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[gypsy_merrique]

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As always, Merrique's daily travels found her at the Den just outside of Umbra proper. How fond she was of this place! Her mind wandering a million miles away, she cruised silently up the steps. The reverie was broken by the one in the red mask, the one who always called her "Citizen Merrique". It took a few moments for her mind to catch up with the verbal demands he was making; it seemed he kept asking if she were the one that was sent for. Without a clue as to what he was talking about she stepped inside, Bleys at her heels.

Finally he began making sense, and Merrique realized there was a woman somewhere here in the Den who was about to give birth--and there was no midwife available! Merri rushed upstairs and quickly found the expecting mother. It was simple. She just followed the sound of screams and demands given in an extremely loud voice.

"Get it out! Right now!" was one of the things she heard. Her heart sank. She knew that voice, and it belonged to miss Audrina. "I can't do this," she thought as her mind fed her a steady stream of Audrina's meanness. "Yes you can. You have no choice," the more rational part of her mind stammered. Merri steeled herself and knocked on the door. When bade to do so she entered.

There was a man in the room that Merri didn't know, and it was her fondest wish to order him away. But miss Audrina seemed alright with his presence. Merri never did understand men present at a birthing--if ever there was woman's work that was it. Why Bleys was there was beyond Merri, and him she did order out to go gather towels and necessary items.

Aside from Audrina's screams and proclamations of what she was going to do to her husband for doing this to her, the birth went smoothly. Merri was able to remember all that should be done and checked; it was the first birth at which she was the sole attendant. Midwives were specially trained and took apprentices; Merri's apprenticeship was with the magical aspect of study.

The baby crowned, and from there the birth was much calmer. Merrique aided the journey by gently pulling on its shoulders. Willing her hands not to shake she quickly wiped off the baby's face and cleared its nose, and handed it to the man that miss Audrina seemed intent on having nearby.

"It's a girl miss Audrina. Umbra has a baby girl," she stammered. She barely heard Audrina's comment about Dark Cove getting a child; Merri was too busy realizing that soon enough it would be she who was being attended.

With a deft movement she cut the umbilicus and told those present that she would bury the placenta. Gypsies--at least her tribe--believed that this should be done secretly and in a location not known to anybody but the midwife (and she reminded herself that she was NOT a midwife but for this once) so as to prevent malicious magic being performed against mother or child. Her mind reeled, it was if it were somebody else speaking and she was present in a surreal third-person kind of aspect.

Eventually the men left...Bleys presumably to do whatever it was he always did on his patrols, and the other apparently back to Dark Cove to take news of the birth. It dismayed Merri that her heart skipped a beat at the mention of Dark Cove. It also saddened her to admit that the hurt still lived on, the hurt of the betrayal and abandonment. Merrique made sure the babe was well and neatly swaddled, and much to her surprise Audrina and she began to converse.

Though she did not understand the apparent coldness of Audrina (being an extremely passionate person herself, it seemed almost unreal), she appreciated Audrina's position. Merri knew that miss Audrina was an achieved fighter and one of Umbra's most reliable, at that. Audrina kept asking Merri what was wrong, and eventually she told Audrina of all people.

"I'm pregnant. It's not confirmed by the Matriarch, but..." Merrique's words trailed off and she shrugged. The two women sat in silence and stared at each other with astonishment.

In time it was Audrina who broke the silence.
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. . . But the dark is very trustworthy.
It's always as dark as you thought it was.
And you don't have to work at staying there.
All you have to do is survive it.
And I've been doing that forever.
from the novel "Dark Debts" by Karen Hall

[audrina]

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Much to Audrina’s surprise Merrique entered the room seemingly ready to aid in the birth. Where is Merci? Where is Ceinwyn? She wondered.

”Do you know what you’re doing? She questioned Merrique, but she knew it made no difference the child was coming now, ”Get it out!” Merrique looked frightened by her screams and fumbled around nervously in her effort to help.

She was furious that Beowulf could not be found. He had just left her side minutes before the labor began. Unfortunately for Vaen he did stay behind. She could see the disgust in his face, whether it was from the water that fell from her legs and hit his boots or the fact that she lay opened, yelling out in pain. ”Come here! Hold my hand!” Merrique insisted he leave, but Audrina insisted he stay. She would much rather squeeze his hand than the mysterious man’s in the corner.

Each birth proved to be easier than the last. The child was free from small womb in which it previously resided.

”Is it a boy?” She asked, knowing the joy it would bring Beowulf to be able to raise a boy in the Dark Order.

”No, it’s a girl.” Merrique answered and a smile crossed Audrina’s face.

”A girl for the Dark Order! Vaen, could you please find Beowulf and tell him the news.” He seemed happy to be relieved of his position and hurriedly went out the door muttering something about new boots and a new hand.

”What will you name it?” Merrique asked.

”Braelyn Thormear.”

Audrina could see the fear in Merrique’s face and found it amusing. She remembered the first time she gave birth and how afraid she had been.

I'm pregnant. It's not confirmed by the Matriarch, but... Merrique seemed to be in shock and Audrina wished she was not the one Merrique confided in.

After a long silence she knew that she had to say something, Merrique after all just delivered her child. ”I was scared the first time too. I thought about taking nightshade to rid myself of it. I probably should have, it would have saved me a lot of trouble.”

This did not seem to calm Merrique down and Audrina knew that nothing she could say would help, but she gave another attempt.

”At least you’re not having twins. That would be horrible, trust me.” She could see Merrique’s eyes tear up.

Merrique went on to tell Audrina that she herself was a twin and her mother chose her sister over her. Merrique was discarded and raised amongst gypsies, left to feel unwanted her entire life.

”I fear I will be a terrible mother.” She spoke.

”The past is the past. Get over it and move on. If I held onto my past I would have never made it as far as I have. You have family in Umbra now. Audrina thought a moment and dug deep for something nice to say, ”Besides, if I can be a mother, you surely can too.”
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Darrien_Church: he asked what was the church of england based on
Darrien_Church: so I raise my hand and go "The lustful loins of Henry the VIII"
Darrien_Church : apparently not the right answer