The Azimar Archives Book One- The Book of Death

Silvana

Silvana rode her stolen horse hard, only letting him slow down when she felt her labor pains. The desert sands melted away quickly enough, and to Silvana's relief, she occasionally caught the scent of salt water on the wind. It started raining a few hours into her mad dash south, and the rain soaked her to the bone. The sky was a deep purple when she was forced to stop altogether every few minutes or so as the labor pain increased, and she continued on foot, worried that riding further would hurt the baby. By the time night had fallen completely, she could see the low walls of one of the Free Cities, and she led her horse towards the gate light as fast as she could, relieved she might make it.

The gate, once she found it, was completely open and unguarded. She led the horse through, looking around her for someone who might be able to help. There were so many buildings, but most had no lights in the windows, and there was no one in the street. But further down the road, Silvana spotted what might have been a small inn, with light still spilling into the dark road from a lantern hanging under the eaves. She hurried down the street, another wave of pain doubling her over. She beat on the heavy door, hoping someone was inside to hear her. "Please, help me, I need a midwife!" She beat on the door again, but stopped when she heard movement and cursing on the other side.

The door opened up to a tall, red-faced man with sand colored hair. "What 'tis it, what do you want? It's a bit late to go askin' about rooms." His accent was thick and Southern, like Dars', but his harsh tone startled Silvana.

"I-I don't need a room. I need a midwife." Silvana cried out, clutching her belly as another wave of pain came. "The baby is coming." She looked up at the man, pleading. "Is there a midwife nearby?"

The man shook his head sadly. "There ain't no midwife here no more. Not another one until you reach the town of Emery, about another twenty miles west o' here."

"I don't have the time to get to Emery. Please, is there anyone that could help me deliver this baby?" Silvana pleaded with him.

The man sighed. He rubbed the side of his face, looking her up and down. "I could help you, I s'pose." A wave of alcoholic stink rolled off of him, stinging Silvana's nose.

Silvana's eyes widened. "You? You could do it? But you're drunk!"

He laughed at this. "Aye, I'm drunk. I could still do it."

"Is there not a woman that could help me?"

The man suddenly grew defensive. "It was my wife that was the midwife here. I helped her with many of her birthings. You want someone to get that baby, I'm the man to do it." He thrust a thumb into his chest, face set. He suddenly fell quiet, adding, "The other women in this town will butcher you trying to pull that baby out."

Silvana hesitated, but nodded her head as another wave of pain struck her, "Alright. I don't have much choice."

The man stepped back, and Silvana hurried through the door, leaving her horse to stand just outside.

"What the fuck is going on down here?" Another sandy haired man, younger than the first, came rushing through an open doorway from an adjacent room.

"Tomas, take the lady's horse around back and take care of him. And bring her bags in and put them in one of the rooms on the ground floor. I'll need some towels, first. And a big bowl of warm water. And then see to Jaimes, if you don't mind."

"Are you serious? It's raining like a pair of pissin' dragons out there!"

"Are you sayin' you're scared to get a little wet, you lousy sack of shit? Go do it, and I'll give you a couple of gold pieces."

At the mention of money, the man ran off, and Silvana was led into a small room and taken to the bed. "Take off your underclothes. You can leave the dress on, if you want. But be quick about it, you don't have much time before the baby comes."