Painted Blade || sihtric

68.

   SOME time went by of everyone but Bemia and the children drinking. The mother was laughing with Finan, listening to his story of how he fell in love with Ingrith after she threw horse turd at him. Across from her, Sihtric was talking with Ebbe and Uhtred while Njål tried to look grown beside them. And Baldor was with Aethelstan, Osferth, and Cynlaef, the group of them often cheering on Katja, Eadith, and Ingrith who were dancing together.

"So, tell me, where is your husband?" Finan asked Bemia after a long moment of calming down. "Uhtred and I need to meet this man."

Bemia sipped her water before placing the cup down with a shrug of her shoulders. "Alerk went back to Sweden to check on his Kingdom, but he'll be returning to Norway in a month's time. Perhaps you and your wife should come visit."

"I promise we'll—"

A sharp groan left Bemia's lips, cutting him off when she pressed a hand to the side of her stomach. Once again, those sharp pains were striking at her swollen belly, squeezing her eyes closed.

"Bemmi?" Finan placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning down to her when she pressed her forehead against the table, quietly groaning. "Bemia?"

"I-I'm okay," she breathed, rubbing her stomach only for the air to leave her lungs at another sharp pain, bringing tears to her eyes.

Finan noticed, quickly standing up with a pale face as he turned, looking around. "Eadith!" he shouted through the alehouse.

"Oh God," Bemia gasped, her eyes flying wide open when she felt water gush between her legs. "Espen!"

The whole alehouse had gone silent, all eyes falling on a panicking Finan and a grunting Bemia who started panting.

Espen dropped his cup of ale, rushing over to his mother's side with Uhtred and Sihtric. "What? What is it?"

Bemia looked up at him with tears in her eyes, her face growing red. "The babe is coming!"

"She's about to give birth!" Osferth shouted, throwing his arms wide open in a state of panic.

The whole alehouse turned into a fit of chaos. Katja, Aethelstan, and Cynlaef took responsibility for the twins, taking them out of the alehouse while Eadith and Ingrith cleared out the alehouse, shouting for midwives.

"We need to lay you down," Espen instructed his mother calmly, holding both her hands that death gripped him.

"I can't," Bemia cried, followed by a scream when a fire erupted along her spine. She felt like she was going to throw up as she looked over at Eadith gathering blankets. "Ead! Something's wrong!"

Eadith froze, dropping the blankets while Ingrith quickly picked them back up. "How far along are you?" she asked, running over to Bemia.

"I—Only six months."

Eadith's face dropped, her eyes darting around at the freaked-out and clueless men.

"Eadith, what is it?" Sihtric demanded, not looking at her once while he snaked an arm behind Bemia's back and then under her knees before lifting her up while she cried in pain. "What do you know?"

Eadith's hands started shaking when she saw the liquid where Bemia was sitting—but what had her worried sick was the blood.

Sihtric noticed too, his face turning pale just like the others. "Where are the midwives?"

Uhtred gulped, heading toward the door. "Across the village," he informed him.

"Finan, run ahead and get the midwives prepared," Sihtric barked, holding Bemia tighter when she screamed, pressing her hands to her stomach. "Osferth, pray to your God for her. Eadith, you are not leaving our side."

No one argued with him while they followed after him and Uhtred cleared the path.

A few painful minutes later and Sihtric was rushing into a small house where midwives hurried around the room, gathering up supplies while Bemia was laid down on a bed. Her whole body was covered in sweat, her skin red with heat even though it was freezing.

"There was blood in her water," Eadith was whispering to one of the midwives, giving her all the information, she knew.

Espen dropped to his knees beside his mother, holding her hand. "Everything will be okay, Ma," he promised, resting his head on her shaking arm.

Finan and Uhtred stood near the door, sharing a grim look when they noticed the blood seeping through Bemia's gown.

Osferth was praying as hard as he could, sitting on his knees with his cross tightly in his hands.

Sihtric sat down on Bemia's other side, pushing her hair away from her sweaty face. "You're a warrior, Bemia," he gently but firmly said, watching her tear-filled eyes flutter open, focusing on him. "You're a Queen and your children share your strength."

Bemia's bottom lip wobbled. "I cannot feel my child moving," she choked out, tears rushing down her face. "I cannot feel my child's spirit anymore."

Sihtric's heart dropped, and he grabbed her other hand, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Pray to our Gods, darling."

"We need you to push," Eadith instructed Bemia, dropping to her knees at the end of the bed.

Uhtred and Finan quickly scrambled out of the door, remembering the horrors of what they witnessed the last time they stood at the end of the bed.

Eadith pushed Bemia's knees up, lifting her gown while Espen kept his eyes on his mother and Sihtric gently cradled her face.

"Bem, please," Eadith begged the quietly crying friend. "You need to push."

Bemia shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "I cannot," she sobbed, a part of her soul turning dark. "My child is not alive."

Eadith had tears in her eyes when she locked eyes with Bemia. "If you do not push then you may die, Bemia. Your children need you, okay?"

Sihtric felt sick at the thought of Bemia dying and he quickly got up, moving around her until she was resting between his legs, her head heavy against his chest. "You cannot die, Bemia," he firmly said, taking her hand again while Espen nodded his head in agreement. "You need to push. Think of your twins. Think of Katja. Think of Espen and your granddaughter."

Bemia gripped their hands with all her strength, nodding her head while panting. "Okay," she breathed. "Okay."

"Push!" Espen, Eadith, and Sihtric said at the same time and then her screams of agony filled the room.