Light, Glorious Light

Mothers Love

The balcony faced east, benefiting from the benediction of the sun every morning and the soft breeze off of Umbra Canyon every night.  Akiva Raheem-Quinn looked down upon the training yard where daughters of all ages trained in hand-to-hand combat.  The best would be offered a chance to become valkyrie or the equally formidable Amesha of Cavalry.  She leaned over the railing hoping to get a glimpse of two particular little girls.  They were together as usual, encouraging each other with kind words and friendly competition.

"It's been exactly a year," she said to the afternoon.

"That's why I think you should put off your journey for a few more months."

Akiva jumped with a start.

"I thought you were still in Sector 1."

Maira Quinn-Raheem rested her rifle and pack against the wall.  She looked much the same as she did that night when they made their stand against the infected on the other side of the canyon.  The only significant difference was the bulge of her baby bump.

"The inspection went well.  A couple more weeks and the base should be up and running.  It won't stand against a full on reaver assault, but raids and small swarms won't be a problem."  May put her arm around Akiva's shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  "I still think you should wait."

"I can't.  If I leave now I can get back before you have the baby.  If I wait until after the little one is born, there'll be no way I could leave you alone to deal with the three of them."

"Foxy will be here to help me."

Akiva leaned back to get a good look at May's face.  They were opposites, mahogany and ivory.  Maira winked and both laughed.

"She'll be a bigger handful than the baby."

"Tell me again why you have to go."  May looked out toward The Tower of Wisdom, the center of Phalanx.

"Lazarus knew my birth mother, and I feel it in my bones that he knows where she went.  I need to know, May.  If she's out there, I need to find her."

"Well you better be back in time for the birthing.  I won't forgive you if you miss it."

"I'll be back, I promise."

Maira pressed her lips against Akiva's forehead and hugged her tightly.  She went over to the storage cabinets and came back with a bundle.  Akiva raised an eyebrow.  Maira's expression was passive. She opened the bundle and inside was a polished climbing pick with a newly crafted grip.

"May!  Thank you."

"I was going to get you a pistol, but I feared you'd just lose it," May said with a sly smile.

"Hey!"

"Besides I watched you take down a reaver with one of these.  I'll feel much better if you have it with you."

Akiva took the tool in her hand, memories of her last trip out of Phalanx flooding in.  She wrapped her fingers around the custom grip and tested the weight of the pick.  It was heavier than her old one and balanced more for fighting than climbing.   Her initials were carved into the metal head.  Akiva smiled.  May had spent the better part of the last year drilling Akiva in physical training, and a valkyrie friend of May's came by often to drill Akiva in knife fighting and close combat.  The focus was to sharpen Akiva's skills in hand-to-hand combat.  Maira really hated the look of Akiva's kicks.

"This grip is amazing.  Where'd you get it done?"

"I didn't.  Foxy traded a woman on the north side two months of manual labor for her craftsmanship.  I think it was a worthy barter."

"This is from both of you?"

"Atreyi got you this."  May pulled a hook and clip from under more of the bundle's cloth folds.  "So you won't drop this one."

Akiva's heart swelled.  Their family had grown since their return to Phalanx.  Atreyi's mother was one of the valkyrie who had died when Vulture Six crashed.  Maira and Akiva were happy to take her in.  Phalanx would look after the child as it did all of its daughters, but the pair would care for her and show her a mother's love.  Foxy took to being a big sister with vigor.  The former slave had a lot of love to give, and the pair filled her up with as much as she herself could hold.  Together the four recovered and grew stronger.  The Mothers allowing Maira to conceive was a blessing from The Great Mother and a gift for her work in converting Sector 1 into an outpost.  Soon they'd be five.

"I'll be back before you know it.  I just need..."

"I understand, Kiva.  Let's just go get the girls and find something nice to cook tonight.  We'll have a big feast so your stomach will remember what you've left behind."

"Not if you're cooking it."

"Ha, very funny."

"I'm serious."

"That's why you're cooking."

They laughed, and they ate, and they loved.

The End