Amica pushed. Kirrie made ready. In a few moments, a soft cry rewarded the Dreamraider’s efforts. Kirrie performed the midwifery role admirably.
Kirrie said, “Well, congratulations, Mom, you are like us in many ways!”
Amica sighed and said, “Yes, the Wandmaker certainly knows so.”
The cries intensified.
Amica closed her eyes tightly and asked tentatively, “What… is it?”
Kirrie said, “It’s a beautiful nymph… uh, child… demonling… uh, whatever it is you have.”
Amica impatiently asked, “Come on, Kirrie, and is my child male or female?”
Kirrie said, “It’s… male.”
Amica took a deep breath and asked, “Is he OK?”
Kirrie said, “Rather robust little bloke! Seems hungry!”
Amica gave a sigh of relief and said, “Describe him. Does he look like… who does he favor?”
Kirrie answered, “Hard to say! He is beautiful. Hold him while I finish up.”
Kirrie expertly divided the umbilical cord and passed the babe to his mother. Amica opened her eyes, placed both hands around the infant, and held him on her flattening tummy. Lesser contractions followed. Kirrie attended the new mother’s needs and used the remainder of the smoky waters to cleanse. She briefly left Amica’s side to retrieve another bundle of door moss. She released it and the door moss scurried along the floor and cleansed the area thoroughly. The Dreamraider cuddled the small bundle. The crying stopped. Amica studied the babe. He had mostly Drelvish features, including orange-ish skin, fine silver-gray hair covering his smooth little head, and red-orange eyes. Two miniscule horns rose from his little head and a tiny tail with an innocent barb on its tip playfully swayed back and forth. Amica checked his tiny hands and feet and thankfully noted six fingers and toes. Normal! Thank Grayness! A tiny nodule sat at the base of the infant’s sixth left finger.
The Dreamraider murmured, “Like his daddy!”
Kirrie frowned.
The infant sneezed. His visage changed. The new look included pale skin, blue eyes, blond hair, and five fingers and toes. The little nodule sat at the base of the fifth left finger, but the little horns and tail were absent. A little burp produced another visage with fiery red skin, a longer tail, forearms ending in little talons, and smoke trickling from its little nose and backside. Amica placed him on her shoulder and comforted him. Her touch brought the little bloke back to his original form. Amica put the child to her breast and he received his first nourishment.
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