Krista completely out of breath stormed into the humble one room shack at the outskirts of the village. Mrs. Tolok was breathing heavy and lying on the only bed in the room. Mrs. Lantas the town's only midwife looked up relieved to see Krista.
"Oh good you're here Krista! She's not doing well and she isn't dilated enough to push yet! Do you have anything that can help?"
Krista nodded as she rolled up her sleeves and approached the bed.
Little Talus hadn't been wrong about the blood. Krista kept her face serene and confident as she looked down at Mrs. Tolok's weary and fearful face.
"Relax Tarsa we'll have that little baby in your arms before the sun sets."
"The blood?" Mrs. Tolok responded with in question as her face reflected her worry.
"Taken care of Tarsa. Now you lay back and relax because the sooner you relax the sooner you'll be holding your baby."
Krista turned to a relieved looking midwife, "Is there any hot water? I need it for seeping some of the herbs in."
Three hours later a new life came into the world.
Krista held the squalling little boy in her arms for a moment. She cooed and rocked the baby gently as she cleaned him off with a soft towel. She stepped forward and laid him in Mrs. Tolok's arms as Mrs. Lantas helped her sit up a little.
The picture of the mother with her suckling child caused an ache to well up in the pit of Krista's stomach that wouldn't go away. She shoved her desires aside though and started collecting her herbs and tinctures. With one last glimpse at the mother completely engrossed in the new life that wriggled and cried in her arms Krista smiled and went out the door closing it behind her softly.
Mr. Tolok, a little wiry form of a man stepped forward out of the shadows and held out a little basket full of brown eggs. Krista just held up her hand and kept walking up the dirty path to the main street. As she passed by the tavern a rough hand shot out and caught her by the upper arm and dragged her toward the horse pen at the upper end of the town.
She had screamed initially out of surprise at the rough hold on her arm, which had caused her to drop her bag, but she started to fight when her other arm was seized by a second man. There was little she could do to resist the men who were quickly dragging her up the street so she screamed for help.