Chapter 155: Ugh. Ugh. Baby heavy. Miko tired

Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Ugh. Ugh. Baby heavy. Miko tired

"You literally just said..."

"For the settlement."

"Nerin."

"Please let me live."

Swanly burst out laughing.

Kael pulled her away.

"Kael!"

"Eat your fruit."

"You are ridiculous."

"Yes."

Behind them, Soren remained.

Nerin slowly looked at him.

Soren looked at Nerin.

Long silence.

Nerin pointed toward another row.

"I need to water those."

Soren’s eyes narrowed.

Nerin fled.

...

Selka could not leave the cave.

That did not mean she was blind.

The cage had finally been built across the front.

Thick timber.

Stone beneath it.

One guarded entrance.

Food passed through.

Water passed through.

Waste came out.

And every hour, someone checked her.

Every.

Fucking.

Hour.

Selka hated Swanly more with each passing day.

But anger alone would accomplish nothing.

So she watched.

She watched when guards changed.

Which guards spoke too much.

Which ones grew bored.

Which routes water carriers used.

Where children played.

When Soren inspected the wall.

When Kael hunted inside the basin.

When Swanly slept.

Which former Sunmane survivors still looked uncomfortable taking commands from Riverbone males.

Which males still looked toward Arion automatically when something went wrong.

Small things.

Small cracks.

That was how structures broke.

Not from one enormous strike.

From pressure.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Until something split.

And then Brea came.

Not through the entrance.

That would have been stupid.

A narrow crack existed near the rear of Selka’s cave, partly hidden behind thorn vines.

Too small for Selka.

Large enough for whispers.

Brea came while carrying waste baskets toward the lower pit.

She stopped for only moments.

"You wanted me?"

Selka smiled in the darkness.

"Tell me what people are saying."

"About what?"

"Swanly."

Brea hesitated.

"Most like her."

Selka’s smile disappeared.

"That wasn’t my question."

Brea lowered her voice.

"Some Sunmane males do not like taking orders from Riverbone."

Better.

"Some still think Arion should command them."

Better.

"And people are afraid of the Veskari."

Selka leaned closer to the crack.

"Good."

Brea frowned.

"Good?"

"Fear makes people remember patterns."

"What patterns?"

Selka smiled.

"Help them."

Brea waited.

Selka whispered:

"Who brought problems from the rot nest?"

Brea’s eyes shifted.

"Swanly was there."

"Who brought Soren into their lives?"

"Swanly."

"Who brought Thalara?"

Brea slowly understood.

"Who chose Ironwood?"

"Swanly."

"And whose giant lives here?"

Brea’s mouth curved.

Selka whispered:

"Do not accuse her."

That surprised Brea.

"No?"

"Never."

Selka’s eyes gleamed.

"Questions survive longer than accusations."

Her voice softened.

"Ask why disaster always seems to find Swanly."

Brea smiled.

"Ask whether the Rot Nest creatures followed her scent."

Selka continued.

"Ask whether the Veskari came because of her strange companions."

"What about Thalara?"

"Especially Thalara."

Selka sat back.

"Do not tell people Swanly brings disasters."

Her smile widened.

"Let them tell each other."

Brea disappeared before the next guard passed.

Selka listened to the footsteps outside.

Still imprisoned.

Still watched.

Still powerless.

Almost.

Her hand rested over her growing stomach.

She smiled.

Walls could hold bodies.

Words were harder to cage.

...

Three Months Later

Ironwood no longer looked temporary.

Fields stretched beside the spring.

Green rows of food covered land that had once been empty soil.

Storage caves were packed with dried meat, roots, seeds, fruit and preserved herbs.

The walls had grown higher.

The gate had been reinforced twice.

Watch posts stood above the outer paths.

Children knew alarm calls.

Hunters moved in groups.

Tavi had grown rounder and healthier.

Lumi and Kairo still argued almost every day.

Neither had won.

And Swanly...

Swanly was extremely pregnant.

Her stomach had rounded beautifully beneath her clothing.

There was no hiding it anymore.

Sometimes the babies moved hard enough that she could see the change beneath her skin.

Soren was obsessed.

Kael pretended not to watch every movement.

He failed.

And Swanly had developed one tiny problem.

She waddled.

Only slightly.

Only when tired.

And she absolutely refused to acknowledge it.

One afternoon, Swanly walked toward the cooking area.

Miko watched her.

His head tilted.

Swanly noticed.

"What?"

He said nothing.

She kept walking.

Miko’s head tilted farther.

Swanly stopped.

"What?"

"Mama..."

"Yes?"

"You walk funny."

Silence.

Kael immediately looked away.

Soren’s shoulders moved once.

Swanly’s eyes narrowed.

"I do not."

Miko stood.

He copied her.

Tiny legs spread.

One step.

Then another.

A dramatic side-to-side wobble.

"Mama walk like..."

"Miko."

He waddled harder.

"Like this."

Kairo looked up from the stick he had been carving.

Nilo stopped chewing.

Lumi stared.

Miko noticed he had an audience.

Terrible.

His performance immediately became ten times worse.

He puffed out his stomach.

Placed both tiny hands against his lower back.

Then waddled in a slow circle while making exhausted little noises.

"Ugh. Ugh. Baby heavy. Miko tired."

Kairo’s mouth dropped open.

"Miko, stop."

"No. Mama do this."

"I DO NOT!"

Miko nodded seriously.

"Do."

Lumi slapped both hands over her mouth.

Nilo looked down at the ground, shoulders trembling.

Swanly pointed at him.

"Nilo."

He swallowed.

"Not laughing."

"You are shaking."

"Cold."

"It is hot."

Nilo had no answer.

Kael coughed into his fist.

Soren turned completely around.

Swanly pointed.

"Both of you better not be laughing."

Neither answered.

Miko waddled past her.

"Baby make Mama go..."

He swung left.

Then right.

"Wobble. Wobble."

Kairo finally broke.

A tiny snort escaped him.

Swanly’s head snapped toward him.

Kairo immediately pointed at Miko.

"He start!"

Traitor.

Miko did not care.

He was committed now.

He waddled past Swanly again, one hand against his back.

"Wobble."

Then turned.

"Wobble."

Lumi collapsed against Nilo.

"Again!"

Swanly’s face became murderous.

"Miko."

He froze.

"Mama?"

"Run."

His eyes widened.

Then he ran.

Swanly went after him.

"MAMA SLOW TOO!"

Kael’s head snapped up.

Soren closed his eyes.

Miko realized his mistake approximately half a heartbeat too late.

"Papa!"

Kael caught him by the back of his tunic before Swanly reached him.

Miko dangled in the air.

"Save Miko!"

Kairo and Nilo immediately backed away.

Miko stared at them.

"Brothers!"

Kairo shook his head.

"You choose death."

Nilo nodded.

"We cannot help."

Lumi peeked from behind Kairo.

"Miko was funny."

Miko brightened.

Then Swanly looked at her.

Lumi disappeared completely behind Kairo.

"No funny."

Swanly held out her hand.

"Give me your son."

Kael immediately answered:

"Our son."

"Kael."

Miko kicked his tiny legs.

"Papa, no!"

Swanly smiled sweetly.

"Miko."

His face went pale.

"Mama pretty."

"Too late."

"Mama walk beautiful."

"Too late."

"Mama not wobble!"

He twisted desperately toward his brothers.

"Tell Mama!"

Kairo looked at Swanly.

Then at Miko.

"Mama not wobble."

Nilo nodded quickly.

"Never."

Lumi poked her head out.

"Little wobble."

Everyone turned toward her.

Lumi’s eyes widened.

She slowly disappeared again.

Soren finally lost the battle.

A quiet laugh escaped him.

Swanly’s head snapped toward him.

Soren immediately became expressionless.

She pointed.

"You’re next."

His silver eyes widened slightly.

Miko, still dangling, whispered:

"Run, Snake Papa."

For once in his life, Soren took the cub’s advice.