Obsidian Thornwing's Arc

Chapter 17 of 18

The pain woke Sylvara before dawn. Obsidian felt her stiffen against his side, then heard her breath catch. She did not cry out. She only put her hand on his arm and pressed hard. "It's time," she said. He was out of bed before she finished the word. He pulled on his coat, lit the lamp, and knelt by her. Her face was tight. Her fingers curled into the blanket. "How long?" "An hour. Maybe less." He had planned for this. Iron had told him what to watch for, what to bring, when to send. Obsidian went to the front room, opened the door, and whistled for the falcon. The bird came from the roost above the feeder. He tied the note to its leg. One name. One word. Come. He watched it climb over the trees and turn east. He went back to Sylvara. She was on her side now, breathing through her teeth. He put water to boil. He laid clean cloth on the chair by the bed. He kept his hands moving so he would not stand still and be useless. The elf came faster than he expected. He heard her step on the porch and opened the door before she knocked. Seraphina Silverleaf stood there in her layered dress, silver hair pulled back, a satchel over one shoulder. She was the only friend of Sylvara's he trusted with this. She had told him once, quietly, that she had helped birth children before. She had not said where. "How far apart?" she said. "Close. She said an hour." "Then we have time to be careful." She went to Sylvara. She washed her hands. She spoke low, in short even sentences, and Sylvara answered in shorter ones. Obsidian stayed at the head of the bed and held Sylvara's hand. When the pain took her, she squeezed until his fingers went white. He did not pull away. It took longer than an hour. It took most of the morning. Seraphina did not rush her. Sylvara did not scream, but she wept once, near the end, and Obsidian put his forehead against hers and told her she was almost there. The baby came in the bed she had chosen. A girl. Seraphina cleaned her and set her on Sylvara's chest. The cabin's walls glowed faintly, the way they had on the night of the bond. Then the light went soft and stayed. Seraphina washed her hands again and stepped back. "She is well. Both of them." She left them alone. Obsidian climbed onto the bed beside his wife. Sylvara was pale and shaking. He pulled the blanket over her shoulders and put his arm around them both. The baby was small and warm and breathing against her mother. "You did it," he said. "We did." He kissed her hair and did not let go.