Freyja's Fire - Chapter 10 - A'mara Books

10

(Tharnday, cont.)

On the road to Mt. Vasana

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“Ring-o-ring of roses, a pocket full of posies, a tissue, a tissue! We all fall down!” Katja sang slowly as the horses pulled the carriage along the road.

“Doesn’t seem so much a children’s song now, does it?” Rachel asked.

“What’s this song? You know this disease we flee?” Breyind asked.

“Yes. Bubonic plague or Black Death – amongst other monikers. In our world history, it was a terrible plague that wiped out a third to a half of the population in many areas,” Rachel explained. “It was so bad that it inspired the song Katja just sang – still popular among children centuries afterwards!”

“And this is what the ship brought to our shore?” Breyind asked. “Why is your doctor not afraid?”

“Because in our time, we have a cure for it. A course of antibiotics is all that’s required,” Rachel continued.

“Antibiotics?”

“Plague is caused by a tiny organism which grows on the fleas of the rats. We have special medicines that can kill the thing that causes Plague,” Rachel replied.

“Wow.”

“Cows are in the meadow, eating buttercups. A tissue, a tissue, we all jump up!” Katja sang the second verse again for the children who found it very interesting.

“How?!” is all Rachel could say to that. “I’ve never understood that verse. Is it about the afterlife? Or just a cute rhyme to make the children feel better?”

“Not sure,” Katja replied.

Rachel’s abdomen suddenly clenched with all its might. “Oh!” she cried, concentrating on breathing calmly through it.

“Are you okay?” Marie asked, sitting on the other side of her. She put her hand onto Rachel’s baby bump. “That was a good one!”

Rachel nodded.

“I hoped we might get to the convent before you started up...”

“Me too! But I guess Herne doesn’t want to miss out on all the excitement!” Rachel replied with a grimace.

“We’ll be okay,” Breyind said, holding her to him. “Doc sent us with enough medicine in case anyone else comes down with it.”

“I know. It just seems a bit surreal. In my world, most people don’t encounter death – except for the loss of a pet. Unless we work with the sick or elderly, we don’t see it. The ship wreck really woke me up.”

“I know what you mean,” Katja said.

Marie nodded.

“And Adrick is still there in Erion, bravely facing a deadly disease! I should be there with him!”

“Your place is protecting your children,” Marie said gently. “Remember, we shared England, Katja. I understand like few others here. But the future of the Kingdom is right here.” She pointed at the children, then tapped on the bellies of Katja and Rachel.

“You shouldn’t have done that!” Rachel scolded, feeling the tightening again.

Marie looked at the watch pinned on her pocket. “Five minutes. I think he’s serious about coming, m’lady!”

“Me too!”

“Glad Deby let me have a midwife’s watch!” Marie said. “It’s come in handy so many times!”

“Stella wasn’t too happy about it,” Katja recalled.

“Neither was Doc. The Prime Directive, he reminded me!” Marie added. “I reminded him that we aren’t accountable to the Federation!”

“Stella has a point,” Rachel added, glad to be able to participate in the conversation again. “We could make Velantia develop at the wrong speed. It could harm this place long term.”

“We can’t guarantee anything,” Marie agreed. “But I think the damage done by my watch is probably only on the level caused by having streptomycin, cipro and doxycyline in our medicine chest.”

Bridget came and jumped onto her mother’s lap, bumping uncomfortably into her baby bump, causing another contraction. “Mind Mummy!” she complained as her tummy tightened.

Marie caught the child and put Bridget’s hand on the tightening baby bump. Her eyes grew large as she felt.

“Baby Herne wants to come to live with you!” Marie explained.

Bridget just stared.

“That one was much sooner, only three minutes. If the next one follows as promptly, we will be stopping the carriage for the day!”

Rachel could only nod and try to relax in her husband’s arms. But there would be no relaxing today for her – not until the job was done.

♥

Seagull Public House

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Aurelia had just beaten her latest challenger at Wolff. Adrick sat next to her, keeping an eye on the proceedings.

“Not fair that she has a partner to help her!” one of the men complained.

“She beats me every time,” Adrick reassured. “So, she’s definitely not using my help!”

The man grunted.

“I see she took our advice,” another man commented. Aurelia recognized him as being the man who had attacked her the previous evening. She shuddered, but then focused on not letting him know that he affected her at all.

“I will wear what I please,” Aurelia answered. “It isn’t my fault if you can’t keep your dick inside your pants.”

A loud jeer went around at that. Others laughed. Clearly, the man had few friends in this pub. She could keep jabbing. “How many bastards have you sired?” she quipped. “How many of them were because the woman ‘dressed like a tart’ in your opinion? How many of their mothers did you rape?!”

The man leapt over the table and grabbed her by the shoulders. “How many men have to threaten you before you learn not to talk to people that way? What are you going to do when your brother isn’t here to protect you? I promise you, if you ever show up here alone, I will have you in my bed before the hour is up. My next bastard can be yours!”

“My brother will kill you if you dare!” Aurelia leveled back at him, his face only inches from hers.

“Only if he catches me!” the man replied almost into her mouth. He rammed his foul lips against her mouth at that.

Aurelia slapped him, then brought her knee up into his groin. “I call things as I see them,” Aurelia growled. “You sire bastards because no other woman will have you! And I tell you the truth, every other man in this pub has a better chance of siring one on me than do you! Don’t touch me again.”

The man went away groaning and cupping his hands over his groin.

There was loud applause around the pub. Some grinned their approval at Aurelia, others just eyed her warily, understanding that this woman was something to be had.

Adrick’s hand rested on her shoulder. “I say it again, Aurelia. The man who marries you will have a helluva lot on his hands!” He kissed her cheek. “Now, give these nice men their money back – so that they can keep fleecing the nasty one.”

“Oh, brother! Do I have to?”

“Yes, Aurelia!” He leaned over and whispered into her ear. “Their loyalty to you right now is far more valuable than any money you win – even if they never pay the taxes they owe!”

A moment later, Aurelia smiled her normal benevolent smile and obeyed. “I was teasing,” she said – also handing back what she had won the previous night. “Anything not claimed, give to the publican to help provide such great entertainment!”

“Let’s go now,” Adrick encouraged, not needing to express how proud he was. Aurelia could feel it and kept smiling.