy to the entire conversation, took pity on the young mother. “Sure thing miss, it’s on the house,” he said, sympathetically, then looked up at Thalia. “Would you like the same, priestess?”
The priestess shrugged slightly and nodded. “I suppose so,” she replied.
As the innkeeper headed back into the kitchen to speak to the cooks, Thalia gently put her hand on Amara and led her over to a table near the door. “Are you alright?” she asked softly.
Amara followed Thalia over to the table and sat down on one of the chairs. “Yeah, I’m fine... I guess. I mean... I can’t believe he would... Umm... why would he do that to me?” Amara looked down at the table, tears slowly dropping from her face as she tried to relax all the thoughts running through her head. The girl wiped her tears away and looked at the priestess. “Umm... Thalia,” the girl started as she tried to smile, “my stomach is starting to hurt again, real badly. Can you please do one of prayers for me?”
Mia and Azala joined them at the table, and the entire group of elves (and grassrunner) was quite somber. Lien was focusing on the young woman though, her ears tipped forward, straining to hear the conversation across the room. She overheard Amara complain of pain, and it seemed that she had something to do here. “Please, excuse me for a moment,” Lien said, then suddenly stood.
The high elf crossed the common room and approached the priestess and mage. “Pardon me,” she said to Amara, and reached slightly toward her stomach. “May I?”
Amara stared at the high elf for a few seconds and finally nodded. “Of course,” the girl said as a small smile came to her face.
Lien knelt down beside Amara and laid her hands upon the girl’s belly, feeling it with firm hands. There was a tightness, but it soon subsided. “It is false labor contractions,” she said. “It means your womb is preparing for birth, nothing more. They can be somewhat painful for some women, though others only find it as little more than an annoyance. I do not think it would be necessary for your friend to heal it, they will only continue to come and go. Instead, you should drink plenty of water and stretch a bit,” the high elf explained, then drew back and rose to her feet again. “Have you been seeing a midwife?” she asked Amara.
Amara watched the high elf as the pain slowly drifted away. “Thank you,” the girl said with a happy smile, her facial expression much more happier than before. “No, I have not seen a midwife from since I started my pregnancy. I have been trying to hide all of this from my family, but as soon as I reach home, I will have to tell them.” The girl sigh softly, but kept her smile on her face as she watch the high elf.
Lien gave a frustrated sigh. “You will need to see one. Were I not previously engaged, I would be willing to help you, but alas, I have another expectant mother to worry about,” Lien said, then looked to Thalia. “Priestess, how much do you know about childbirth?”
“Only a bit. I have taken lessons in caring for pregnant women and delivering babies, but I do not have any experience,” Thalia explained humbly.
Lien sighed again. “Well, I would suggest that you seek out a midwife, child, as soon as possible,” the high elf insisted. “It is not only important that you have someone experienced to guide you through birth, but your midwife must also provide care for you and your unborn child before then.”
Amara nodded to Lien. “I shall search for one then,” she said to the high elf as she looked down at her stomach and rubbed it. She was starting to feel bad for not looking for a midwife from the point at which she noticed the signs of pregnancy, but she was afraid that her mother would ‘flip’ if she ever saw her interacting with one. The girl looked up at Lien once again and smile. “Thank you so much, ma’am, for your assistance, it was really helpful,” she told the high elf with a thankful expression.
“Take care, child,” Lien said and laid her hand on Amara’s shoulder. Even for all her apprehensions about humans, pregnancy and childbearing were much the same between both races; humans only did it more often. The high elf turned away and returned to her table and joined her party again.
Lien didn’t bother to sit down at the table yet, but stood behind her chair. “Is everyone prepared?” she asked.
Mia shrugged, “I’m set.”
Azala gave a solemn nod.
Bella smiled eagerly. “I was ready hours ago,” she said.
“Then let’s leave,” Midau stated, rising from his seat. “Since we’re all ready.”
With everyone ready, the group set out. As they passed Thalia and Amara, Mia gave the girls a small, sympathetic smile, while Azala acknowledged them with a stoic nod. Bella paid them little attention, as she wasn’t involved with their family business, and Lien favored Amara with a nod and a smile. The elves and grassrunner paid their tabs, then headed out to their chartered carriage.
