Passive , she warned herself, be passive. Forcing herself to slow down, she tiptoed to the end of the hallway.
“Joli, my dear, you’re not here for a social call at this hour…am I right?” There was sincere concern in Reena’s tone.
From her post at the end of the hallway, Tara caught a glimpse of a very pregnant young woman standing in the middle of the living room, her gaze focused on the ground. She heard the thud of boots moving with slow determination, making floorboards creak. She pressed her body flat against the wall. She would rather observe than be seen at this point.
Someone else hurried into the small house. The pitterpatter of small feet sounded everywhere. A young boy, with strawberry-colored curls that bounced ridiculously around his face, almost ran into her.
Tara didn’t move. Luckily the boy didn’t look her way but paid attention to another person who’d entered Reena’s cabin.
A booming male voice echoed off living room walls. “She’s got the pain, Reena. And I daresay it’s not her time yet.”
Tara knew if she peeked around the corner, she would chance being seen. She gripped her laser in her hand. It was weird not having her Runner attire for added protection. In the flowing nightgown she was vulnerable, exposed. Although the evening air felt cool against her skin, small beads of perspiration formed between her breasts and down her spine.
“I know it isn’t her time yet,” Reena snapped, showing no fear of the burly man who stood almost twice her size. “Togin, you’re wound tight. This is woman’s work. Be gone with you. I’ll call for you when I need you.”
“I know you can help, Reena. She isn’t taking it easy like you said.”
A shadow spread across the carpet, and floorboards moved beneath a heavy burden. From the sounds, Tara guessed the man was moving toward the door.
“I’ll be at the tavern in town when you need me. Some of Lord Darius’ men are hovering down that way, I hear. Figured I’d see what’s about in the town.”
“Then I shall call for you there should I need you.” Reena’s tone gave no indication that warriors in town bothered her in the least.
The door closed soundly. Tara heard a loud sigh escape the young Gothman woman and the chattering questions of the small boy and another youngster. A girl. The tension in the room had disappeared with the hollow thud of the door.
“Likely you can’t be taking it easy when he has you waiting on him hand and foot. Not to mention you’ve got the young ones to care for. My now, look how the three of you are growing.” Reena’s words sounded full of laughter.
Tara glanced around the corner and saw a teenage girl hovering over the pregnant woman.
Reena ran her fingers through the girl’s pale red hair. “Most likely, you’ll be getting claimed before you’re much older as pretty as you’re getting to be.”
The young girl giggled and blushed.
“Reena, the pains are steady. I fear I’ve thrown myself into labor.”
Joli looked down the hallway and spotted Tara. “Oh my goodness, you’re already with someone. Togin should have noticed before he left.”
“Nonsense. This is my niece, Tara. My brother sent her to me just today. One of the Barg brothers wants to claim her, and my brother will have no doings with the likes of them. He sent her to me to see if I could get her claimed here in Bryton.” Reena gestured for Tara to come to her. “Help me get Joli into my bed, will you? I’ll get my herbs to brewing. They should stop that child from coming before his time.”
Tara and Reena walked Joli into a large bedroom, which was no small feat, given that Joli was close to full term and quite heavy. Tara literally carried her to the bed, taking as much weight onto her shoulders as she could. Reena never would have been able to handle the situation on her own. Tara welcomed the distraction of making sure Joli was comfortable, or as comfortable as possible.
Having a fair bit of birthing knowledge through the winters with the women in the clan, Tara noticed Joli’s baby was low. Although Tara had never had a baby, she knew cramping was common when the baby was positioned in the womb to be born.
Tara remembered helping a clan member thrown into labor. Only a child at the time, Tara still remembered pounding Wild Yam root into powder to help soothe the pain. She watched Reena use the same root now.
“Joli dear, I save this bedroom for all my special ladies who visit me,” Reena cooed as she pulled an old, but clean, blanket to the end of the bed once she was done with the roots.
Tara half placed, half dropped Joli onto the sheet. The woman struggled in her arms, making it hard to place her gently.
“Grab some more blankets from that shelf in the closet.” Reena pointed to a closed door and Tara turned. “I’ll put the kettle on to boil.” The older woman scurried from the room.
“If we can get you to lie on your left side, it should stop some of the stomach discomfort,” Tara said quietly, trying to match the dialect of the Gothman. She helped the woman but didn’t think she looked too comfortable when Tara finally left her alone to find Reena.
Reena was digging through one of the cupboards when Tara entered the living room. She saw the three children standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, their large brown eyes showing fear and worry for their mama.
“Ah, not to worry, little ones.” Tara knelt in front of the three children and reached her arms out to hug them. “We’ll take good care of her now.”
“I’m thinking you’ll have to give up the back room tonight, my dear,” Reena said to Tara. “Let’s give the children some of my pie, and then we can put them down in the bed back there. We have a long night ahead of us, I fear.”
After a quick check of her herbs on the stove, Reena set out plates on the counter and began slicing pie. “Seems more nights than not, my house will fill with family members. I get accustomed to having the bodies around. I daresay there’s plenty of blankets.”
Tara sat the three children around Reena’s kitchen table and fed them each a slice of the pie she’d so recently enjoyed. The children eagerly took in the sweetness and had it gone in no time. Tara grabbed a cloth and started applying it to the fingers of the youngest before he could damage Reena’s house. The boy, who couldn’t be school- age, Tara decided, as she looked at his soft baby skin, immediately fought his restraints.
“My mama always sends me out to the water buckets,” the boy complained.
Tara kept a firm grip on the sticky hand until all remnants of pie were gone. “It’s dark outside.”
“Being afraid of the dark is for women.” The child stood in defiance and forgot to run when Tara released him.
She ruffled his curls, bringing him back to reality, and smiled at the older daughter who was clearing dishes.
“Reena?” Joli called out, then groaned.
The old lady patted Tara’s shoulder as she passed on her way to Joli. Joli’s grunts grew louder, and the children stared at the closed door.
“Let’s check out the sleeping arrangement, shall we?” Tara herded the children toward the hallway.
“I want to say goodnight to my Mama.” It was the first time the middle child, a skinny girl with a shapeless dress hanging on her bony figure, had spoken.
“As soon as your mama’s cramping has eased, I’m sure she’ll come gather the lot of you.” Tara smiled at the child, who didn’t smile back.
She nestled the three under thick quilts covering the bed. A small lamp on a tall narrow dresser provided the only light for the room and sent long shadows up the wall. Tara sat with them and hummed quietly. After a few minutes, it dawned on her that she hummed a Runner lullaby. The children stared glassy-eyed at the ceiling and didn’t comment so she continued until she noticed eyelids bobbing.
“Does it hurt terribly to have a babe?” the oldest asked, continuing to stare at the ceiling.
“I’ve never had a baby, so I don’t know,” Tara whispered the half-truth, watching as the youngest curled into his sister and plugged his thumb into his mouth.
“When the claim to the man who lives next to us had her last baby, she screamed through the whole thing. Couldn’t talk more than a whisper for almost a cycle after that. Her claim says he is gonna keep her with child just to keep her quiet.” The brief tale was said without inflection, and Tara couldn’t guess from the young girl’s expression how she felt about such an atrocity. Tara wanted to tell her the brute should have his balls cut. “I should be with Mama.”
“I’m thinking your Mama would appreciate you keeping an eye on your brother and sister for her. They will be frightened if they wake in a strange bed.” Tara hoped she didn’t exaggerate the Gothman accent, but the young girl seemed relaxed speaking with her, so she guessed she was speaking the inflection right.
Tara remained with the children until all three were asleep. She crept over the wooden floor into the kitchen. Reena’s house was quiet and she didn’t want to disturb the pregnant mama.
“You’ve a way with the young ones,” Reena said as she stirred something over the stove. She reached beside her and picked up a bottle containing a green powder, then began sprinkling it into her concoction.
“I’ve had a fair bit of experience in that area.” Tara thought of all the children who were often left in her charge when the clan travelled. More times than not, she had wanted part in the adventures of the adults, instead of playing with kids. But she wouldn’t deny she had learned from the experience of babysitting.
“I daresay your knowing that will come in quite handy in these parts. As my niece, you’re now officially my apprentice. Come here and sift the root from the brew.”
It was a long night. Tara stared at the almost empty pot on the stove, thinking there was no way Joli could possibly consume more of the liquid. She knew if she helped Joli to the bathroom one more time, her muscles would be too sore to defend herself against Gothman warriors if the need arose.
Other than the sound of branches brushing the roof, it remained quiet. Later in the evening, however, Tara thought she heard something else. Someone was moving around outside the small wooden cottage. No one else in the house heard the boots crunching out front. Tara guessed the branches scraping the roof were loud enough to conceal any other sound outside, at least to an untrained ear. Tara knew what she heard, once even aware that someone stepped onto the open room. The squeaking of wooden floorboards gave away their position.
The curtains were drawn, and she had no light from outside to aid in seeing into the darkness. That put her at a disadvantage she didn’t like. She knew whoever was outside would be able to see through the thin curtains and into the cottage. With two lamps in the living room and the overhead light burning in the kitchen, Tara was on display to anyone who cared to look. No one ever came to the door, though. Tara ached to go outside and investigate but knew Gothman women wouldn’t do such a thing.
A short time later, Reena plopped down on the couch in the living room. “Well, the pains have stopped, and I am not afraid to say I don’t know as I could have helped her without you.” She smiled at Tara. “You were a smart one to stay out of sight when Togin was here.”
Tara glanced again at the curtains that hid the window. She didn’t hear anything else, and Reena didn’t act as if she had heard sounds outside. It was pointless to say anything. Instead she watched Reena make hot tea and joined the older woman when she relaxed on her couch.
Reena continued her quiet musings. “I couldn’t speak on this when his claim was still awake. She’d be loyal to him. He’s one of Lord Darius’ men, and I’m a thinking he slipped his wife some powder to bring the baby just so he might get another look in here.”
Tara shook her head. Gothman women had less say than Tara had imagined, even over their bodies. She took in the information and but didn’t know what to say.
Reena was thrilled Tara had made herself at home. She took her time with her tea, enjoying its warm rich taste and Tara’s company nearby. But she was exhausted from the night and finally rose and moved into the kitchen to dump the tea leaves.
She watched Tara’s sapphire eyes that took in everything around her without comment. Reena wondered if she’d looked that wise when she was Tara’s age. She seriously doubted it.
“We’l l do the dishes tomorrow. I’ll call Togin and let him know he can fetch his family come morning.”
In spite of being exhausted, Reena had a hard time falling asleep. Patha had always made good on his promises. He had said Tara would come to her. So much time had passed that she’d started to have doubts. She should have known better than to ever have doubted Patha.
In the quiet hours of the night, Reena fought the urge to get up and make sure Tara slept comfortably. Tara wasn’t a child though. And Reena didn’t want to wake the children. As a Runner, Tara would have spent countless nights sleeping in different locations. It sounded like a terrible life, always on the move. Not to mention, Runners were feared by everyone and tolerated more than accepted, anywhere they went. But Tara seemed happy. That was all that mattered. Reena had told herself that enough times over the winters to make it a mantra.
Her heart ached. Reena knew it wasn’t from the bit of wild boar soup that she’d had earlier. Her life had been happy too. She had to admit. There were choices. Everyone had to make them. Reena had made the right one. In spite of the pain, she saw now it was true. The young woman sitting in her living room was beautiful, intelligent, and a warrior. She controlled her life and answered to no one. Tara was as powerful an heir to lead all the clans someday. It was more of a life than Reena would ever have been able to offer.
Tara had heard stories of Gothman communication devices and was curious to see one. She knew their use was limited—only one person could be heard at a time. Tara thought they must not be very reliable since she also knew the person speaking couldn’t always be heard that well. She wanted Reena to call Togin now, just so she could watch it operate. It was obvious the old woman was worn out, though. Unfortunately, Tara had to wait until morning to learn more about these people.
As she struggled to remember what the devices were called, her eyes grew heavy. Maybe finally she would fall asleep.
Morning came sooner than Tara would have wished. The homemade blanket, which she had pulled over her sometime during the night, had kept her very warm. Tara inhaled the many smells from the cottage the blanket had absorbed, and experienced a strange sensation of peace fill her. The irony of it all brought a smile to her face and she stood and folded the blanket. She was in enemy land, being hunted. If discovered she’d be killed without question. Peace was the last thing she should be experiencing.
Tara entered the bathroom to shower and found a plain peach-colored dress hanging on a hook. The streaming hot water felt good after her long journey and late night. The soap Tara used didn’t smell like Reena, and she wondered if the lady had put it in the bath just for her. She would have savoured the hot water longer, but knew the day would be full of adventures. It was time to experience them.
The dress fit surprisingly well. The thin material was light on Tara’s skin. After a lifetime of wearing thick leather Runner clothing, she felt almost naked. She adjusted a matching belt, which accented her narrow waist and displayed her figure nicely. A pair of plain tan cloth shoes finished the picture. Looking in the mirror, Tara stared at her Gothman appearance.
“Tara -girl? Do ya know what you’re getting yourself into?” she whispered, imitating how Patha would talk to her. Tara stared at her reflection and nodded. “I’ll be careful, Patha,” she told her reflection.
Tara adjusted a garter holster up her thigh. After tightening it so it wouldn’t slip, she slid her laser into the holster. As long no one groped her, her weapon wouldn’t be noticed. There was no way she was entering the heart of the enemy territory unarmed.
“All you have to do is keep those Gothman men from touching you and you might live through the day,” she told her reflection. Twisting to see herself at all angles, she finally forced herself from the mirror
. It would be smart to spend as much time as possible with the other Gothman in the house instead of alone in the bathroom. She needed to get used to being dressed like this around other people. If she let herself be distracted by how exposed she felt while in town, it would cost her life.
Tara entered the living room just in time to say goodbye to Joli and the children.
Togin stopped in mid-conversation with Reena to stare at Tara when she entered the room. He didn’t look like a warrior asked to go to any measure to find out if there was a Runner in Reena’s home. He looked like a sex-slaved pig who’d just forgotten his pregnant wife stood next to him. Tara scowled at him before looking away in disgust. She looked at Reena in time for the older woman to frown at her.
“This would be my niece, Tara.” Reena walked over and wrapped her cool fingers around her niece’s arm and gave it a hard squeeze. “She was a great help last night in saving your unborn child.”
“Mighty finelooking lass you are.” Togin put his burly hand around his claim’s arm and pulled her out the door.
“You’re welcome,” Tara muttered sarcastically after Togin and his family walked off the open room. “And apparently now I have to learn to smile at pigs like him as well as pull off being submissive?”
“There’s nothing wrong with Togin.” Reena waved Tara’s concern with a chuckle.
“He just undressed me with his eyes with his pregnant claim right next to him.”
“That’s just a man for you. But Togin is good to his claim. I’ve never seen a bruise on her or the children. Joli has a nice home and nice clothes.” Reena scowled and put her hands on her small hips. It was the first time she’d looked this upset. “Togin would never leave Joli or his children. He is there, every day, taking care of them.”
“I wasn’t suggesting,” Tara began, confused by Reena’s sudden outburst.
“No, no, of course you weren’t.” Reena sighed and looked defeated. “I need to get my bath.”
Nuworld: Claiming Tara Page 3