Living Proof

Chapter Twenty

Kaia tried to go back to sleep, but sleep mocked her. She knew Boromir would be surprised to learn he was to be a father, but she didn't expect the reaction he'd given.

There was another woman in the room with her, but she had yet to regain consciousness, which was probably just as well. The last thing she'd wanted was an audience when she told Boromir their news.

A baby. The last thing she expected Ioreth to tell her. The last thing she expected to have to tell Boromir. But once the shock wore off, she found herself happy. Her future, once so bleak and lonely, had been looking brighter.

Sleep continued to mock her, so she slipped from the narrow infirmary bed, crouched to slip her sword and boots out from under said bed, then made her way from the House of Healing without anyone noticing her at all. She'd perfected the art of moving without a sound through the woods, so doing so in a stone corridor was the simplest of tasks.

It was a chilly, windswept night, but she barely felt the cold as she made her way down to the city's lowest tier and out through the Great Gate, when the guard had his back turned. She didn't know where she was going, only that she needed to clear her head and think and as long as she kept the White City in view, she didn't think she'd be in much danger. The only thing different about her now was that she was pregnant. She'd fought and defended herself just fine before knowing that, and saw no reason why she couldn't continue to do so now.

The soft rush of water drew her attention and she walked toward the sound, smiling as she came upon the Anduin River. The water had a way of soothing her most troubled thoughts and always had and so she moved along its bank until she came upon several large boulders with flat surfaces, perfect for sitting upon while one gaze out at the river's sparkling surface.

She carefully settled upon one of the boulders, knees drawn up to her chin, arms wrapped about them. Her thin cloak offered little in the way of warmth, but it wasn't too bad when the breeze died down. A hint of cold from the rock seeped into her, but again, she adapted. An occasional shiver, but she soon forgot the cold as she watched the water and wondered about her next move.

The cabin in the clearing was most likely still standing. She'd only been gone a few weeks. She could go back there and continue making repairs until it was suitable for her and a child. If the war was truly over and the orcs were no longer going to be a threat, she'd be fine there on her own.

But, if they came back... then she'd have a problem. She had no doubt she could defend herself now, but what about six months from now, when she was round and waddling about? And what about labor? She had only played midwife once and it was a harrowing experience in which she assisted her mother in helping one of the field hands' wives deliver her child. Kaia still shuddered at the memory for while it worked out in the end, she had not forgotten those hours when both mother and child nearly died.

Her hand slid down over her lower stomach, which was silly, really, as of course there was nothing there to feel as yet. Still, she couldn't help it. It was almost a reflex.

Part of her wasn't entirely certain Ioreth was right about her condition. It simply did not seem real to her and when she'd said as much to Ioreth, the healer laughed.

"Tell me," Ioreth said, her voice low, "is it beyond the realm of the possible for you to be with child?"

Kaia hesitated, then slowly shook her head. "No. It isn't. I was with—someone—but..."

"And were you intimate with this someone?"

She nodded this time. "I was, yes."

That earned her a long look. "Kaia."