Mist on the Moon

It's her time!

"Oh my God," said Cara aloud, though it was night and there was no one there to hear her. Could it really be true? Had she felt her first contraction? The midwife had told her it was not likely to come for a couple weeks though she had also told her that it's all up to the baby and God. "Babies sometimes come early," she said. There was no doubt Cara felt her stomach harden and she braced herself as it continued. Soon it was over, but she knew if her baby was coming the feelings of tightening would come again and again.

From everything she had heard there would be plenty of time. The midwife had also told her there could be false contractions. Cara decided to wait to see if the feelings in her body would continue before she called for help. She felt she had already been seen as too much of a worrier and surely didn't want to sound an alarm only to be told she had days to wait.

She got out of her bed to see if a change of position would do anything. Then, she immediately sat back down on the bed as a second wave of tightening went through her midsection. Cara noted that this one did not seem as intense as the one before. She sat tentatively on the edge of the bed waiting for the next one. She wanted to see if there would be more  before she called anyone. But to her dismay, it seemed like it was a long time before another came and it was even milder than the first and second. She began to think that maybe this was not yet her time.

* * *

Trent was riding back to the castle, you could say charging back at the head of his army. Finally, the Vikings had been decisively defeated, the remnant fleeing back to their homeland. Now, finally he could return to his own home, to the heart of Bavaria and to his wife who was with child and who could possibly deliver their baby at any time. He did not want to be away at that crucial time in Cara's and their baby's life.

"Trent, you are going too fast. The knights and army cannot keep up with you," said his friend, Daniel. Trent looked back to see the army spread out on the plain, with some not even visible in the forest behind them.

"But Daniel, you know why I am in a hurry. Hopefully not, but it is possible that Cara could be giving birth at this very hour."

"I know, I know," Daniel answered. "As you say, hopefully not, but in any event there is almost nothing you can personally do about it."

Trent pushed on, aware that he was getting further and further away from the bulk of his army. He was so anxious to return to Cara and their baby that he would scarcely have cared if he were the only one riding to her. Yet he was glad that Daniel, Justin and a few more of his most esteemed knights kept up with him. He felt he was in good company. Trent turned to look hard into Daniel's eyes as they rode together side by side. As king and royal knight they had the best horses, the fastest horses such that few if any could keep up with them in a race. "Daniel, I must be there!" he told him. 

Daniel lifted his arms in a sign of defeat. He realized there was little he could do to ameliorate Trent's pace. All he could do was to stay up with him in case there was danger ahead. The rest of the army would have to follow behind.

They approached a bridge in the distance and for but a moment Trent thought he saw in the distance a number of darkly clad people on top of the bridge, but the next time he looked far ahead there was nothing to be seen. He didn't slow down but asked of Daniel, "Daniel, did you just see a large group of people atop the causeway?"

"I did, my lord, though it seems they have disappeared. That is rather suspicious. I suggest we slow down and go forward cautiously."