Post by empireoffire on Nov 18, 2018 1:32:28 GMT -5
Screams echoed within the underground corridors.
Frightened by the unfamiliar cry that rang from her mother's voice in the adjacent room, the small child shivered and tightened the grip in both of her tiny hands; one around the doll her mother personally crafted as a gift to her, the other around the hand of the tribeswoman accompanying her. Although the child had yet to learn everyone's names or faces, she felt no fear in the stranger's companionship, for their lives belong to the same tribe as the other. That means that they share things even if the child didn't completely understand what those things were yet. It mean they would not cause harm to the other. It meant that they are friends-- no, family that is to be trusted, even if they did not share bloodlines.
"Are you afraid?" asked the tribeswoman by her side.
The child began nodding. "What's happening to mom?"
The woman gave her a soft, reassuring smile and caressed her head. "Do not worry, deary. What your mother is going through is just a natural process that happened just a little bit sooner than expected. The nice people with her are helping her. And when it is all over? You will have a new baby brother or sister to play with!"
The child brightened up slightly at the prospect of having a sibling, but still trembled in nervousness and clung to her doll for security. When her mother began gasping in pain and giving panicked yells at her to call the midwives, the poor creature was spooked out of her skin. After running as fast as her legs could take her for help, she was escorted just outside mother's bedroom and told to wait outside with the nice lady.
"It's okay to be nervous", said the tribeswoman. "...Do you want to know something? You are actually behaving much calmer than your daddy was when this first happened! He shook twice as hard as you did and paced everywhere. I do wonder if things would change if he was here with you."
The child only muttered a small "hmm" at the mention of her father, the chieftain. In truth, she did not really like her father. Compared to her affectionate mother, he seemed more distant from her, and only spoke to her a few moments at a time. Additionally, more than once did she overhear his words of preferring to have had a son over a daughter when he hadn't thought she was present to hear. As a result, the child truly prefers her father when he is not near; whether he be patrolling the woods outside or seeking traders elsewhere. Whatever it was chieftains did.
After some time, the kind tribeswoman was about to speak again when one of the midwives opened the bedroom door and slipped outside.
"Is mom okay?" asked the child.
The midwife looked at the child, failing to hide her conflicted expression. She turned to the other tribeswoman with the child and whispered in her ear. The midwife sighed deeply and began walked away as the tribeswoman pulled on the child's hand to lead her away.
"Come, child. Tell me where your bedroom is."
"Why?" asked the child. "Did something happen to mom?"
"It... It is best that you go to sleep for the night", said the tribeswoman, no longer looking her in the eye.
The child did not feel like sleeping, but nonetheless did as she was told, showing the tribeswoman the way and allowing herself to be tucked in despite her desires for her mother to be the one to do the deed.
Hours later, she was awoken by the sounds of a series of violent crashing in her home. Upon going outside to see what caused it, she saw her father having returned from his expedition. He had a hand over his eyes as he knelt down around furniture and other items smashed in rage. Upon seeing his frightened daughter peering out of the corner, he suddenly stood up and stormed out without a word to her. It would some time for the child to discover her mother and brother had both passed on that day.
Frightened by the unfamiliar cry that rang from her mother's voice in the adjacent room, the small child shivered and tightened the grip in both of her tiny hands; one around the doll her mother personally crafted as a gift to her, the other around the hand of the tribeswoman accompanying her. Although the child had yet to learn everyone's names or faces, she felt no fear in the stranger's companionship, for their lives belong to the same tribe as the other. That means that they share things even if the child didn't completely understand what those things were yet. It mean they would not cause harm to the other. It meant that they are friends-- no, family that is to be trusted, even if they did not share bloodlines.
"Are you afraid?" asked the tribeswoman by her side.
The child began nodding. "What's happening to mom?"
The woman gave her a soft, reassuring smile and caressed her head. "Do not worry, deary. What your mother is going through is just a natural process that happened just a little bit sooner than expected. The nice people with her are helping her. And when it is all over? You will have a new baby brother or sister to play with!"
The child brightened up slightly at the prospect of having a sibling, but still trembled in nervousness and clung to her doll for security. When her mother began gasping in pain and giving panicked yells at her to call the midwives, the poor creature was spooked out of her skin. After running as fast as her legs could take her for help, she was escorted just outside mother's bedroom and told to wait outside with the nice lady.
"It's okay to be nervous", said the tribeswoman. "...Do you want to know something? You are actually behaving much calmer than your daddy was when this first happened! He shook twice as hard as you did and paced everywhere. I do wonder if things would change if he was here with you."
The child only muttered a small "hmm" at the mention of her father, the chieftain. In truth, she did not really like her father. Compared to her affectionate mother, he seemed more distant from her, and only spoke to her a few moments at a time. Additionally, more than once did she overhear his words of preferring to have had a son over a daughter when he hadn't thought she was present to hear. As a result, the child truly prefers her father when he is not near; whether he be patrolling the woods outside or seeking traders elsewhere. Whatever it was chieftains did.
After some time, the kind tribeswoman was about to speak again when one of the midwives opened the bedroom door and slipped outside.
"Is mom okay?" asked the child.
The midwife looked at the child, failing to hide her conflicted expression. She turned to the other tribeswoman with the child and whispered in her ear. The midwife sighed deeply and began walked away as the tribeswoman pulled on the child's hand to lead her away.
"Come, child. Tell me where your bedroom is."
"Why?" asked the child. "Did something happen to mom?"
"It... It is best that you go to sleep for the night", said the tribeswoman, no longer looking her in the eye.
The child did not feel like sleeping, but nonetheless did as she was told, showing the tribeswoman the way and allowing herself to be tucked in despite her desires for her mother to be the one to do the deed.
Hours later, she was awoken by the sounds of a series of violent crashing in her home. Upon going outside to see what caused it, she saw her father having returned from his expedition. He had a hand over his eyes as he knelt down around furniture and other items smashed in rage. Upon seeing his frightened daughter peering out of the corner, he suddenly stood up and stormed out without a word to her. It would some time for the child to discover her mother and brother had both passed on that day.