Gritting Her Teeth {Tags Reqqy}

[ryanne]

After her talk with Savitri, Lia knew that she had to go to the healer. She didn't want to and she'd put it off for as long as possible, but it was something that she had to do. Finally finding a break from the kitchens, she excused herself from her mother and hurried to the infirmary. She just hoped that this Kalierre person was on duty. If Savi trusted her, she knew that she could trust her. It was just going to be hard to retell her story again. She'd come more to terms with the situation over the past sevenday, but it didn't help that it hurt to think about it. To think she was going to the talk of the weyr for months because of some stupid gold Flight.

Subconsciously, she rubbed the bump at her midsection, trying to reassure herself. Lia knew that it was going to be hard and part of her wanted to hate the baby growing inside of her, but another part couldn't help but smile at the idea of holding the child in her arms and helping him or her grow up. She wanted to be a mother all of her life, just not like this. Not as a weyrling. She was going to love the child and she knew it, but it was going to be hard and she was going to need help.

Entering the infirmary, she frowned, looking around. "Hello?" she questioned, her voice soft but definitely audible. She flattened her hair nervously, hoping that Kalierre would be there. She needed someone that she knew she could trust and she didn't know any of the healers but Savitri and her word on the nature of the other healer was going to have to be enough for her.

[reqqy]

"No, no, no," the woman explained, exasperated. How many times was she going to have to go over the anatomy of a dragon's wing? The extra healers had helped take some of the load off, but she was having the most terrible time trying to get these eager young apprentices to understand rudimentary anatomy. A candidate had a better idea of such things. Did no one teach even the basics at Healer Hall? She tried to remember, and couldn't. That was quite a while ago for her. And besides...they'd probably changed the curriculum half a dozen times since then.

That was when Lust decided that he was bored. Obviously, his bonded didn't much care for these annoying pests, and it was about time that he got rid of them. For good. Kali hissed as his claws scrabbled against the skin of her chest, and then he was out, hissing and biting at anything stupid enough to remain in the classroom for more than a few seconds. "Lust..." Kalierre muttered, too weary to get upset. "Do you have to be such a pain in the neck all the time?"

Apparently so. The little creature chased the young ones into the hall, most of them sprinting past the young woman who'd just wandered in. Kalierre's annoyance flared. "Lust!" she snapped, and he froze. Oh, bother! That was her 'I'm going to make your life miserable if you don't stop this instant' tone. He hated that one. Still hissing, and not altogether pleased that Kalierre was pulling this on him yet again, the male scurried back toward her, climbing up onto her boot and nipping at her ankle for good measure. The woman ignored it.

Stalking down the hall, she peered out after the retreating apprentices and shook her head. "You are going to be the death of me, one of these days, little slug," the woman murmured, affection in her voice. Lust bit her harder than before. Kali's eyes narrowed, but she refused to acknowledge it, as that was the best way to make him stop. Looking over to the young woman - a weyrling? - the dragonhealer flashed an apologetic smile. "He's a terror, but he's under control now. Was there something you needed, miss?"

[ryanne]

Liassa heard the teachings going on a little further back in the infirmary. About to walk back there to see if she could get some help, a horde of younger men and women made her way rather hastily. Behind them was a bronze blur was making a whole lot of noise, hissing, spitting and the sorts. Biting back a laugh, she simply stepped off to the side. If he decided to make her way, she show him who was boss. She was not at all scared of a salamandyr. Sure, they could do a bit of damage, but a firm hand would make most of them stop. She had a feeling his bonded would be close behind anyway and get a handle on the errant 'mandyr.

And she was right. The tone with which the woman spoke clearly stopped the bronze in his tracks. Forgetting her own problems for a moment, Lia grinned, clapping softly. "Now he's a character," she commented before she spoke. A terror was an appropriate way to describe him as well she supposed. Salamandyrs were tough creatures. Sometimes they were overbearing and hard to handle or they were like Lock and refused to do anything at all. She had yet to decide which was more annoying. She loved activity and movement, but it was easier to deal with a lazy 'mandyr. Either way, having more than one bonded in it of itself was a mess.

Glancing at the woman's knots, she noticed that she wasn't only a healer, but a greenrider. Maybe this was the woman that Savitri had told her about. "Yes, umm, I was wondering if Kalierre was about. My friend told me to come see her." She bit her lip, the anxiety showing back through again. She was going to do this. She would tell the healer what was happening and she was going to get the advice she needed. It wasn't going to be fun, she was going to embarrassed, but it was her own sharding fault and she would do what needed to be done minus the tears and the weakness. That was how it was going to work.

[reqqy]

Kalierre couldn't help but smile at Liassa. A character? Now, that was certainly one way to put it. No one would ever argue that one, now would they? She was beginning to place the girl now. Hadn't she been sitting with Savitri at the Hatching Feast? Not that it was likely Liassa would recognize her. There'd been so much going on, and anyway, Kalierre cleaned up very well. Or you could just say she dressed rather frumpily the rest of the time. Either way, the difference was great, and she was somewhat accustomed to people not making the connection between both sides of the dragonhealer.

A brow rose at Liassa's explanation. "You mean Savitri, I imagine. I saw you with her earlier. In fact, sorry about the hair." Kalierre smiled sheepishly. "Miguel's the son of my friend, and I'm afraid I have very little control over the tyke. He's much better behaved when with his mother." Speaking of being behaved...The dragonhealer reached down and plucked Lust from her ankle, who had stopped gnawing at her after a minute or so. She glared pointedly at him. The bronze hissed, sullen, but he remained docile for the nonce, scurrying up her sleeve and turning about to leave just his head exposed. His claws digging into her skin to keep him in place was comfortable in its familiarity.

Oh, she was being silly. She was so used to being recognized that it simply hadn't occurred to her...Well, she did practically run the infirmary, was currently the only dragonhealer, there was her bonding with Phremath, the weyrling massacre, her association with the terrorizing bronze salamandyr, and now the nude marathon across the length of Selenitas. She supposed it was natural to assume recognition. And laughed at herself for her hubris. "I apologize. I'm Kalierre. Why don't we go someplace a little less public? Standing in the doorway isn't typically a good place for questions." The dragonhealer let her hand rest lightly on the girl's arm to direct her toward an empty room. This morning, at least, there weren't too many patients taking up her cots.

[ryanne]

When Kali mentioned the pulling of her hair, Liassa recognized her. "Oh, I remember you now. Don't worry about it, he was quite adorable." Now that was a thought. Someday she would be a mother of a weyrbrat, trying to keep the child from pulling people's hair and running about just trying to keep a handle on the little one. The thought of her chasing a little child through the Creche made her laugh a bit. It would definitely be a challenge, but as nervous as she was, Lia wasn't one to turn away from a challenge. She got herself into this situation and she'd resolved to live through it. Sure, she was nervous about confirming it and finding out whether or not her babe was healthy and the due date, and that sorts of stuff, but she would do it and part of her would be happy about it. Now was not the ideal time for a child, but already she knew that she would love her child like no other. Just the thought of holding her babe in her arms was peaceful, even with the craziness it would cause.

She wasn't necessarily ready for this, but she would do her best and part of her would be glad of it. When the woman said that she was Kalierre, she almost let out a sigh of relief. She wouldn't have to involve anyone else in this just yet. One less person would have to know that she was here. As much as she was accepting her pregnancy, she was not going to be fond of telling everyone and having to deal with their reactions. Sure, her next stop after this was to the Weyrling Mistress, Aryna, to let her know. But that was only one more person. The general public, now that was an entirely different story. The rest of her weyrling class? Just the thought of that made her anxious. She didn't really care what people thought, but she didn't want to be scorned or rejected because of her child. It would wound her just a little as much as she wished that it wouldn't.

Lia allowed Kalierre to direct her, smiling thankfully at the woman. The hall definitely wasn't the place that she wanted to confess her pregnancy in. When they reached the empty room, she took a deep breath before turning to face the healer. "Savitri told me to find you because I told her about a sevenday about the symptoms I've been experiencing for the past four months." Her nerves made her revert to formal speech, just a statement of the facts. "I have morning sickness, mood swings, headaches, all the regular symptoms of a pregnancy. And I'm showing already." There she said it. To emphasize her point, she drew up her loose tunic to show the small bump that she swore was growing from day to day. Possessively, she placed her hand on the side of the lump, marvelling for just a moment about the tauntness of the skin over the evidence of her pregnancy. "She told me I need to confirm it with a healer and be checked out to make sure the babe is alright and so that I know what I can and can't do to ensure a healthy pregnancy."

[reqqy]

When can we go flying? Later. But when? I'm with someone right now, lovely. Patience. You were supposed to get off a candlemark ago. Kali chuckled, though she knew Liassa wouldn't know why she was laughing. Was it really so unusual for her to be at the infirmary well past her shift? She would have thought the green would have figured that one out by now. Since she wasn't getting anywhere with Hers, Phremath naturally decided to address the dragonhealer's companion. I'm sure Mine will help you with whatever it is, but could you please drag her out of there when you go? She's always working too hard, the green entreated plaintively.

Kalierre shook her head. "Don't let her fool you; she just wants to fly." Despite the apparent annoyance, affection tainted her words. She knew how unusual it was for dragons to address anyone other than Theirs. Phremath was quite generally unusual. If Kalierre had had anything in the way of genetic background, she likely would have been quite interested in comparing the green's genetic structure with that of an 'average' dragon. Unfortunately, though archives suggested it had once been common practice, that particular science was generally lost to the healers of today's Pern.

When Liassa started talking, however, Kali's attention immediately went toward the younger woman - and her alone. Even before the weyrling mentioned it, she strongly suspected pregnancy, and one glance at the positioning of the small bulge in the girl's womb confirmed it. Well. That was - somewhat unusual. Not extremely, but she wasn't used to seeing new mothers quite this young. Or perhaps most of them simply went to the drudges who tended to deal with such things rather than actually coming to the infirmary. Basic folk wisdom was an adequate substitute for healer expertise in this case, aside from a few of the more unusual pregnancies.

"May I?" Without waiting for an answer, the dragonhealer took a step forward, placing both hands along the woman's abdomen. She felt around the bulge delicately. If this was four month's old, it seemed to be of an appropriate size and shape. A small smile touched her lips. "You should start feeling kicks in the next two months, I imagine. Not too strong at first." Looking to Liassa, she pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen before the healer's face. "If the morning sickness is still strong for another month, I'd expect it to continue all the way up until the last. Your babe is riding high. If you've noticed that your symptoms are stronger than what you've seen in other people, that's why. It's not particularly pleasant, but it's fairly normal for a first pregnancy - I'm assuming this is your first? - and is no cause for concern.

"Would you like to go over basic health issues that will effect your child's growth?"

[ryanne]

Liassa was slightly discomfitted when the healer began to laugh. Wondering briefly whether she had done something the woman found amusing, a voice chimed in her head. Oh, she was speaking with her dragon. It was odd for a dragon to speak with another, but she was honored even if the comment was slightly offhand. Reaching back out with her mind, she answered, I will. I understand. Healers always work too hard. She was thinking of Savitri when she said that, but she knew it was safe to assume that Kalierre did as well, especially if she had earned Savitri's respect like she had. She knew that her older friend didn't trust and respect as easily as most and some of the things that she valued most were being hardworking and not afraid to go the extra distance to get a job done properly.

She laughed softly, trying to loosen up. Mine, why were you talking with another? Tiaeth asked, her voice suddenly alert. She'd been sleeping a few moments ago. Phremath wanted to tell me to watch her rider for her, make sure that she left on time so they could go flying. Liassa made sure to explain fully. She didn't want her little green to get jealous or angry. She'd seen the dragon in a rage and it wasn't a good thing. Okay, Mine, I'm hungry. Can we eat when you come back from Phremath's? Lia grinned softly. Her dragon was either hungry or sleepy or both. It was supposed to slowly wear off, but she had a feeling that it would persist for a bit longer than usual with her Tiaeth. She loved that dragon and she didn't care one bit if it did. Of course.

"Tiaeth got jealous. She was scared that your Phremath was infringing upon her bonded by using mindspeak," she commented to Kalierre. She knew that her dragon's fear was a little silly, but she thought it was adorable. Tiaeth wasn't scared of Lock, but she was bonded to Lock when she attached herself to Tiaeth. It was almost like a package deal, not the 'mandyr did anything besides sleep. Occasionally, the pair would actually sleep together, the little green curled around the brown. It didn't happen often, though, because usually Lock was too lazy to move to the dragoncouch. She almost rolled her eyes at that thought. She seemed to attract sleepy bondeds. It was a good thing that she liked to sun or she'd get bored with them outside.

As Kalierre felt her stomach, Liassa briskly realized that this was her confirmation. She was indeed pregnant. That little swell was her baby, growing inside of her. For some reason, she was a bit less scared. Telling everyone, having everyone know, yes that frightened her, but actually being pregnant, having her baby growing inside of her, well, she was a little happy about that. At the mention of the babe kicking, her eyes grew even brighter. She would have a real, live baby in her. It was exciting. And the explanations for the morning sickness were well enough. It would persist, but it was normal and that was a relief. She didn't want anything to go wrong. "Yes, this is my first," she answered, rubbing her hand over the lump again, a small grin on her face. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"Yes, please," she answered, trying to shake the glazed look out of her eyes. She needed to focus and learn what was acceptable and unacceptable while she was carrying her child. She would hate to do anything to injure the babe's health and she needed to know what she was going to tell her weyrling master.

[reqqy]

Jealous of Phremath speaking to her? That almost made Kalierre laugh again. There was certainly no reason to be jealous! Kali’s green was simply friendly and outspoken; she made absolutely no distinction whatsoever when it came to communicating with ‘outsiders’. In her typical fashion, Phremath couldn’t bear that Tiaeth be distressed over something she’d done! The little green immediately set about making sure that the situation was rectified. Don’t be upset, Tiaeth, the cheerful voice sounded, not so high as to be strident, but certainly not on the low end of the vocal spectrum. I just thought Yours might be able to get Mine to leave with her. Mine has been getting more overwhelmed lately, she added conspiratorially.

Maybe the little weyrling would not appreciate Phremath’s running commentary, but the dragon was not the sort of creature to consider that as an option. After all, she liked nearly everyone. Why shouldn’t they like her? Now, she didn’t know that she was practically the opposite of this near-hatchling, as Phremath was and had always been a bundle of energy. Even now, the green shifted impatiently on her weyrledge, fervently prodding at Hers to hurry it up so that they could take to the air. As long as Kalierre insisted on being with her in flight, she would be relentless about getting the woman to get off her shift on time.

The dragonhealer smiled at Liassa. She’d never really had a fascination with babes as most women seemed to. They were pretty much fully explained at this point. Kalierre was a woman of a curious disposition, and tended to gravitate toward those fields that had much left to be discovered. She certainly didn’t have a romantic view of birth. The dragonhealer was, however, empathetic enough to be able to adopt another person’s joy. She waited for the young woman to rejoin her in the present, calmly resolving to go slower and make sure she didn’t lose her.

“Let’s start with the simple things. Some people will tell you not to eat dairy when you’re pregnant. That’s silly. Your babe needs a lot of calcium to grow, and he’ll be taking it from you. The best rule of thumb is just to eat what you crave. Your body, and your child’s body, will be sure to tell you most of what you’re missing. It might cause you to consume some strange combinations, but just realize that’s because you have two separate beings with different needs that you’re trying to satisfy. There are a few things you shouldn’t eat: any raw meat, liver, raw shellfish, raw eggs, soft cheeses, any unwashed vegetables (but be sure to eat those that are washed or cooked!), and alcohol. Definitely don’t imbibe. That often causes defects, or even dependency in an unborn child.

“Also, it’s good to be active. Don’t be running and jumping around like a crazy person – I doubt you’ll feel you want to, anyway – but you can still do most of your normal activities, including weyrling lessons. No Betweening, although Tiaeth’s too young for that, anyway. You need to be up and walking and go ahead and lift light loads. Nothing too heavy, but keeping that armstrength up will make it easier for you in the long run. Basically, I don’t want you doing anything that will get your heart racing, but you need to keep your activities as normal as possible to maintain a healthy body, which in turn will make for a healthy baby. Plus, it will make it easier to lose the pounds you will during the course of your pregnancy. Don’t worry about getting fat, either, so long as you’re walking and whatnot. If you don’t gain weight I’ll be after your head.” Kalierre punctuated that last with a pleasant smile.

[ryanne]

Tiaeth immediately calmed when the other green’s voice chimed her reassurance. Oh, okay. I understand, she replied as her voice slowly regained its usual chipper, Hopefully Ours will be done soon. I want Mine to feed me and maybe even oil me. I’m starting to feel itchy. The worst feeling in all of Pern for the little green was the scratchiness of her hide when it wasn’t smothered in oil. She didn’t like twisting and moving to try and scratch an itch that wouldn’t seem to go away. Hers was very good at taking care of it, but she still itched every now and again and it was already slowly starting to come back again today.

Liassa continued to rub her fingers along her swelled belly, still taking in the confirmed thought of her pregnancy. With Savitri, she’d been overcome with the idea of trying to care for a babe and tend to her dragon as well as dealing with the mockings of others for getting pregnant and then Impressing. She really was in a very precarious position, but the idea of having a child of her own suddenly seemed so worth it. The timing wasn’t the best, but she couldn’t imagine getting rid of the child that was already growing inside of her. She’d always thought that babies were absolutely adorable and she loved to hold them and play with them when the mothers would let her. Sure, she’d laughed her fair share at the pregnant loose workers that were popping out babes left and right. Sure, she’d shaken her head when a girl her age walked around, her belly fully rounded. But she’d deal with that and she was sure that she could handle this now. She would be a mother and she would not be scared or ashamed about how it happened. If now was her time, then so be it because she wasn’t going to do anything to harm the child that was depending on her so much for life.

As the healer spoke, she listened intently. Lia knew that Savitri would probably be keeping an eye on her to make sure that she followed the rules and didn’t endanger the babe. She wanted to make sure that she had the rules straight in her own head so that if she felt she could do something and someone tried to argue with her, she could back it up with what Kali was telling her. She didn’t bother to voice that, though, only nodding when the healer came to the end of her list. The fact that she was able to stay active was a good thing, though the Weyrling Master was probably wasn’t going to be giving her any of the harder chores after her pregnancy became common knowledge. Sometimes people were just going to be too cautious and she was going to have to take it in stride. She knew that if she was doling out the chores, she wouldn’t have stuck a pregnant woman in the firestone closet. It just didn’t make much sense.

She grinned when Kalierre threatened her about gaining weight. Unlike most girls her age, she had no problem with having curves to her body. She was far from pudgy, but she had generous hips and bust and she liked that and she’d heard no complaints about it. She was strong and, even though people couldn’t usually tell, she could do more than most her size when it came to activities. But she was unconcerned about her weight and, even though she was determined not to gain any unnecessary weight, she had no problem with the normal amount of fluctuation. After all, she’d be adding the weight of a second being. “I understand,” she replied to reinforce that idea. “Now, umm, do you have any suggestions for supplies that I’m going to need to start collecting?” she asked, beginning to worry about the marks aspect of it all. She was just a weyrling and even though she thought her mother would help a little, it was going to take a while to get enough marks to purchase everything she needed for her child. She wanted to make sure what was necessary long in advance so that she could begin to save now instead rushing later.

[reqqy]

I think they're quite nearly done, the green commented, with a certain forcefulness that suggested that, if they were not finished, she would be sure to hustle things along. Her stunted wings kicked up a quiet whir. That's not good! You know what I do when I'm itchy? Phremath, whose Mine was typically busy with something and did not always have the time to promptly relieve an itch, was more than accustomed to finding ways to help herself. If you go into the shallow part of the river, you can rub up all against the stones and it will make you feel a little better. At least until Yours can oil you.

Not much of a one to comment, was she? Oh well. That wasn't absolutely necessary, though she would have liked more than a nod, just to be sure that the girl was actually following her. The dragonhealer tended to inundate people with information. It was one of the things she strongly believed in; if she gave someone a lot of facts to go on, if they had some sort of understanding about the situation they were in, they'd be more likely to take care of themselves better and to involve her if she needed to be. Aside from that, it revealed that Kalierre wasn't simply shooting into the dark and concocting treatments out of thin air. Of course, that wasn't applicable here, but Kali was known for some of her rather unconventional approaches to things. She was one of the only healers who, while surgery was not a specialty, would perform an emergency surgical procedure with no idea what she was going to find upon making the first incision. No, she wasn't reckless, but when it came to life-and-death situations, trying something was better than just hoping it would get better.

A brow rose at Liassa's question. Children could be expensive, but it was strange she was asking this question of Kalierre, who'd never had a child. Supplies was crossing into the realm that healers didn't typically deal with. Lauranna would have a better idea, having raised Miguel to weaning age - and now mothering him again. "You should probably ask that of one of the fostermothers, or perhaps Lauranna if you know her. From what I can tell you, though...you won't have to worry about feeding the child, as you'll be breastfeeding and there are things within the dining hall that will be suitable for a weaned child. All medical things you need will also be provided. I imagine that just leaves linens, and you can probably get some older things from some of the drudges around the weyr. This doesn't have to be a huge venture. I'd still talk to someone who had actually raised a babe, though," the dragonhealer finished, smiling gently.

[ryanne]

((Crappy post, sorry))

I suppose they are almost done. Mine is feeling less confused now. She’s not as upset anymore. I think she’s actually kind of happy now,[/i] Tiaeth commented, not realizing that she probably shouldn’t be telling her rider’s emotions to another dragon. It wouldn’t do any harm anyhow. Lia wouldn’t care. Ooh, I’ll have to try that sometime. I’m still too little to fly, though, so I have to wait for Mine. Is flying fun?[/i] Tiaeth was a curious soul and she wanted to do all the things that she would someday be able to, but she wanted to do them all now. She didn’t like having to wait until she was older and bigger.

Lost in her thoughts, it took her a little bit to draw herself back. She needed to focus on the information being given to her, not all the ‘what ifs’ that were racing through her mind. She smiled at Kalierre, moving her attention back where it belonged. “I’ll ask one of the women I know who’ve given birth. I know plenty of foster parents, I just never thought I’d have to go to them for this sort of information this soon.” Grinning ruefully, she rubbed the bulge one more time before dropping her shirt back over the evidence on her pregnancy. “I suppose I have a lot to do to prepare. Can you give me an idea of a due date?” she asked hopefully. It would definitely make her feel better if she knew how much time she had to prepare.

I itch! Tiaeth complained, trying to urge Hers out of there for her own sake as well as Phremath’s. Lia wrinkled her nose. “Tiaeth is trying to get me to leave. Apparently your dragon is eager to go flying and my dragon is feeling a little itchy. Thank you so much for your time and advice. I really do appreciate it.” She smiled again and nodded, “I’m supposed to make sure that you leave with me. You coming?” she motioned towards the door.
[/size]

[reqqy]

Phremath trilled in genuine pleasure when she heard that Hers had helped Tiaeth's to feel better. How proud she was of KaliMine! The little green couched Hers in a warm mental embrace. Kalierre's affection and perplexed amusement returned over their bond. What's that for? the woman questioned laughingly. I'm just glad I made you Mine. The best of all the girls and boys - the men and women - on the Sands. Phremath had known immediately who she wanted, as her future bonded risked the gold's wrath to aid the girl Aezanth had mauled so terribly. Such a mix of courage, strength and compassion - surely she would accept her Phremath! But KaliMine had done so much more; she'd given her dragon a form of flight against all odds. How she adored her! As am I, came the woman's quite reply. You rescued me, Phremath. Your joy takes away the weariness. For a moment they simply basked. No others existed.

Ah, but neither of them were alone. The older green crooned to Tiaeth, allowing the mental touch to carry it to the little weyrling. There is nothing more glorious. It is what we were hatched for. And you will fly as dragons are meant to fly. You will own the skies as I can only pretend to - if you are patient and listen well in lessons. There was a touch of passionate furor intermingled with an impersonal envy. To be able to soar on just the power of her wings! She did not - could not - begrudge Tiaeth that glorious freedom. But Phremath would have loved to join her in her rise without blinking Between or harnessing the power of an errant thermal - and being fettered by the dimensions of that thermal. We should go flying together when you are older, the green concluded cheerfully.

Kalierre returned the smile, a gentleness in the expression. "Were I not constantly adragonback since my early teens, I would likely have ahad a child at a younger age than you." There was nothing shameful about it - other than, perhaps, the fact that Liassa must have broken the rules to be at this stage in her pregnancy right now - lest the circumstances of conception in itself was shameful. It did not occur to her that this statement might paint her in a bad light. Kalierre was an adaptive creature, and as a young dragonhealer at Benden it had suited her to take on male protectors - or possessors, if one were truly honest. Her concept of physical intimacy was loose at best, though she'd not been touched outside of Flight in her two turns at Selenitas. Here, that form of self-defense was unnecessary.

"Ah," the dragonhealer vocalized, bringing her fingers to her lips. "It will be easier to tell later on, but I'd say about five months from now, in the second or third week. Babies aren't known for sticking to a set schedule, though," she added dryly. A brow slowly rose into her hairline. Are you pleading with Tiaeth? Kalierre questioned incredulously. She wanted to know about flying! The woman snorted. "I suppose I have little choice." A smile softened the words as she moved to hold the door open for Liassa.