The Son of Thunder

Chapter Thirty-Six

Rhysya shrank when she got close to Thundonia. She'd forgotten how looming the mountain was and dark and shadowy it got at night. Yuanshi put a hand on her arm. Bastion opened the gate for Rhysya and Yuanshi without question. No mention of nightfall, no remarks about their retched Star Child state.

Yuanshi approached the guard's station. "I want to see Lightening."

"Then you should wait for a storm." Bastion laughed. "Pretty good, huh?"

Rhysya only agreed to please him.

"He should be in his room," Bastion said. He led them to the back stairs so they wouldn't have to walk through the whole of Thundonia on their way to him.

"Thank you, Bastion," Yuanshi said. "You're much kinder than James was."

"Aw, you're just saying that," he said, waving it away.

"No, I'm not."

Outside of Lightening's room, Rhysya stopped Yuanshi. She wanted to address Lightening alone. Yuanshi slipped back and sat in one of the hall chairs while Rhysya knocked on the door. After a few seconds, she knocked again. "Lightening, it's Rhysya. Please, let me in."

Lightening came to the door, his head crooked. "Always make yourself known after you knock. Remember?"

"Sorry."

He stepped aside, let her trudge in. His eyes were fixed on the size of her stomach. She was much too small for such a large burden. He greeted Yuanshi before closing the door. "What do you want?"

Rhysya rubbed her hand over the sheets, on the pillows. She had been at one with Lightening when he held her. She had clasped him and willed him to release all his soul into her. She tried not to cry. "I've missed you."

He stared at her, as stiff as a statue.

"I'm sorry I left so suddenly."

He remained still.

"Say something."

"What?"

She couldn't look at him. "I don't know."

He averted his eyes. The same old song and dance. He ached for her in the morning, but now that she sat before him, he hated her.

"Lightening, please?"

"You sound weak, Rhysya. It's not like you." He wandered to his dresser and picked up his knife. When he realized it was his whittling knife, he tossed it away.

"I don't want to have this child alone."

"It seemed that you did."

"I got scared," she said, some of the spice returning to her voice.

"I doubt that of you."

She started crying. The habit had been bad before, but the pregnancy made it worse. The only time she was not at risk of wailing sobs was when she addressed her people. "I don't want to argue. I want my husband."

"I haven't gone anywhere," he said.

Lightening kept his mask in place and his voice was unvarying. Rhysya hated her body. She had no command of her mind or limbs. She wanted to be satisfied by food again. Yuanshi had become her co-conspirator fetching her fowl and rabbit. He brought her spiced sauces that she poured over her cream. She wanted to be able to move. If her ankles weren't sore, they were numb. Her eyes fluttered.

After a moment, she said, "It's not fair that my child should be denied her father or I my husband because of politics."

His grudge had been fostering from the moment he had discovered Rhysya was still alive. He hated Warrior for prying, for being so cautious in his questions, for finally coming out with it and asking why Lightening hadn't asked of her. Lightening had raged for days when he found out she'd left. She hadn't explained herself or left a message. She abandoned him on his sickbed, believing himself a widower, both wife and child dead.

Lightening walked across the room, his back to Rhysya.

She put her hand on his shoulder, the other hand on her stomach. "I'm sorry, Lightening," she said bitingly. "I thought you would want to know your daughter." She took his hand and ungloved it. She scowled, resting his hand on her stomach. He could feel the movement, a strange vibration that was new and different to him.

"That's your daughter." She put his glove in his hand. Rhysya's face darkened and fell into shadow.

"I'll leave you then."

* * * * *

Fatelle had assured Rhysya that the cramps were normal and she should ignore them. When the baby was actually coming, the cramping would be longer, stronger and closer together. The sooner they got back to Valley the better. Walking helped the cramps subside faster. But after an hour of walking, the cramps were still coming steadily.

Yuanshi put his hand on her back. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Water trickled down her leg and settled in the foot of her boot. She put her hand over her mouth. She let out a whine. She rubbed the base of her spine. She wanted her bed. She wanted a pillow she could curl around and hug.

Yuanshi lowered her into the sand. They were halfway home.

"Do you think you can make it to Valley?"

She shook her head violently. She was following Fatelle's advised breathing method.

"Do you think you can make it back to Thundonia?"

She couldn't answer him. She tried to shake her head, but her mind had left her body. She slipped into a trance, breathing, counting, breathing again.

Yuanshi bit his lip. He reminded himself that he'd been through this two times before and this wasn't his child. But as the darkness fell around them, he shuddered to be alone.

The words cut through the night: "Get Lightening."

Priestess Rhysya's eyes were closed. The voice resembled hers, but the tone was deeper, settled.

"Rhysya—"

"I want Lightening!"

A film of mucous covered her mouth as she screamed. She was so loud that she would have awakened everyone had the area not been deserted.

Yuanshi couldn't make his legs work. He was fixed to his spot. Rhysya had burrowed into the desert sand and made a strange nest. He couldn't commit to leaving her. He closed his eyes, whirled toward Thundonia and broke into a sprint.

He was still several feet from the gate when he panted, "Bastion, get Lightening. It's an emergency."

Bastion shot to his feet and was off. No sooner had he disappeared than Lightening materialized. He grabbed Yuanshi by the arms and drew him away from Bastion.

"Rhysya's in the travails of childbirth."

"You left her alone?"

"I had little choice. We need help," he said.

Lightening pulled Yuanshi behind him, mounting Symphony and spurring her into a dash. Yuanshi hugged Lightening's back, the horse thundering through the sand. He'd never moved that quickly in his life. Lightening fell off of his horse at the sight of a fire and staggered through the desert, kicking up dirt. He crawled to Rhysya's side, touched her face. She was sweaty, her lower lip disappearing under her teeth. Fatelle was sorting through her jars.

"Lightening, Yuanshi. Sit," Fatelle said, remote from them. "We have some time yet."