Revolt of Blood and Stone: A Stone War Chronicles Novella

Chapter 5 - Newborn

"Where's Shaun? Why won't anyone tell me where my brother is? Ngggh!"

"Breathe, Mette, breathe," said another woman's voice.

The voices grew louder as Sebastian and Jarod were led by one of the kitchen girls into a small tunnel. A convulsion overtook the laboring woman's entire body just as they reached the end of it.

"This is happening now?" said Jarod. He quickly turned Sebastian back around and looked away himself.

"Argh!"

"We have to keep her quiet. Put something between her teeth," whispered a woman, ignoring both men. The woman looked into Mette's eyes. "Breathe with me, dear. You can do it. Pfff, pfff, pffffff."

"Why were we called here? This is no place for a man," said Jarod, still shielding his eyes from the scene that left little to the imagination.

"Because she keeps asking for her brother and I don't know what to say," snapped Svetka. "Now grow a pair and hold that lantern high so I can see what I'm doing. The baby is sideways, so I'll need to turn it."

Svetka placed her hands firmly on the bulging belly, repositioned them twice and gave one of her assistants a small nod.

"Brace yourself, honey," said one of the women supporting Shaun's sister.

Mette screamed again, her face twisted in pain.

"Almost there. Almost. Good, good. Now breathe," said Svetka in an unusually compassionate voice.

With a mix of horror and fascination, Sebastian watched how Svetka and the others tried their best to twist the baby around.

"How long has she been like this?" asked Jarod.

"Half a shift. I found her like this after the...gathering," answered Svetka. "I would have sent for you sooner, but you were still in the tunnels working."

"Jarod? Is that you?" gasped Mette, noticing him for the first time. "Do you know where he is? Where Shaun is? He wanted to be here for this. Ngggh!"

"I think he's on a shift," lied Jarod. "Sebastian will go and look for him. Won't you, Seb?"

"Shouldn't we tell her?" whispered Sebastian.

"Not now. Not like this," said Jarod. "She needs to focus on the will to live right now. Just go and keep an eye out in the tunnels."

Sebastian regarded Mette, who squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth as another contraction hit. He trusted Jarod knew what he was talking about. Besides, he was relieved to have an excuse to leave, so he gave a quick nod and disappeared out of the tunnel again.

Once out, Sebastian wondered what he should do. Shaun had been gone less than a day—locked tightly inside the guardhouse near the cave entrance. There had been screams during the changing of the shifts, but no one knew if it were the two men or someone else being worked upon inside the structure.

Another of Mette's shouts echoed through the tunnels. The women had chosen one of the closer abandoned shafts rather than risk going deeper and running into a guard.

They should have gone deeper into the mine.

Mette's pregnancy had been a secret since the day she and Shaun were thrown in the tunnels. Shaun had mentioned they had some difficulties at home and decided to travel to one of the more southern villages, where they were jumped by one of the Stone King's patrols. These last few weeks—or was it months?—Mette had been completely hidden from the rest of the population, with a small, dedicated group bringing her food and water.