Shared Mercy Book 5 of the Guardians Saga

CH 8.3 Eggs Not Babies!

Rile enjoyed serving Alex a rude awakening early the next morning. "Up, up, up. Time to go hunting. We now have nine hungry mouths to feed. You're gutting today." Rile added a little excitement to his voice for the last part. It woke Alex up even more, and he stomped around a bit, just to be obnoxious.

"I said I was sorry," Alex whimpered.

Alex made sufficient moans and groans while gutting to satisfy the brothers. They had enough pity to not make her cut off the heads of the deer. When finished, Cale and Alex delivered the meat and hides while Gabe and Rile hung back.

Dola and two girls, their faces bearing the marks of fatigue, were standing over a fire, stirring something in a long iron pot that hung over the flames. On closer look, Alex could see that Dola had been working on the Mercy Tent since well before dawn. She walked up to them.

"Dola," she said. "We brought more meat and hides."

"Guardians!" the girls squealed.

Alex was soundly hugged by Pala and the other girl, making the gore of the hunt worthwhile to her. At the noise, the rest of the girls tumbled out of the tent, reminding Alex of a circus car with all the clowns coming out. All but one girl ran over to Alex to hug her. Raba stood with the last girl, arm around her shoulders.

"Guardian, may I speak with you?" Raba asked.

Both Alex and Cale turned to Raba, but she clearly meant Alex.

"Girls, time for skinning and prep work lessons." Dola clapped her hands and the girls fell away from Alex and looked at Dola obediently.

Cale opened a bundle and distributed tools. He began teaching while Gabe and Rile kept the prescribed distance. Raba walked Alex and the girl a small distance away.

"Yes, Raba?" Alex ducked her head so the smaller female could speak in her ear.

"This little one, Kira, will clutch soon," Raba said.

Kira was the oldest of the girls, an adolescent on the cusp of becoming an adult. She was taking in massive gulps of air, her hands on her swollen belly.

"Uh-oh! What do we do?" Alex gripped her hands until they turned white. "What? What? What?" She paced in little circles. "Towels? Hot water? No, that's humans. Maybe it works for Agama. Does it?"

Raba was taken aback by Alex's panic and the girl watched with widened eyes.

"Quick! We have to ask Cale! He'll know what to do!" Alex's hands were trembling. Her eyes were as big as saucers, her skin as pale as a sheet of virgin snow.

"Relax, Guardian, it won't happen right now." Raba tentatively patted Alex's shoulder. "Will you please tell Cale?"

Alex rushed over and dragged Cale out of his lesson. Gabe and Rile stood up, seeing her odd behavior even from a distance.

"Cale!" She whispered furiously as she pulled him along. "Raba says this girl, Kira, will clutch soon! What do we do?" She shook Cale's arm.

"Calm down, for one." Healer Cale took over with his voice both kindly and authoritative. "Is it her first?"

"What? Why do you ask? Does it make a difference?" Alex asked, rapid fire. She squeezed Cale's arm hard at the same time as she shook it vigorously while simultaneously trying to drag him forward. "Is it a bad difference? I bet it is!"