Re: L5R - Birds in their Nests - A Post Winter Court story
Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 1:46 pm
Merry Christmas everyone! And here is your present, Arahime’s birth.
Hours later, in the small hours of the morning, Kokoro and Yamada pulled Kyoumi back onto her knees. So tired was Kyoumi that she leaned all her weight on Yamada. Yamada took the weight gladly, she had the strength.
The night had been long and difficult, dawn was but a few hours away, and there were still concerns. Concerns they all shared now after such a long and difficult labour.
“You have shown such courage, Kyoumi,” said Yamada, looking into her eyes. “This is a battle, and you have fought so bravely. Just a little longer.”
Kyoumi nodded mutely, far too exhausted to care. Her face was pale, her hair matted and wet with sweat. She looked so removed from her usual self.
The pains came again and Kyoumi stiffened in Yamada’s arms, the composure melting away from her as she started to cry out. Low and soft at first, then loud and shrill like the tearing of paper.
They could also hear Kousuda’s voice, hoarse from the long night of shouting. Then another voice started to shout with him. Was that Arami?
But Yamada didn’t have time to think further on that. The wind in the room had picked up again, gentle at first and then with the force of a gale, cold and icy. It picked up papers from Kyoumi’s desk, scattering them like fallen leaves in the autumn. It knocked over lamps, putting them out and scattering shadows on the wall. It picked up heavier objects too, several paper weights throwing themselves through the shoji screens or smashing themselves on the floor.
Yamada used her body to shelter Kyoumi from the broken glass. Nibui screamed, hiding in a far corner with her hands over her ears and even Kokoro looked a bit worried. But Kyoumi was removed from it all, deep in the pain she was in, crying most pitifully almost like a child. It made the whole scene quite surreal.
Yamada was a worried as well, there was clearly something at work here, but she did not have time to worry. She kept her head, talking constantly to Kyoumi in a steady, clear voice. Telling stories from her childhood, half-remembered tales that she was surely getting the details wrong…anything to distract Kyoumi from what was happening.
The pain then passed, Kyoumi went limp again, gasping for air. While Yamada got her water, Kokoro examined her. The wind had dropped a little, but it was still a little breezy.
“My dear, the baby is at the door,” said Kokoro. “When the pains come again, you will need to push. Push with all of your strength.”
Yamada smiled at her. “Kyoumi, soon you will have your child in your arms!” said Yamada brightly.
“I…I can’t…” wept Kyoumi.
“You can, you must!” said Yamada, staring deep into Kyoumi’s eyes. “You’re Kakita Kyoumi, you come from the line of Masarugi that goes all the way to the first Kenshinzen. This is a legacy that you will pass on, today, when you hold your child in your arms. You are strong and brave, Kyoumi, do not let this defeat you.”
Kyoumi fought, opening her mouth to scream but all that came out was a whimper. She crushed Yamada’s hands with the effort.
“I can see the little one’s head,” said Kokoro. She was squatting just behind Kyoumi, ready to catch the baby. “One more push, my dear.”
Kyoumi shook her head, seeming to fight Yamada. But she found the strength, somehow, screaming with the effort as the wind picked up again and tore at their faces.
“There’s the little one!” cried Kokoro with joy. “A girl, my dear, and a beauty!”
Kyoumi collapsed in Yamada’s arms, exhausted, weeping tears. Yamada waited for the cry, but it did not come.
“Let me see her,” pleaded Kyoumi.
“In a moment, my dear,” said Kokoro, oddly calm.
Over Kyoumi’s shoulder, Yamada could see the midwife frantically working over the baby, trying to get her to breathe. She was so small, barely bigger than a kitten.
“I want to see my baby!” shrieked Kyoumi. “There’s…there’s something wrong…isn’t there?”
Before anyone could answer, Izumi burst into the room. She threw herself on the floor.
“Ashahina Inone, mina-samas!” she shouted. “I am sorry for the delay!”
But no one paid her any mind, even the shugenja who wasted no time and went right to Kokoro. Yamada saw Inone and the midwife work together, all pretence and rank forgotten between them, as they worked to save the newborn. Yamada watched them with bated breath, this was what Kyoumi had feared. Yamada’s own mother had lost babies at birth, she didn’t want such a terrible thing to happen to her friend.
A rush of wind, strong and warm, blew into the room. And then the sound they had been waiting to hear, a baby’s cry.
Yamada wept tears of joy. “You are a mother, Kyoumi!”
Inone came forward with the baby wrapped in a soft white blanket, placing her in her mother’s arms. She was very small, with a soft bluish tinge around her mouth. She had soft black curly hair. “Your daughter, Kakita-san,” she said, her own eyes wet with tears.
Kyoumi opened her arms to receive her, holding her newborn daughter while Yamada supported her. Kyoumi’s face shined with the glow of new motherhood, her exhaustion completely forgotten.
“The air kami love her, Kakita-san,” Inone explained. “That was why they were angry before. But they will keep her safe now, help her breathe.
Kyoumi said nothing, not even looking up as she was moved back into bed and cleaned up. There was nothing else in the world for her.
The sun was rising when Yamada left the birthing room, she was tired as well but put all of that aside now. She went to Arami’s room and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” said a voice.
Yamada entered to see two tired-looking unshaven men. Arami sitting quietly composed, but Kousuda got to his feet and grabbed Yamada’s arm.
“How is she? Tell me she is fine!” he pleaded.
Yamada shook her head, throwing him off. “She is fine, Kousuda…and your new daughter.”
Kousuda’s mouth dropped open. “I have a daughter?” He gave a loud shout of joy.
Yamada nodded. “My most heartiest blessings,” she said, warmly shaking his hand.
Kousuda stood stuck to the spot, scarcely daring to speak.
“Well, go on, you big idiot!” Yamada pushed him out of the room. “She is waiting to see you!”
She was left alone with Arami who taken the news most calmly. “It is a most happy day,” he said with a rare smile.
“It is,” said Yamada, kneeling down beside him.
It would be a month before Arahime was officially named, and by then Yamada would be gone. But Kyoumi had told her the name they had chosen if they had had a daughter. Arahime, it meant “wild princess” and was also a tribute to Arami himself.
Hours later, in the small hours of the morning, Kokoro and Yamada pulled Kyoumi back onto her knees. So tired was Kyoumi that she leaned all her weight on Yamada. Yamada took the weight gladly, she had the strength.
The night had been long and difficult, dawn was but a few hours away, and there were still concerns. Concerns they all shared now after such a long and difficult labour.
“You have shown such courage, Kyoumi,” said Yamada, looking into her eyes. “This is a battle, and you have fought so bravely. Just a little longer.”
Kyoumi nodded mutely, far too exhausted to care. Her face was pale, her hair matted and wet with sweat. She looked so removed from her usual self.
The pains came again and Kyoumi stiffened in Yamada’s arms, the composure melting away from her as she started to cry out. Low and soft at first, then loud and shrill like the tearing of paper.
They could also hear Kousuda’s voice, hoarse from the long night of shouting. Then another voice started to shout with him. Was that Arami?
But Yamada didn’t have time to think further on that. The wind in the room had picked up again, gentle at first and then with the force of a gale, cold and icy. It picked up papers from Kyoumi’s desk, scattering them like fallen leaves in the autumn. It knocked over lamps, putting them out and scattering shadows on the wall. It picked up heavier objects too, several paper weights throwing themselves through the shoji screens or smashing themselves on the floor.
Yamada used her body to shelter Kyoumi from the broken glass. Nibui screamed, hiding in a far corner with her hands over her ears and even Kokoro looked a bit worried. But Kyoumi was removed from it all, deep in the pain she was in, crying most pitifully almost like a child. It made the whole scene quite surreal.
Yamada was a worried as well, there was clearly something at work here, but she did not have time to worry. She kept her head, talking constantly to Kyoumi in a steady, clear voice. Telling stories from her childhood, half-remembered tales that she was surely getting the details wrong…anything to distract Kyoumi from what was happening.
The pain then passed, Kyoumi went limp again, gasping for air. While Yamada got her water, Kokoro examined her. The wind had dropped a little, but it was still a little breezy.
“My dear, the baby is at the door,” said Kokoro. “When the pains come again, you will need to push. Push with all of your strength.”
Yamada smiled at her. “Kyoumi, soon you will have your child in your arms!” said Yamada brightly.
“I…I can’t…” wept Kyoumi.
“You can, you must!” said Yamada, staring deep into Kyoumi’s eyes. “You’re Kakita Kyoumi, you come from the line of Masarugi that goes all the way to the first Kenshinzen. This is a legacy that you will pass on, today, when you hold your child in your arms. You are strong and brave, Kyoumi, do not let this defeat you.”
Kyoumi fought, opening her mouth to scream but all that came out was a whimper. She crushed Yamada’s hands with the effort.
“I can see the little one’s head,” said Kokoro. She was squatting just behind Kyoumi, ready to catch the baby. “One more push, my dear.”
Kyoumi shook her head, seeming to fight Yamada. But she found the strength, somehow, screaming with the effort as the wind picked up again and tore at their faces.
“There’s the little one!” cried Kokoro with joy. “A girl, my dear, and a beauty!”
Kyoumi collapsed in Yamada’s arms, exhausted, weeping tears. Yamada waited for the cry, but it did not come.
“Let me see her,” pleaded Kyoumi.
“In a moment, my dear,” said Kokoro, oddly calm.
Over Kyoumi’s shoulder, Yamada could see the midwife frantically working over the baby, trying to get her to breathe. She was so small, barely bigger than a kitten.
“I want to see my baby!” shrieked Kyoumi. “There’s…there’s something wrong…isn’t there?”
Before anyone could answer, Izumi burst into the room. She threw herself on the floor.
“Ashahina Inone, mina-samas!” she shouted. “I am sorry for the delay!”
But no one paid her any mind, even the shugenja who wasted no time and went right to Kokoro. Yamada saw Inone and the midwife work together, all pretence and rank forgotten between them, as they worked to save the newborn. Yamada watched them with bated breath, this was what Kyoumi had feared. Yamada’s own mother had lost babies at birth, she didn’t want such a terrible thing to happen to her friend.
A rush of wind, strong and warm, blew into the room. And then the sound they had been waiting to hear, a baby’s cry.
Yamada wept tears of joy. “You are a mother, Kyoumi!”
Inone came forward with the baby wrapped in a soft white blanket, placing her in her mother’s arms. She was very small, with a soft bluish tinge around her mouth. She had soft black curly hair. “Your daughter, Kakita-san,” she said, her own eyes wet with tears.
Kyoumi opened her arms to receive her, holding her newborn daughter while Yamada supported her. Kyoumi’s face shined with the glow of new motherhood, her exhaustion completely forgotten.
“The air kami love her, Kakita-san,” Inone explained. “That was why they were angry before. But they will keep her safe now, help her breathe.
Kyoumi said nothing, not even looking up as she was moved back into bed and cleaned up. There was nothing else in the world for her.
The sun was rising when Yamada left the birthing room, she was tired as well but put all of that aside now. She went to Arami’s room and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” said a voice.
Yamada entered to see two tired-looking unshaven men. Arami sitting quietly composed, but Kousuda got to his feet and grabbed Yamada’s arm.
“How is she? Tell me she is fine!” he pleaded.
Yamada shook her head, throwing him off. “She is fine, Kousuda…and your new daughter.”
Kousuda’s mouth dropped open. “I have a daughter?” He gave a loud shout of joy.
Yamada nodded. “My most heartiest blessings,” she said, warmly shaking his hand.
Kousuda stood stuck to the spot, scarcely daring to speak.
“Well, go on, you big idiot!” Yamada pushed him out of the room. “She is waiting to see you!”
She was left alone with Arami who taken the news most calmly. “It is a most happy day,” he said with a rare smile.
“It is,” said Yamada, kneeling down beside him.
It would be a month before Arahime was officially named, and by then Yamada would be gone. But Kyoumi had told her the name they had chosen if they had had a daughter. Arahime, it meant “wild princess” and was also a tribute to Arami himself.