Oihana hadn't been able to sleep the day before, so she was tired, unsettled, and in a sour mood when she settled down to weave with Renna. Their fortunes had changed since she'd killed Hibai. Now, more of the Izotzi tolerated and spoke kindly to Renna; few of them, aside from Arnas and sometimes women like Ikerne whose husbands didn't forbid them, spoke to Oihana. She worried her presence would drive the interloper girl even further away from the tribe, but she refused to avoid a friend just because of what others might think of either of them; that was up to Renna herself. Besides, this close to the birth of her baby, she had to stay close to someone, and Arnas was out on one of the many hunts the men undertook to keep such a large group fed.

"So how many people have asked if you're 'white all over' today?" she said, looking up at Renna with a faint smile. The expression quickly vanished, and she paused in her weaving for just a moment when she felt a twinge in her back, one hand going to her stomach, but there was no movement; her baby had been very still for the past half-day. It worried her a little, because in two previous cases she'd had children born dead. Had the same thing happened with Idoya? It hurt a little to remember.

Renna sat close to her first and truest friend, taking comfort in her warmth. She bit down a smile at Oihana's joke, but managed to look over with a straight face. "At last count, six. Less than usual."

The young woman noticed her friend's uneasy movement and instantly stopped her weaving. Renna leaned over to put a hand on her shoulder, her brows furrowed in concern. "Oihana? Are you all right?"

The baby was close. Too close for comfort. While it was wonderful that she had Arnas to take care of her, and Arnas to remember as the father of the child, Renna couldn't help but think about how dangerous childbirth was. What if the child was born dead? After Idoya, that would be horrible. And there was always a chance that it would kill Oihana. Renna's fingers tightened, and she looked at her friend in worry. "Is it time?"

If it was, she would stay. There was no way she would leave Oihana to the whims and jealousies of the other Izotzi women.

Oihana furrowed her brow, trying to look inward.

"Yes, it is... but it took almost two days with Idoya." Her voice wobbled, and then straightened itself out. It was fine. She would be fine, and her baby would be fine. Another pain in her side made her eyes widen. She tried to count back, to see how far apart they'd been, and thought that perhaps the dull backache she'd suffered that night had been the real beginnings of labor. "But I have a feeling this will be quicker; then it was because I was so young... still, I think we ought to wait until the pains are closer together to think about finding a healer."

She smiled at Renna again. "I'm sorry; you know how this works, right? Your people didn't keep unmarried women out of birthing rooms?"

It hurt Renna's heart to see that smile. Every time, it was just a pained reminder of how much Oihana had suffered, and every time it brought a measure of guilt. She hadn't done as she had been asked, and because of it pretty Idoya was dead. Her intent to help her friend had transformed into creating a hurt far deeper than anyone deserved. The weaver looked away from it and at her hands, not wanting to reflect on a labor of two days. A labor of torment for a girl only fourteen years old and the property of insane Hibaii. If she dwelt on it the tears would come and there would be no way to hide them...so she shook her head and forced herself back into the conversation. "...No. We had no such rule, not really. I helped my mother with my twin brothers and youngest sister."

There. Now she'd reminded herself of her own loss, and the pain was hers. She didn't have to feel guilty about things any more. She would be duly punished. Renna circled an arm around Oihana's shoulders and pulled her head close, soothing with a hand stroked down her back. "It will be fine. I'll help you, and so will Urdin, and Eguzki will give you joy."

She could only hope it would be true. Renna rose and helped Oihana stand, then wrapped an arm around her waist. "Right now we just need to get you home. You can't have your baby here with the weavings."

Oihana nodded. Though she'd have liked to distract herself with some little task, like weaving, Renna's company was good enough. She followed the smaller woman, leaning on her a little for support, until they got to the tent she was sharing with Arnas. In all but name, she was his concubine, though they were waiting until a more appropriate period of time went by before performing the perfunctory ceremony.

When she was having trouble talking to Renna through the pains, she nodded to her.

"Get Urdin."

The healer arrived quickly, used to calls like this one, and did a little prodding and muttering, but Oihana was by this time far less than completely there. She'd done what she always did when suffering some pain, and drawn both into and out of herself, distancing pain and identity.

She made out a few words--very soon--and then Urdin turn to Renna.

"The hunt's returned, if you want to fetch Arnas..." He, and all of the Izotzi, knew--of course--about Oihana and Arnas. But Urdin at least didn't judge too much.

Renna sped off without another word, and returned in just a few minutes with Arnas in tow. The young warrior had barely understood her when she'd spoken to him-and then he'd thought that the interloper must have been joking with him. All the Izotzi knew of his treachery; it would make sense for her to try to fit in by being cruel. Anyway it was impossible. Oihana had grown huge, and he could feel the child moving within her, but Arnas still couldn't bring himself to believe that he had fathered it and that it really would be here. It was utterly impossible.

And then Renna had tugged on his hand and looked at him with those odd eyes of hers, and he'd felt his stomach lurch. She wasn't teasing.

Arnas set down his bow and left before Izotz's concubine had a chance to tell him where his Oihana was. There wasn't time to waste! Her first child had taken her days to deliver, and he broke out in a cold sweat at the memory of it. What if he killed her? He'd already placed her in so much danger already, and the scorn of the tribe...what if his baby killed her?

The warrior tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. Instead he lengthened his stride, and then broke into a run, and then was at Urdin's tent and ducking inside. It wasn't customary for men to watch the birthing, but he didn't care. He had to see her. "Oihana!"

He was at her side in a flash, kneeling beside her and cradling her in his arms as he looked at her. "Are you all right?"

It was such a stupid question, but he had to know that the baby hadn't already torn her apart. The child was the Enemy, now-he didn't care if it never was born, as long as it let Oihana live.

And then Arnas looked at his love again and immediately felt ashamed. She wanted the child, especially after Idoya...for her sake he bent his head and whispered a little prayer, then bent to kiss her brow. "It will be fine."

"... Yes..." Oihana panted between breaths, clutching at his hand. "Very soon now--" Her words cut off, and she bit deeply into her lip to keep from crying out in pain, all of the muscles in her body contracting. She lost focus on Arnas, though she'd been trying to make him feel better. Everything was now only Body, no Mind.

Urdin knelt between her legs, doing something with his hands that hurt unspeakably. No; was that him? She wasn't sure, but she recalled the feeling, the feeling of being split apart--from Idoya, though not as much from the two prematurely-born boys. Then there was a gasp, and a sharp, searing pain, and the sense of something rushing free.

Urdin held the bloodied infant up and quickly cleared its mouth and nose. There was a silence. Then a cry, and Oihana fell back half into Arnas's arms, tears of relief running down her face.

The healer quickly turned to massage Oihana's belly, bringing forth the afterbirth and helping her womb to return to its compact shape, then cleaned the baby and wrapped it in a cloth. Though she could hardly wait--her muscles trembled--Oihana took the time to relax, her body coming back under her control, though she felt incredibly tired. But it was a good kind of tired, no the kind she'd felt with Idoya, which had been a nauseous exhaustion.

"A boy," Urdin said gently, handing her the baby, wrapped in a soft piece of cotton. She looked down at him, holding the infant between herself and Arnas. He was tiny, the soft curve of his cheeks a light pink-brown, his lips pursed and smacking lightly, his eyes closed, shaded by thick, dark lashes... he opened them, and his eyes were precisely the shade of his father's. "Zorion," Oihana said, very quietly, stroking the softness of his cheek with one finger. "Just because it makes me happy to look at him... if you... think it's the right name...?" She looked up at Arnas. Her lover, soon to be her husband, the father of their child. How could she name the baby anything but 'happiness'?

Arnas could only stare. Now that the fright was over, he found himself still tense and trembling-ready at any second to rush in and save Oihana from whatever demons were troubling her. The warrior had to take his own breaths to calm himself, although his hand moved down to carress his woman in a reassurance of his presence. She had done so well. Arnas couldn't even imagine the pain of it, but she'd borne it and....

He couldn't help it. He beamed at her and leaned forward to give her a kiss, thanking Eguzki over and over and over that she had survived what he had done to her. She was safe, now, and he was rejoicing.

Then she looked up at him with her eyes bright, and he remembered that there was a child now, too. A son. She'd given him a son.

Arnas kissed her again, very gently, and smoothed her hair off her face as he turned to look at their baby. It was odd to see a person there, all at once, and even odder to see that the little person was her and him, mingled into one. It was also exhilerating.

He breathed out a little sigh and bent over the child in Oihana's arms, studying it in wonder. He was so perfect...but so very tiny. Arnas brushed a silky cheek under his thumb and then quickly drew back, frightened to hurt the little thing. He was so big and clumsy compared to it! Best to leave it to its mother. Still, he smiled at it and gave the boy a very careful kiss on the head, then turned to Oihana and beamed again. "Zorion is a good name...because it makes me happy to see you happy. You deserve this. You do."

He looked at Urdin, with eyes lit with gratitude, and whispered a 'thank you.' "...All the happiness in the world..."