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| - Thalleia sat huddled in the corner of the shed, tattered blanket stuffed into her little mouth, eyes wide with fright. Her whimpers were lost for a moment, drowned out by her mothers screams. What was happening? Why was the mistress hurting mama? The mistress had never been mean before; never yelled at them or hit like the master did. It was the middle of the day, the master and papa were in the fields, working. Why was mama laying down? The master was gonna be mad, real mad, if he came back and the chores weren't done. Thalleia squeezed her eyes closed, tears coursing down her grubby cheeks as her mothers screams rent the air once more. "Push." The mistress urged. The little orc threw the blanket over her head, rocking back and forth in the semi darkeness of her makeshift linen and twill cave. Another scream, a strangled groan, panting and gasping. "You're almost there, Rii'ka, almost there." Thalleia peeked out from under her blanket. Where? She thought to herself. Where was mama going? She tried to see but the mistress was blocking her view. All she could see was the mistress' back and mama's legs, so pale, almost yellow in the dim light of the shed. She watched as mama's legs began to tremble, toes curling, digging into the hard dirt floor. Cringing, Thalleia backed tighter into her corner, blanket flung once more over her head, desperate to block out the horrible sounds. "Oh Light..." The mistress moaned. "Rii'ka... Rii'ka, listen to me." Mama panted. Thalleia's trembling eased slightly. The mistress wasn't yelling anymore, she was using her nice voice, the voice she never used when the master was around 'cause it made him frown and be mean. "Rii'ka, it's breech. I need you to try to relax so I can turn it, be strong Rii'ka. Breath. Breath, but don't push, alright? Don't let yourself push, just relax." Thalleia frowned under her blanket. Push. Don't push. She shook her little head, face screwed up in confusion. Why doesn't the mistress make up her mind? Mama groaned, the sound stretching and rising, filling the shed with its presence. The mistress grunted, straining with effort. Thalleia dared another peek. Big, brown eyes grew round in the little orcs head. "Stoppit! Stoppit!" She bawled. The mistress glanced over her shoulder. "Quiet, Thalleia!" She snapped. Thalleia shrunk into herself, frightened of the mistress for the first time. "You're hurtin' mama!" "I am trying to help your mama, now be quiet and let me work." The mistress turned her head, focused once more on the laboring orc. She leaned in closer, arms buried to the elbows. Thalleia watched the muscles in her slim shoulders bunch and knot. Another groan, legs twitching, toes digging divots into the floor. The mistress sat back on her heels; gore slicked hands grasping Rii'ka's knees. "Push now, Rii'ka. Good... good." Mama's head rose up a moment as she doubled over, pushing. Thalleia stared, blinking. Her face was covered with sweat, eyes sunken deep into her head. Mama looks so old! Thalleia thought of the camps, the listless orcs huddled together, dull eyes vacant as they stared into nothing. Rii'ka lay back, knees spreading wider as her legs went slack. Her breathing became shallow, groans barely audible now. "Almost done, Rii'ka... almost done." The mistress squeezed mama's knees, her words soft and encouraging. Thalleia felt herself relax a little, comforted by the mistress' tone. Almost done. Whatever the mistress was doing to mama, she wasn't gonna do it much longer. Another groan became a wail. Thalleia watched mama's toes as they flexed and curled, little bits of dirt flying from the floor when they straightened. Through a gap between the mistress and mama's leg, she could see the edge of the pallet her mother and father shared. The straw was dark and matted. Papa wasn't going to be happy when he found out mama had wet their bed. "Push, Rii'ka! Push!" Rii'ka curled up, shaking with effort. Thalleia stared as the dark straw turned bright red. "Mama!" The mistress sat back, a small, dark thing cradled in the crook of her arm. She wrapped the tiny creature in a warn but clean linen cloth, setting it gently into a shallow pile of straw. "It's a boy, Rii'ka. A son." Her hands were in constant motion. She pushed against Rii'ka's stomach, bundling something in dirty linen, setting it aside, away from the pallet. Thalleia got up, her fear pushed aside by her curiosity. Blanket clutched in one grubby, green fist, thumb nestled between tiny tusks, Thalleia peered over the mistress' shoulder. She was tearing linen into strips, packing it between mama's legs. Thalleia backed away, there was so much blood! She stopped, listening. A soft, mewling sound was coming from the straw. Thalleia crept over, kneeling down by the bundle. Blinking, she peered closer. The linen was moving, if only a little. Another weak cry, more movement. What was it? She wondered. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched the mistress busily tending mama. She glanced back down at the bundle, biting her lip as she reached over and moved the linen aside. She gazed intently at the creature. Tentatively she reached out, finger lightly touching its tiny nose, stroking it soft cheek. Her hand seemed so dark and green against its sallow skin. It looks a little like papa, she thought to herself, but squished and shrunk and too yellow. Its head turned, pale lips smacking against each other. Startled, Thalleia gasped as the little creatures mouth clamped down around her finger. It was trying to eat her! She jumped up, backing away from the wretched thing. She turned to mama and the mistress. Mama didn't look right. She was pale like the thing in the straw and her eyes were shiny like glass. "Mama?" Thalleia knelt down by her mothers head, stroking her brow. "Mama...?" Thalleia bit her lip, shaking her mothers shoulders in her small hands. "Mama! Mama, wake up!" She lay her head on Rii'ka chest, clinging to the still form. "Mama!" She felt herself being lifted, her fingers curled into the coarse fabric of her mothers shift. "Nooo!" She wailed. "I want mama! MAMA!" The mistress gently set Thalleia down on her pallet in the corner. Thalleia stared up at her, eyes filling with tears. She watched as the mistress pulled a linen sheet up over Rii'ka, covering even her head. Mama doesn't like to sleep with her head covered up like that. Thalleia thought to herself. She watched, waiting for her mother to move the sheet from her face. Mama must be awful tired to sleep like that. Thalleia saw the mistress stoop over the straw and carefully lift the bundle. She cradled the thing in her arms, wiping its face with a damp linen cloth as she carried it over to Thalleia's pallet. Kneeling, she held the bundle out to the young girl. "You have a brother, now, Thalleia." Thalleia didn't look at the bundle. She had seen enough of the ugly, squalling thing. Her eyes never moved from her mother's motionless form.
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