Disclaimer: Pet Fly and Paramount own the copyright to The Sentinel
and its characters. This piece of fan fiction was written solely for
the love of the characters and to share freely with other fans. No
profit is being made from the posting of this story.

Acknowledgments: I want to say a big *thank you* to my wonderful
betas: Mary, Lyn, and Annie. Their talents always make my stories
better.

Summary: As B'layr approaches the birth of their child, the
unthinkable happens -- Jim is nearly killed in a hunting accident.
M'arik's trial goes forward, reuniting the Tribes. (Note: Amateur
radio call signs used in this story belong to my husband and myself.)

FEEDBACK appreciated at: nat1228@comcast.net


SQ8: REFORGED TIES
By Natalie L


Carl Sanchez picked up the phone in his office and dialed, waiting
patiently until the connection went through.

//"Ellison and Sons; how may I help you?"// answered the secretary.

"I'd like to speak with Steve Ellison, please. My name is Carl
Sanchez. I'm a professor with Rainier University, and I'm calling on
behalf of B'layr Ellison."

//"Just a moment, please."//

There were a few brief seconds of music before Steven, Jr., came on
the line. //"Professor Sanchez? Steve Ellison here. What can I do for
you?"//

Sanchez cleared his throat and launched into his well-rehearsed
speech. "I believe a grave injustice was perpetrated here by
Chancellor Edwards, and by the publisher, Sid Graham. We both know
B'layr's thesis was a true and compelling tale of his people, and
further, we both know he wasn't ready to release it."

//"That was Naomi Sandburg's fault,"// Steve interrupted to point out.
//"I don't know if you've heard, but she died recently."//

"My God! What happened?" Sanchez was momentarily stunned by the news.

//"It's not clear yet whether or not her death was an accident, but
there was a group of elves who disapproved of her and what she did."//

"Was?" queried the professor.

//"They've disappeared, and the Tribes are busy dealing with moving
deeper into the forest until the publicity dies down,"// Steve
explained. //"The elves suspected of this crime will be sought out and
punished as soon as the Tribe is able."//

"Ms. Sandburg was certainly at fault, but her intentions were not
malicious," said Sanchez. "On the other hand, Sid Graham knew the
nature of the paper he received, and he chose to make certain details
public in order to persuade B'layr into publishing. B'layr had not
given permission for that paper to be released."

//"I'm well aware of that,"// Steve replied.

"And Chancellor Edwards went along with it!" the professor spat. "That
woman has an agenda and it has more to do with publicity for the
university than it does with ethics! As soon as Mr. Graham came to her
with the proposition, she should have put a lid on it and threatened
the publisher with a lawsuit if he made any of B'layr's paper public.
She *knows* the procedure for doctoral dissertations and she broke the
rules for personal gain. I'd like to see both Chancellor Edwards and
Sid Graham sued for what they've done. Hell, Edwards should lose her
job over this. Even a cursory investigation will undoubtedly uncover
more suspicious activity on her part. She's been an embarrassment to
this university long enough!" Sanchez stopped to take a breath,
reining in his spiraling anger. "The Ellison estate has granted this
institution with a considerable endowment over the years. I would
suggest you threaten to rescind the money unless action is taken
against the Chancellor."

//"I would have to contact B'layr; see what his feelings are on
proceeding with a lawsuit. But I agree,"// said Steve, nodding and
tapping the eraser-end of a pencil on his desk. //"I'd like to see
that the people responsible for his embarrassment are punished to the
full extent of the law. He didn't deserve any of this."//

"No, he didn't. It never should have come to this," Sanchez agreed.
"So you'll set the wheels in motion?"

//"Consider it done."//

~oO0Oo~

B'layr looked up from his packing as Jim strode into the cabin. "Any
luck?"

"Yeah, we found a good spot about two days' hike the other side of the
sacred pool," Jim replied. "There's a decent clearing and some nearby
caves that should be adequate for wintering over."

"I wish we did not have to move," B'layr sighed. "I do not relish the
possibility of giving birth in such a primitive setting."

"You mean the way it's always been done? The way you did it several
times before?" Jim teased.

"Before, there was another Healer to oversee the births," B'layr
reminded his mate. "Now, if something goes wrong, there is no one with
enough knowledge to help. I certainly would not be able, if there were
complications."

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves here," Jim soothed. "After
all, you've had an easy time with the pregnancy so far. Who's to say
the birth won't be easy as well?"

"I have no reason to believe it will be anything other than routine,
but I have gotten used to the idea of modern medicine should the old
ways prove insufficient." B'layr sighed and stuffed one last book into
the backpack containing a selection of his clothing.

"That's not all you're taking, is it?" Jim asked, looking around the
room at the closet still full of clothes and the shelves brimming with
books.

"It is all I can carry," B'layr explained. "I can come back for more
later."

"I built a travois to help carry what we need," Jim told his mate.
"We'll have to make fewer trips that way."

B'layr smiled and nodded. "That is good, but we cannot bring the whole
cabin with us."

"What about your loom?" Jim wondered. "You'll need something to do
come this winter when we're all cooped up in those caves."

B'layr rubbed his hands over the mound of his belly. "I will have
plenty to keep me busy this winter. Our child will be born before we
have to leave for the caves."

"But you'll need something to do to relax," Jim argued.

"I will have my books," said B'layr. "Some of them, anyway. It will be
enough."

"I'll pack a couple of suitcases to take on this first trip," said
Jim, going to the closet to pick out a variety of clothing. "Anything
else you want? I can carry a fair amount with the travois."

"Do we have the makings for a shelter? We shall need a protected place
to sleep when we get to our new home."

"I can call Steve and have him send a lightweight tent," Jim replied.

"But we should leave no later than tomorrow," B'layr pointed out. "Can
he get it here so quickly?"

"I don't see why not," said Jim. "I'll fire up the radio and give him
a call."

"Perhaps you could have him send as many tents as he can fit in the
helicopter?" B'layr suggested. "We are not the only ones who will be
in need of shelter. Tents will help until we can build enough sleeping
huts."

"I'll see what I can do," Jim promised.

As B'layr took over packing the suitcases, Jim went to the small
amateur radio station and fired up the rig. "N7TE calling N7IKD, are
you around, Steve?"

//"N7TE, this is WB7WDE. Handle here is Ned."//

"Hey, Ned. The name here is Jim. I'm looking for my nephew. We've got
a bit of an emergency here. What's your location?"

//"Seattle."//

"Could I trouble you to make a call? The number is 555-2724 - location
Cascade. You can call collect."

//"Sure thing. What's the message?"//

"Have him meet me on forty meters. He knows where to find me."

//"Will do. Nice talking to you, Jim. WB7WDE clear and dialing."//

"N7TE clear and listening," Jim replied.

Within five minutes, the radio crackled to life again. //"N7IKD
calling N7TE. You there, Jim?"//

"N7IKD this is N7TE. Hey, Steve! I've got a favor to ask..." Jim
began.

//"I've got some news for you, too. Something important has come
up,"// Steve replied. //"B'layr's thesis advisor, Carl Sanchez, called
to suggest we initiate legal proceedings against Chancellor Edwards
and Sid Graham."//

"Go for it!" Jim heartily agreed. "They both need a good raking over
the coals. Use what you need to hire the best lawyers, and anything we
get as a result should be funneled into a scholarship account for the
anthropology department in B'layr's name."

//"You've got it!"// Steve agreed. //"So, what was it you said you
needed?"//

"Tents," Jim replied. "As many two- and four-person tents as you can
stow in the copter. The Tribes are going to have to rough it for a few
months, and we need some temporary shelter."

A brief sigh came over the radio before Steve spoke again. //"Just
another reason to see that Edwards and Graham get the screws put to
them. How long are you going to have to hide out?"//

"I'd rather not discuss it over the radio," Jim answered. "I'm afraid
we've already said too much. Just get the tents here, and I'll tell
you all about it."

//"How soon do you need them?"//

"Today, if possible. No later than early tomorrow."

//"You'll have them before nightfall,"// Steve promised. //"N7IKD
out."//

"Thanks, Stevie. See you soon. N7IKD, this is N7TE. I'm out of here."
Jim turned off the radio and walked back over to where B'layr was
putting the finishing touches on packing.

"Will we have enough room on the travois for a tent with all this?"
B'layr asked, gliding a hand over the suitcases and backpacks.

"I can carry a fair amount, as can L'anin," said Jim. "Don't worry,
there'll be room for a tent."

B'layr sank down on the bed with a sigh. "I have become spoiled," he
said. "I shall miss the soft warmth of our bed." He looked up at his
mate and lover with a twinkle in his eye. "Come, let us make love here
one more time, in the comfort of our home."

Jim picked up the suitcases, turning his back on his mate as he
carried them to the door and set them just outside the cabin. When he
turned back, B'layr was pulling off his jeans and chucking them onto
the floor. The naked elf grinned and beckoned to his lover. With a
sigh that spoke volumes, Jim began shedding his clothes as he walked
back toward the bed.

"You're really something, you know that?" Jim commented as he crawled
onto the bed, pushing B'layr back against the pillows and ravaging his
mouth with a hungry kiss.

B'layr reached up to cradle Jim's head between his palms and when
their kiss broke, his bright eyes sparkled as he shook his head. "No;
what am I?"

"You are an... imp! A depraved, sexually ravenous imp!" Jim reached
down between their bodies to stroke the hard shaft of his lover's
erection.

B'layr wriggled with delight at the touch, laughing as he pulled Jim
down for another kiss. "We have not had sex since early this morning.
It is time again, do you not agree?"

"You're going to be the death of me!" Jim lightheartedly complained as
he allowed his soulmate to claim him once more.

~oO0Oo~

Soft laughter filtered through the fog of their post-coital bliss, and
Jim opened his eyes to see L'anin framed in the doorway.

"If Mother has his way, we will never make it to the new camp," their
son exclaimed. "The scouts have reported hearing the metal bird
approach."

L'anin's pronouncement got Jim quickly out of bed. He began pulling on
his clothes as B'layr opened his eyes and rubbed the sleep from them.

"The helicopter has arrived?" B'layr asked, slowing tossing back the
covers and scooting his way off the bed.

"It is most likely in the clearing by now," L'anin confirmed. "Why
would Steve be coming here now?"

"I asked him to come," Jim explained. "He's bringing tents for
temporary shelter."

"That is good! We could use them," agreed L'anin. "I shall start off.
Catch up when you can."

"You go," B'layr urged his mate. "I'll follow as soon as I can get
dressed."

"Save your strength," said Jim, pushing B'layr back down onto the bed.
"We have a long hike ahead of us to get to the new campground."

"I am not a cripple because I am pregnant," B'layr reminded his mate.
"I am a bit slower, that is all."

"I don't want you carrying more than your backpack," Jim argued.
"L'anin and I will take the travois to pick up the tents."

L'anin glanced up the shelves in the pantry area, lined with jars of
dried herbs and medicinals. "Make sure to pack as much of the medicine
as you can, Mother," he suggested. "We shall undoubtedly be in more
need once we start living in the wild again. By the time you are
finished, we shall be back."

B'layr looked between his mate and his son, seeing a wall of
solidarity that he couldn't hope to pierce. "All right," he said with
a tired sigh. "Get along before Stevie wonders why we bothered him."

After his family had left, B'layr rummaged in the bottom drawer of
their large dresser for the medicine pouches K'tan had left for him
after his death. Taking down the jars of medicinal herbs and plants,
he began to fill the pouches with as much as they would hold and then
stashed the leather bags in his already over-full backpack.

~oO0Oo~

Jim ducked under the backwash from the rotors and approached the
helicopter. Steve turned off the engine, and the whirling downdraft
began to slowly abate.

"Hey, Uncle Jim! I have the tents."

L'anin and the scouts began to approach as the rotors slowed and
started unloading the tents from the back of the copter.

"Thanks, Stevie! It was B'layr's idea, and quite frankly, I didn't
like the idea of him lying on the bare ground right now," Jim
explained. "He's nearly halfway through this pregnancy, and he already
looks like he's carrying a watermelon in his belly."

Steve chuckled. "Good thing Uncle B'layr doesn't have to deal with the
university now. He'd have a hard time explaining himself."

"It was hard enough at the press conference," Jim admitted, "but he's
grown considerably since then."

"Think it's going to be twins again?" Steve asked.

Jim shook his head. "There's just one fetal heartbeat. Must be a big
baby."

"Aren't you worried about Uncle B'layr having to give birth out in the
wilderness? Why don't you bring him into town and the two of you could
stay with me," suggested Steve. "That way, if there were any problems,
you'd be close to medical help."

"I'd like that," Jim admitted. "But B'layr is adamant about going with
the Tribes. He's their only true Healer, and he feels strongly about
abandoning his People when they need him most."

Steve sighed in agreement. "He has a hard head when it comes to
principles."

"You're telling me!" Jim replied with an exasperated chuckle. "Anyway,
I'm sure we'll be fine. The tents will be a big help until enough
shelters can be built."

"Glad I could help. Oh, by the way," said Steve, "I got a hold of the
lawyers, and they are prepared to proceed against both Chancellor
Edwards and Sid Graham and his publishing house. Interestingly,
Rainier University has decided to join in the suit against Graham."
Steve's eyes glinted with mischievous candor. "That man is so royally
screwed, he won't have an ass left by the time we're done with him."

"B'layr will be pleased to hear that," Jim said with a grin. "And what
about Edwards?"

"She won't be able to find employment at any university in the country
once we're through with her. She's going to rue the day she set eyes
on B'layr Ellison." Steve settled himself back in the cockpit and
started the engine. "I'd like to get back before dark. Take care,
Uncle Jim. Give B'layr a hug for me and tell him that everything is
going to be all right."

"I will, Stevie. Thanks." Jim backed off and watched as the helicopter
lifted into the sky, then he turned and followed the elves back into
the forest.

~oO0Oo~

The next morning began before dawn for the Wolf Tribe. Jim had the
travois packed with their suitcases and a tent as he waited in the
cold and dark for B'layr to emerge from the cabin. Finally, dressed in
warm layers and shouldering his backpack, the elf came out, closing
the door behind him.

"I hope this is nothing more than a precaution," B'layr muttered as
they started out on the trek to their temporary new home. "I would
like to move back to the cabin next spring."

"We'll keep Sentries patrolling the area," said Jim. "If the camp
hasn't been disturbed, I'm sure it will be safe to move back."

"I do not trust that at least some curious souls will come looking for
the elves, despite my denouncement," B'layr lamented. "There is always
one who will take the myth to heart."

"Let's not worry about that now," said Jim. "If the camp is
discovered, we'll deal with it next spring. We can always rebuild in
another location."

They walked along in silence for a while before B'layr looked up at
his mate. "L'anin is anxious to go in search of M'arik and his
followers. He still grieves for Naomi, although he covers his grief
with concern for the Tribes."

"He knows better than to go off alone," Jim replied. "And I'm not
going anywhere while you're still pregnant."

"The child will not be born until this autumn," B'layr reminded him.
"After that will come the hunt for winter provisions and then the Cold
Time."

"We have a good idea where M'arik has gone," said Jim. "He'll keep
until we can hunt him down and bring him to justice. There's no
statute of limitations on murder, you know."

"But I worry about our son. He chafes to be off, to hunt down the one
who tainted our Tribe with innocent blood." B'layr shifted the
backpack he was carrying to his left shoulder.

Jim reached over and plucked the heavy pack away from his mate,
tossing it on top of the pile on the travois. "You've got enough to
carry," he said, patting the roundness of B'layr's abdomen.

"I am perfectly capable!" the elf protested.

"Yes, you are," Jim agreed, knowing it did no good to patronize his
mate. "But the trek will be easier on your back without the extra
weight."

B'layr nodded in silent acquiescence. "But L'anin..."

"L'anin will be fine," Jim assured his soulmate. "He'll be kept too
busy to dwell on his personal troubles.

"I pray you are right." B'layr sighed.

~oO0Oo~

Several hours later, the morning sun shone through the forest canopy,
dappling the waters of the sacred pool. Jim lowered the travois and
sat on a boulder at the water's edge. "I love this place. It's so
peaceful here."

"And rejuvenating," B'layr agreed, stripping away the layers of his
clothing and dipping a bare toe into the water. "I am saddened that
the pool will be a two-day journey from the camp, instead of just a
few hours."

"We needed to find a campsite far enough away from the cabin and long
houses to protect the Tribes."

"I know that," said B'layr, wading out into the blue-green ripples
until he was in deep enough to dive. He disappeared briefly beneath
the water and then broke the surface, shaking droplets from his hair
like a million diamonds glinting in the sun. "But I shall miss it."

Jim admired the beauty of his lover, naked and swimming in the clear,
cold mountain water. He admitted to himself that he would miss the
pool as well. There was something magical about this place that he
could never quite put his finger on, but knew that in some way, it
tied in with the enigma of the elves.

B'layr walked up the bank, wringing the water out of his long hair. He
paused in front of his mate and smiled. Jim reached out to cup
B'layr's penis and balls in his hand; the organs shriveled from the
cold. "Looks like you need to warm up," he commented.

Laughter tinkled around the Sentry's ears. "And now who is it that is
delaying the trip with thoughts of sex?" B'layr stood his ground, not
pulling back from the intimate touch. "The walk will warm me. I will
carry my clothes until I am dry."

"Mother, Sire!" L'anin broke through the brush surrounding the pool to
interrupt the moment. "There you are! I told H'tim that I was coming
back to check on what was taking you two so long."

"I could not resist a dip in the sacred pool before moving on," B'layr
replied with an impish grin.

"I do not blame you," L'anin agreed, looking longingly at the
sparkling water, "but it is still a long journey to the new campsite."
He looked at Jim, who had released his mate's privates and had risen
to stand next to B'layr when their son arrived. "I will take the
travois for a while. You may walk with Mother." L'anin then turned to
B'layr. "Toss your clothing on the pile. It will not be needed until
nightfall."

B'layr laid his clothing across his backpack and clasped Jim's hand.
"Thank you, L'anin. It will be pleasant to spend some 'quality' time
with your father as we walk."

L'anin grinned knowingly and hoisted the travois, taking the lead up
the trail. Turning to give his parents one last look, he said, "Do not
tarry long. The day will not last forever."

Jim chuckled and waved his son off. "Go on. We're coming; don't worry
about us."

L'anin started again, keeping a good pace and eventually disappearing
around a bend in the trail ahead of them.

Jim and B'layr resumed a leisurely walk, hand in hand. "This is nice,"
B'layr sighed. "It is not often we can get time alone in the quiet of
the forest."

"For your sake, I wish we didn't have to do this now," Jim commented,
rubbing a hand over B'layr's protruding belly. "Oh!"

B'layr chuckled. "He is a mighty kicker. It's a miracle I can get any
rest at night."

"Maybe you should rest now, until he quiets down a bit," suggested
Jim.

"I am fine, really," said B'layr. "L'anin is correct; we have a long
walk ahead of us. I will make you a deal." He turned to flash Jim a
wide grin. "If you do not mother-hen me for the rest of today's
journey, I will let you Bless me when we reach camp."

"I just don't want you overdoing things," Jim protested.

B'layr shook his head and smiled. "I think that by now, I know my own
body. Do not worry. If the walk becomes too much, I will let you know
I need to rest."

"Your body hasn't been pregnant for nearly twenty-seven years," Jim
pointed out. "You've grown older. Things change."

"Have I changed?" B'layr paused to look up at his mate.

Jim used his index finger to lift B'layr's chin higher, capturing the
pouting lips with a brief kiss. "Not a hair on your head," he answered
in all honesty. "But you *are* older."

"And healed," B'layr reminded his mate. "This pregnancy has gone far
smoother than any before it. Let us walk. The day grows old."

"All right, but I'll hold you to your promise when we reach camp."

"Only if you hold to our bargain." B'layr chuckled and, releasing
Jim's hand, skipped ahead on the trail. He paused briefly, looking
back at his mate. "Coming, old man?"

"Who are you calling old?" Jim sprinted up the path to tackle his
insolent lover, the two of them stumbling, but staying on their feet.
Sounds of laughter echoed through the branches of the forest trees as
the soulmates forged ahead together.

~oO0Oo~

They entered the makeshift camp by late afternoon. L'anin had gathered
wood and started a fire, clearing the area where they would make their
camp for the night.

B'layr walked over to the abandoned travois and retrieved his clothes.
Once he was dressed, he rummaged in a pocket of his backpack,
eventually producing a long, leather sling and a handful of small,
round stones.

"J'anin, why do you not help L'anin set up the tent while I go hunt
for our dinner?"

"Oh no, hotshot," Jim replied, shaking his head. "That's a Sentry's
job. I'll get our dinner."

B'layr's face screwed up in a frown, and his fists rested lightly on
his hips. "Hunting will be easier on me than stooping and lifting to
set up the tent," he argued. "Besides, I go to hunt rabbit or quail,
not elk and bear."

"Let him go," L'anin said, waving B'layr off. "He is good with the
sling."

Jim sighed and nodded, remembering a time long ago when his soulmate
had saved his life using that very same sling. "Just be careful."

"I will, my heart." B'layr turned and slipped quietly into the forest
brush.

By the time Jim and L'anin had the tent and supplies set up, B'layr
had returned with a brace of rabbits and a handful of tubers topped by
leafy greens.

"It was a good hunt," B'layr needlessly announced, handing the bounty
to his mate.

"Let me," L'anin offered, taking the rabbits from Jim. "I can skin and
prepare the meat. You rest, Mother."

B'layr sank down onto a woven mat that had been set in front of the
campfire and removed a small knife from his belt, cutting the tops off
the tubers and placing the roots in the coals of the fire. Sitting
cross-legged, he began to tear the greens into one of the bowls. Once
the rabbits were roasting on a spit over the flames, he used some of
the hot fat dripping from the carcasses to wilt and flavor the greens,
and then passed the bowl to Jim.

"Eat. When we are finished here, I will give you the 'dessert' I
promised you earlier."

Jim's eyes twinkled. "I can hardly wait. Dessert is my favorite part
of any meal." He ate his share of the salad before passing the bowl to
his son.

It wasn't long before they were gnawing on bones and licking their
fingers as they finished off the pair of rabbits and the starchy
tubers. L'anin patted his stomach with a satisfied sigh.

"I think I shall make my bed out here tonight," the younger elf
announced. "The sky is clear, and I can see the stars through the
canopy."

"Are you sure you won't be too cold?" asked B'layr. "The year is still
young."

"I will be fine, Mother. You and J'anin take the tent for tonight."
L'anin moved away from the fire to roll out his sleeping bag and climb
in. He lay on his back, hands folded beneath his head as he stared up
at the sky. "Sleep well."

"I think that's our cue," Jim whispered, guiding B'layr to the shelter
of the tent.

Once inside, they both quickly shed their clothes and embraced,
kissing each other with a hungry passion. When they finally parted,
B'layr put his palms against Jim's shoulders and pushed him to arm's
length, capturing his gaze with a steady stare.

"I need you, *now*, my heart. I have waited for this moment since the
sacred pool, and I can wait no longer." B'layr reached one hand down
to stroke the hard flesh of his mate's erection. "Complete me."

Jim shuddered with need, his eyes darkening with passion as B'layr
dropped to his hands and knees, offering his ass. The opening to
B'layr's body had dilated slightly and was leaking a clear, viscous
fluid to lubricate his mate's cock. Jim positioned himself and thrust
inside, eliciting a grunt of satisfaction from his lover.

Raining a trail of kisses up B'layr's spine, Jim reached beneath him
to grasp the thick cock that hung heavily below the gravid abdomen. As
he began to move, the sound coming from his lover became more
inarticulate; mewling moans of pleasure and need. His own need built
higher, fed by the mating pheromones wafting off B'layr in waves.

B'layr began to rock back and forth as the tension in his body grew.
"...more ...complete me," he gasped, his voice barely audible.

Jim thrust harder, driving them both to the ground and rolling them
onto their sides, spooning together. He could feel the heavy thud of
the arteries pounding through B'layr's cock, readying his mate for
orgasm. His own completion was just moments away.

"...complete me..."

With a final plunge, Jim buried himself in B'layr's body, filling his
mate with his seed. B'layr's climax came a fraction of a second later,
spraying his chest and Jim's hand with warm come.

They rested together, still joined, for several minutes before B'layr
rolled over and snuggled into Jim's embrace. "Thank you."

"For what?" Jim asked, puzzled, as he brushed an errant strand of hair
out of B'layr's eyes. "We both wanted it; needed it."

"For finding me in the woods; for rescuing me; for mating with me; for
loving me..." B'layr's voice trailed off and he sighed. "For giving me
the gift of your life." He stroked his belly contentedly. "I think he
will sleep tonight."

"Good." Jim leaned across the short distance between them to place a
chaste kiss against the full lips. "And, you're welcome. I've never
regretted a day I've spent with you."

"Not a single day?" asked B'layr, skeptically.

Jim pursed his lips and let his head dip. "I regret outliving Steven,"
he admitted. Looking up quickly, he amended his confession. "But I
wouldn't change anything, even if I could. I love you."

"And I, you, my heart." B'layr mirrored Jim's kiss with slightly more
passion, allowing his free hand to glide over Jim's body before
settling around his waist to pull Jim close. "Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams, light of my soul." Jim watched as B'layr allowed his
eyes to close, then pulled the precious head beneath his chin and
closed his own eyes with a contented sigh.

~oO0Oo~

It was another day and a half before the trio reached their final
destination - a mountain meadow large enough to contain the members of
the joined Ten Tribes. K'tiri emerged from the crowd of laboring elves
to greet her family.

"Mother! Sire! You have come." She embraced each in turn, and then
flung her arms around her older brother. "I knew you would see them
safely here, Brother."

"The going was slower because of Mother's condition," L'anin
commented. "But we are here now."

"I see the Tribes have been busy," Jim commented, noting the
additional tents had all been set up and several traditional sleeping
huts had been built. Numerous campfires blazed in stone circles and a
community trestle was already heavy-laden with food to feed the nearly
two hundred elves.

"It will take time to settle in, but we are already making good
progress," said K'tiri. "Come this way. I have something to show you."

She led her parents to a secluded corner of the meadow where several
large sleeping huts had already been constructed. "S'kur built this
for you," she said, leading Jim and B'layr to the largest hut. Unlike
the other hastily constructed shelters, this one had a colorful
blanket hanging in the doorway, giving privacy to those who slept
there. "As the honored Elders of the Tribes, it is our pleasure to
present you with this bit of comfort in the wilderness."

Inside was a wide, raised platform, thickly covered with mosses and
grass overlaid with a sheet and comforter.

"I know how cold Mother can get at night, even in the summer." K'tiri
grinned. "I packed these things as a surprise for you." Two pillows
graced one end of the makeshift bed, and there was room for a small
table and two large sections of a log to use as chairs. "It is not
much, compared to the cabin, but I hope it will be comfortable."

"It's beautiful!" B'layr exclaimed. "Thank you."

"Now that you are here, there will be a celebration tonight to bless
our new home." K'tiri clapped her hands together and grinned like a
small child. "There will be food, music, and dancing all night long!"

Jim turned to his mate. "Why don't you try out the bed while L'anin
and I get our things unpacked from the travois?"

B'layr was about to protest when the child he was carrying decided to
begin kicking. He sank onto the platform, grasping his belly. "Mother,
are you all right?" L'anin rushed to B'layr's side, while Jim knelt in
front of his mate.

Nodding, B'layr let out a sigh. "I am fine. The child has been
agitated these past days. Perhaps a nap would help quiet him down." He
stretched out on the bed and Jim tossed the comforter over him,
leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"Don't you worry about a thing. Just get some rest so that you can
celebrate tonight. L'anin and I will take care of everything else."
Jim squeezed his mate's hand as he rose to leave. "Call if you need
anything."

When everyone had left, B'layr let his eyes drift closed. They were
home.

~oO0Oo~

The sound of flutes and drums filled the air and the trestle groaned
under the weight of the meat and vegetables piled onto it. A huge
bonfire had been lit near the center of the meadow, and the elves
danced carefree around it, their bare skin glistening from the oils
they had rubbed on earlier. Bond-pairs and strangers paired up and
moved to the shadows to have sex, their grunts and cries adding to the
music for the dancers.

"Are you ready?" Jim asked, poking his head past the blanket that
covered the entrance to their sleeping hut.

"Nearly." With only a small oil lamp to light the room, B'layr was
coating his body with the fragrant oils saved only for special
celebrations. His hands slid gracefully over the roundness of his
belly and slipped lower to stroke over his cock and balls.

"Need any help?" Jim entered the hut and dipped his fingers in the
bowl of oil, replacing B'layr's hands with his own on the swelling
penis.

B'layr groaned and then pulled out of the gentle grasp. "With help
like that, we will never make it as far as the party."

"They'll never miss us," Jim whispered, burying his face in the
fragrant cloud of hair.

"Yes, they will. We are the guests of honor, as Elders in the Tribe."
Despite his words, B'layr let his fingers drift down the square planes
of Jim's chest, brushing over oiled nipples that stood out like dark
points in the pale expanse of flesh, and down to the alert cock, which
quivered when he touched it. "Mmmm... perhaps they would not mind if
we were late."

"Mother? Sire?" L'anin's voice sounded from the other side of the
blanket-door. "The feast awaits your arrival."

"We are coming," B'layr called out, giving Jim's cock one last squeeze
before sticking his head outside to grin at their son.

Food was plentiful, and the music and dancing continued as the elves
made their way past the trestle, loading up their plates with the
forest's bounty. Many came by to pay homage to the Tribe's Healer and
to touch his growing belly. Children amongst the Tribes were still
rare, and pregnant elves were considered a sign of a bountiful year.
To touch the pregnant belly of a Bearer meant good fortune for the
hunt. Due to B'layr's status in the Tribe, however, his privacy was
respected most of the time. Celebrations were an exception, and the
Healer took all the attention with stoic patience.

By the time the sky began to lighten with the dawn, B'layr was
exhausted. Jim helped him up and they made their way back to the
sleeping hut.

"Are you all right?" Jim asked, as B'layr tumbled onto the bed, too
tired to wash up first.

B'layr nodded. "I will be fine; just let me sleep for a week."

~oO0Oo~

Spring and summer passed quickly. There was much work involved with
settling the nearly two hundred elves comfortably in their new meadow
home. Huts were built and hunts were organized. B'layr found himself
busy with a higher number of injuries and illness as the Tribes took
to living in the wild for the first time in nearly a quarter of a
century. Jim's protector instincts grew along with the size of his
mate's belly. By September, B'layr was anxious to give birth, just to
get the smothering Sentry off his back.

The leaves began to turn color as autumn approached. A chill nip in
the wind sent Sentry scouts to check out the nearby caves and to begin
moving supplies to their winter home.

B'layr emerged from the sleeping hut, his full-term belly leading the
way. As his girth had grown, the elf had taken to the old ways and now
remained naked all the time. None of the clothes he had packed came
anywhere near fitting him, and the confining fabric irritated his
skin.

Jim came trotting over, anxious to help his mate. B'layr had trouble
sitting down *and* getting up these days; even walking was a chore as
his back ached constantly from the extra weight. Still, the Healer
refused to stay in bed, choosing instead to do what he could to help
the sick and injured.

"It is all I am still able to do," B'layr sighed, as Jim lowered him
onto the mats next to the campfire.

"Well, you just take it easy, you hear?" Jim admonished his lover.
"I'll be gone for several days on the hunt. We need to do some serious
stockpiling before we move to the caves for the winter."

"And with your appetite, that means many elk," B'layr quipped. "Go
safely, my heart."

"Always." Jim leaned down to kiss his mate and stroke the gravid belly
for luck. "Take care of junior while I'm gone, and don't go getting
any ideas about birthing him until I get back."

"Do not worry. You will not miss the big event," B'layr assured his
lover. "Go now, before I change my mind and make you stay."

Jim stood up, allowing his fingers to trail up B'layr's cheek and into
his hair one last time. "I love you, my soul."

"Now and forever, my heart." B'layr smiled up at him as Jim
reluctantly turned to leave. He watched as the hunting party gathered
around their Sentry, provisioned for a long stay in the forest. This
was to be one of the final hunts of the season. B'layr shivered in the
warm sun as he watched his mate disappear into the thick trees and
brush.

~oO0Oo~

It had been three days since the hunting party had left camp. B'layr
sat in front of H'tim's hut, helping the tanner prepare rabbit skins
for curing.

"I thank you for your help, Healer," said H'tim, bringing more skins
to be scraped clean. "Hares have been plentiful this season. We shall
have many pelts for the Cold Time."

B'layr nodded absently, glancing frequently toward the line of trees
across the meadow that marked where the hunting party had departed. "I
need something to keep my hands busy," he answered after an extended
pause. "It has been long since I was able to help tan the animal
skins."

"You have a much more important responsibility now," H'tim commented.
He searched the face of his friend, frowning. "Is something the
matter, Healer?"

"I do not know," B'layr replied, his gaze rising once more to the
forest. "I am uneasy in my heart."

"Your birthing time is near, and your soulmate is not present. He will
return to you soon," said H'tim, trying to allay B'layr's fears.

"Yes, perhaps that is all that it is." B'layr sighed and went back to
work scraping the rabbit skin he held.

A commotion from across the meadow brought B'layr's head up sharply.
The hunting party had returned early. The leading company of elves
carried a stretcher and was followed by the others who brought home
the carcasses of four large elk.

Heaving to his feet with a grace he hadn't possessed for many months,
B'layr was off and running across the grassy expanse of meadow to meet
the hunters. His heart hammered from more than the mere exertion. He
knew that his healing skills would be sorely tested this day.

"J'anin...!" The name escaped as a strangled cry as he neared the
hunting party. "What happened?"

The elves carrying the stretcher containing Jim's mauled body lowered
it as the Healer approached. "We had cornered a bear and were closing
in for the kill," L'etin explained as B'layr dropped to the ground
next to the stretcher. "The animal was wounded and broke through our
circle. J'anin was wounded saving the life of our Brother, M'attlin."

B'layr barely heard the answer to his question. His soulmate's body
was bathed in blood, his skin nearly as cold as death. The Healer laid
an ear to his lover's mouth, but could neither hear nor feel the
breath of life. "*NO*! You cannot die, you cannot leave me now,
J'anin. You can*not*!"

As his hands gently explored the wounds, B'layr concentrated on saving
this most precious life. He closed his eyes, willing the healing to
occur. Although he had used the Ancients' magic many times now, he had
never attempted to save anyone so near to death; nor did he have
complete mastery over the technique. With no one to instruct him in
its use, B'layr's magic had been hit-or-miss since he had first
discovered his ability. The glow from his hands brightened quickly and
spread to encompass Jim's entire body. B'layr's own body trembled with
tension and concentration as he fought to knit the broken flesh. The
world grayed out around him, and he found himself standing in the
Between.

~*~*~*~*~

Jim hesitated on the path that led to the light of Beyond and turned
to find B'layr standing in the forest clearing. "I'm sorry, my soul. I
know that I promised to be there when our child was born..."

"You *will* be here!" B'layr all but shouted at his mate. "You cannot
leave me now! I will not allow it!"

"I'm too far gone, beloved. Don't risk your own health or the life of
our child by trying to save me."

"If you go, I will follow," B'layr threatened. "I will not stay in the
world without you."

"You can't make that decision for our child," Jim argued. "You must
live and give birth, and raise our son."

"Not without you." B'layr's voice had dropped in register, his tone
threatening.

Jim shook his head and walked back into the clearing, clasping the
bare shoulders of his mate. "I love you, with all my heart and with
all my soul... I don't choose to leave."

"Then stay! Stay with me, with our child!" B'layr argued. "I can bring
you back!"

"At what cost?" Jim's eyes were soft with unshed tears. "How could I
go through eternity knowing that I was the cause of your pain and
suffering?"

B'layr's voice hitched with the tears that had begun to flow down his
cheeks. "How could *I* go through life without you?"

"I know it won't be easy; I know it will hurt like nothing you've felt
before... but L'anin survived, and M'arik survived," Jim reminded his
mate. "You are strong. You *will* survive this, and when your time
comes, we'll be together again."

"I cannot wait centuries without you. Come back to me now," B'layr
pleaded.

"I can sense you weakening, draining your life force to save me," said
Jim softly. "Please don't do this. I could never forgive myself."

"Then come back."

Jim sighed. "I can't."

"You *can*!" B'layr insisted, tugging Jim away from the path to the
far end of the clearing. "Together, we *can*."

~*~*~*~*~

A large crowd had gathered around the Healer and his patient. They
watched in fear and awe as the Healer's body was enveloped in the same
golden aura as J'anin's. Before their eyes, they watched as open
wounds knitted shut, the scars fading until there was no sign of the
injuries.

A strangled, inarticulate cry burst from the Healer and he collapsed
over the still form of his mate.

"Mother, no!" L'anin lunged through the crowd and dropped down next to
his parents. With gentle hands, he lifted B'layr's body off Jim and
cradled it in his arms.

"Oh, God!" K'tiri gasped when she saw her family. "L'anin...?" Her
unfinished question spoke volumes of her grief. Her twin brother,
T'erin, knelt opposite B'layr next to the stretcher, a look of pure
wonder slowly replacing the anguish on his face.

"He lives," T'erin's voice was hardly more than a whisper. "Our Sire
lives!"

K'tiri's hands flew up to cover her mouth as she gasped, turning
hope-filled eyes to L'anin.

L'anin looked up, his cheeks streaked with tears, his mouth turned up
in the ghost of a smile, and nodded.

"Thank the gods! Thank the Ancients!" K'tiri cried, turning to the
crowd. "They live! They *both* live!"

~oO0Oo~

Two days later, B'layr stirred and opened his eyes. L'anin smiled down
on his Bearer and gently stroked B'layr's cheek.

"Welcome back, Mother."

"How long?" B'layr's voice was husky from disuse.

"You have been asleep for two days. K'tiri will be very pleased to
hear that you are finally awake."

"J'anin...?"

"Can you not feel him curled against you?" L'anin's eyes danced with
joy. "He was near death, and you brought him back."

B'layr's heart warmed and for the first time he became aware of the
body molded against his back. "How is he?"

"He still sleeps," L'anin answered. "He was much weaker than you,
although for a short time, I feared we had lost you both."

"I would not stay here without him," B'layr said simply. "I was
prepared to follow his path."

"But instead, he followed yours." L'anin pulled the blanket up over
B'layr's shoulder. "Do you need anything? A drink, perhaps."

"Water would be welcome," answered B'layr.

"You have not eaten in over two days," L'anin pointed out. "I shall
bring you a bowl of venison stew, as well."

"I do not know that I am ready for that yet..."

"Shhh... You need to eat... for the sake of your unborn child, at
least," argued L'anin.

B'layr nodded, closing his eyes again.

L'anin rose and left the sleeping hut, his heart much lighter than it
had been just minutes before. Now, he was certain, his parents would
both live. He walked the path to K'tiri's hut, finding his sister
hanging out her laundry to dry in the weakening autumn sun.

"How are they?" she asked as her older brother approached.

"Mother awoke, but our Sire still sleeps. Do you have any stew still
warm?" L'anin approached the cooking fire and glanced into the pot.

"There is enough," K'tiri answered, picking up two bowls and bringing
them to her brother. "Take some for Mother, and for yourself." She
turned a stern look on L'anin. "You have sat vigil long enough. It is
time you eat, as well."

L'anin filled the two bowls and took one spoon. "Mother wished some
water, too. Could you bring it?"

"You could not keep me away," K'tiri answered, picking up a pitcher
filled with cool water from the nearby stream. She followed L'anin
back to their parents' hut. "I hope that Mother will be fully
recovered before the birth."

"If the child is not overly anxious to come, Mother should still have
five to six weeks left," L'anin said. "It will be enough."

"But what of J'anin? Will he be strong enough?" The two younger elves
entered the hut together and sat down next to the sleeping platform.

"It will take him longer," L'anin answered, "but he should be able to
attend the birth." Turning his attention back to his Bearer, he shook
B'layr's shoulder gently. "Mother? I have returned with food and
water. K'tiri is here as well."

B'layr let his eyes drift open and focus on his two children. A smile
curled his lips.

K'tiri offered a cup of water, lifting B'layr's head so that he could
drink. "Not too fast, now," she admonished. "I do not wish you to get
sick."

B'layr took a few small swallows and pushed the cup away. "That is
better. Thank you."

"How are you feeling?" K'tiri turned a concerned gaze on her Bearer.

"Tired. Weak," B'layr responded. "Relieved."

"This will help you regain your strength," said L'anin, offering a
spoonful of the savory stew. At first, B'layr refused the offering,
but changed his mind as his son persisted, taking the bite of food and
chewing slowly. "Good! Soon you will be able to get out of bed and
move around."

"That was getting difficult *before* the healing," B'layr quipped
softly, his humor returning with his strength.

L'anin continued to feed his Bearer as B'layr's acceptance of the meal
grew with his appetite. By the time he was finished, B'layr had
consumed his bowl and nearly half of L'anin's. The younger elf
grinned. "I knew you would see it my way, once you got started." He
quickly finished off the contents of second bowl and stood. "Rest now
and let your strength return."

~oO0Oo~

It was another four days before Jim awakened. By then, B'layr was out
of bed and moving around a bit on his own, although he never strayed
far from his mate.

"It is about time you opened your eyes," B'layr admonished when Jim
finally stirred and looked up at him. "It has been six days that you
have been in a healing sleep. You need to eat, regain your strength."

"You brought me back." Jim frowned slightly at his mate. "I told you
not to do that."

"And I told you that I would follow wherever you went," B'layr
retorted. "Letting you go on by yourself was not an option."

"You could have died!" Jim growled.

B'layr pinned his mate with a steady gaze. "That was the whole point,
was it not? If you had died, I would have followed willingly. There is
no living without you; you know that by now."

"Don't you *ever* do that again!" Jim's voice was low and dangerous.

B'layr smiled grimly in response. "Don't make me *have* to!"

"B'layr..." Jim's steely, cold gaze softened and warmed. "Thank you."

"I could not have done anything different," B'layr said softly, his
eyes filling with tears. "Thank *you* for following me back." He
leaned forward to press a gentle kiss against the waiting lips.

"Mmmm... That was worth the struggle to live," said Jim, cupping
B'layr's head with one hand and holding him in place for another kiss.

"You need to eat, regain your strength," said B'layr. It was a
struggle to stand, but once on his feet, he headed for the door. "I
shall return in a minute with something for you to eat. Rest until I
get back."

B'layr stepped out into the sunny September afternoon and stretched
his cramped muscles, then made his way to the cooking fire he'd been
sharing with L'anin and K'tiri. "J'anin is awake," he announced,
walking into the encampment.

"Wonderful news!" L'anin got up to greet his Bearer and help him over
to the fire. "Sit! I will take him something to eat."

"I promised J'anin that I would return," B'layr said softly, refusing
to sit. "I cannot leave him, now that he has awakened."

K'tiri approached with a bowl containing well-done chunks of meat and
savory vegetables. "Take this to our Sire and tell him we are pleased
he is doing better. We will wait until tomorrow to visit."

B'layr accepted the bowl with a nod of thanks. "He will be pleased to
see you. I must go now, J'anin awaits my return." With that, he turned
his back on his family and made his way slowly back to Jim.

L'anin had brought one of the makeshift chairs to the side of the
sleeping platform as he had waiting for B'layr to wake. B'layr now
took advantage of that, lowering himself onto the tree stump and
gently nudging Jim awake. "I am back with something for you to eat,"
he said, moving the fragrant bowl under Jim's nose.

Pale blue eyes opened, and Jim smiled at his soulmate. "Took you long
enough," he teased.

B'layr used his fingers to feed small chunks of meat and vegetables to
his partner. Jim chewed slowly, but was obviously enjoying the food.
"You must grow strong, so that you will be able to attend to me during
the birth of our child."

"How much longer?" Jim asked, reaching out to lay a hand against the
bare roundness of the enormous belly.

"Not soon enough," B'layr sighed. "I can barely move anymore, and the
elfling is kicking constantly. I am ready for this to end."

"But how much longer?" Jim persisted, grinning when he felt the
powerful kick of his child.

"Another five weeks, at the most," B'layr answered. "If I survive that
long."

"I know this may sound a little strange," Jim began softly, still
rubbing the distended abdomen, "but I'm going to miss this when it's
gone."

"Not me!" B'layr shook his head adamantly. "You just like it because I
get so horny when I am pregnant."

"You're beautiful when you're pregnant," Jim countered. "You have a
glow, a special grace."

"About as graceful as an elephant," grumped his frustrated mate. "You
should try it sometime!"

"No, thanks," Jim chuckled. "I'll leave the childbearing up to you. I
can't begin to tell you how relieved I am that our anatomies differ in
that way."

B'layr reached out to caress Jim's cheek and smiled. "It would drive
you crazy, anyway. It's just as well this duty is left to me." He set
the empty bowl aside and climbed onto the sleeping platform, snuggling
down next to Jim. "Perhaps now I can get a good night's sleep. I have
been so worried about you."

Jim gathered his mate into his arms, burying his face in the soft
hair. "It's time for both of us to heal."

~oO0Oo~

It was nearly a week later before Jim emerged from the sleeping hut to
blink back the brightness of the day. Cheers greeted him, and he
flushed with embarrassment over the unwanted attention.

"This is a cause for celebration!" K'tiri announced. "We shall have a
feast to acknowledge the contribution of our hunters and to celebrate
the lives of our Senior Sentry and the Healer."

The crowd of elves lifted both Jim and B'layr, carrying them to the
middle of the meadow where the central bonfire would be built. "Rest
now, Mother, Sire," K'tiri commanded softly. "Enjoy the fresh air. We
are honored to serve you today."

"I can help," B'layr insisted, starting to stand. His doting children
quickly pressed him back down.

"Not this time, Mother," said L'anin. "You are an honored guest. Sit
back and relax, let others do the work for a change."

They watched as the bonfire was lit and an elk sectioned and put on
the spit to cook. A small table with bowls of paint was set out, to
let the celebrants decorate themselves. B'layr turned to his mate and
grinned. "There is something we could do while we wait," he said,
pointing to the paint. He took Jim's hand and led him over to the
table. Deft fingers began to unbutton Jim's shirt, shedding his mate's
clothing with quiet efficiency.

Picking up a bowl filled with white paint, B'layr dipped his fingers
and drew a line across Jim's forehead, one down the length of his
nose, and three parallel slashes diagonally across each cheek. "For
your wisdom and knowledge, which have benefited all the Tribes." He
set the bowl down and picked up one filled with red paint. Pouring a
small amount into his palm, B'layr smeared the color down both of
Jim's arms and across his chest. "For your strength and endurance." He
then knelt before his mate, wiping his hand in the grass to remove the
pigments before selecting the bowl of blue paint and drawing zigzag
bolts of color on each thigh. "For your long stride, which leads the
hunters to game and fills our bellies throughout the Cold Time."
Finally, with a big grin, B'layr selected the bowl of green and dipped
his hand into the paint. He grabbed Jim's penis, coating the organ
with the color of life. He could feel the flesh grow hard as he
recited the ritual words. "For your potency and vitality, which has
renewed the Tribes and given us back the Gift." He put down the bowl
and wiped his hands clean on the grass, then lifted them so that Jim
could help him back to his feet.

Jim grinned widely and helped B'layr to stand. "You're a wicked one,
Imp, but that's why I love you." He wrapped his arms around his mate,
pressing their bodies together. When he stepped back, a green smudge
colored the underside of B'layr's pregnant belly where his erect cock
had come in contact with the distended flesh.

Picking up the bowl of white paint, Jim dipped in three fingers and
painted a swathe across B'layr's forehead and down his cheeks. Coating
his fingers a second time, he painted a white circle on his mate's
chest over his heart, encompassing the nipple. "For your knowledge and
your innocence of heart, despite the harsh realities of life." Jim
exchanged the white paint for the red, and proceeded to paint stripes
that ran from B'layr's neck, across his shoulders, and down his arms.
"For your strength that allows you to carry the weight of the world
and yet see the goodness in men." As B'layr had done before him, Jim
wiped the pigments from his hand before continuing. He picked up the
bowl of green paint and coated his palm, pressing verdant handprints
over the expanse of B'layr's nearly full-term belly. "For the
fecundity of your womb, and the many blessings it has brought the
Tribes." The comment made B'layr blush with pleasure. He almost missed
the fact that Jim had picked up the bowl of blue paint and poured some
into his hand. He jerked with surprise as Jim grabbed his penis,
coating it and his scrotum with the rich, blue tint. "For the fact
that you're going to fuck me later tonight until we both turn blue -"
Jim's eyes sparkled with the implied challenge.

B'layr laughed and grabbed Jim's hands, pulling him out to where the
bonfire was now blazing. "If you think I cannot, just because the baby
is due in a few weeks, you are misinformed. I intend to celebrate your
recovery to the fullest."

The music of flutes and drums filled the air as B'layr began to dance,
Jim mirroring his movements as the two moved as one. When the tune
changed, Jim took B'layr's hand and led him over to the benches that
surrounded the fire.

"Sorry, Imp, but I just don't have the endurance that I used to," Jim
confessed.

B'layr stroked a hand down his partner's arm. "You are not yet fully
recovered," he commented. "You have made remarkable strides in such a
short time, but you had one foot in the Beyond when I brought you
back."

Jim's gaze dropped for a moment before he looked back up at his mate.
"I'm sorry I put you through that. It was risky for you to come after
me with the baby due so soon."

"Our child needed his father," said B'layr simply. "I could not let
you go."

"Enough gloomy talk!" K'tiri walked up behind her parents, smiling.
"This is a celebration of life! There is plenty of food on the table,
and the elk should be done soon. Meanwhile, feast on rabbit and quail,
and renew your strength."

"Sounds good to me!" Jim agreed, happy to abandon the conversation. He
stood and offered his hands to pull B'layr off the bench. "Let's go
get something to eat."

The pair piled their plates high, and when B'layr had finished eating,
he went to dance with the other elves around the bonfire. Jim watched
with bemused tolerance as his mate cavorted with the younger elves,
laughing and darting away from their intimate touches. Not that he
could blame the others... B'layr was especially beautiful in the
fullness of pregnancy. His skin glowed a rosy gold in the firelight, a
light sheen of perspiration making it shine; his face lit up with joy,
and his laughter filled the air. But B'layr didn't welcome the touch
of others the way the majority of the People did. His loyalty and his
love fell squarely on Jim's shoulders, and in Jim's heart. B'layr
would not willingly take another lover. Jim smiled and waved when
B'layr looked his way, noting that the attention from his fellow Tribe
members had gotten the elf fully aroused.

B'layr drifted away from the other dancers. As he did, Jim rose and
walked over to meet him, wrapping one arm around his mate's waist
while reaching to stroke the firm shaft of B'layr's cock with the
other. "It looks to me like you could use a little relief."

"Mmmmm..." B'layr agreed, pressing up against Jim as he purred his
pleasure. "Let us go have a private celebration of life."

~oO0Oo~

They tumbled into the sleeping hut, already tangled together as they
kissed and groped their way toward the bed. A cry ripped from B'layr's
throat as Jim grabbed and squeezed his cock, a shudder running through
his entire body at the touch.

"God, I need you!" B'layr gasped, reaching for a bowl of the special
oil blend he had prepared for stretching and lubing his mate. As they
lay on their sides, facing one another, B'layr dipped his fingers in
the oil and began teasing Jim's tight opening. As he did, his mouth
trailed kisses down the firm flesh of Jim's chest to latch onto a teat
and suckle.

Bolts of desire shot from Jim's nipple straight to his cock and,
despite feeling a bit tired from the long day, he found himself
growing hard in response. Two oiled fingers entered his ass and he
moaned his need as B'layr stretched and prepared him. "*Unghhh*!" Jim
grunted as the fingers put firm pressure on his prostate. "Are you
trying to kill me?" he managed to gasp.

B'layr looked up from covering his lover's body with kisses and
grinned impishly. "I thought you liked the 'magic gland'," he teased.
"If you wish, I can stop."

"Yes!" Jim blurted, followed by, "No! Yes, I like it, but God,
B'layr... I'm ready. Please..."

B'layr shuffled up onto his knees, swatting lightly at his lover's
ass. "Get up on your hands and knees. With this belly, I have to be
standing to take you."

Jim shifted, rising to his hands and knees as requested. "Just get on
with it," he begged.

B'layr slipped off the low platform and stood behind his mate, oiling
his cock. Pressing the glans against Jim's stretched opening, he
leaned forward as far as he could, which wasn't much, and slammed into
his lover with one smooth, long stroke.

Gripping Jim's hips with strong fingers, B'layr began thrusting,
pounding harder and harder until both of them were gasping for breath.
He tried to reach beneath Jim to grab his lover's cock, but his arms
weren't long enough with his pregnant belly in the way.

Jim braced himself on one arm so that he could grab his own leaking
shaft and pump it to climax. "Come on, baby, bring us home!" he
panted.

"Oh, Jim! Oh, God... I love you so much!" B'layr's voice was breathy
and ragged as he plunged deep into his mate's accepting body, feeling
his climax build to a fever pitch. "Never leave me! Never... never...
*Ahhhhhh*...! *Jim*!" B'layr's whole body shuddered as his orgasm
washed over him, sweeping him along on a sea of sensations. His mate
echoed his cry, as Jim came seconds later.

Both man and elf collapsed onto the bed, totally spent. Jim roused
first, a few minutes later, and helped his sated and exhausted mate to
find a comfortable sleeping position. They spooned together with Jim
behind, and were soon dreaming peacefully.

~oO0Oo~

September rushed by, shifting to October with its crisper days and
colder nights. The hunters went out with increasing frequency to stock
the caves with enough food to last the winter, but Jim stayed back as
B'layr was nearing his days of confinement, when the baby would
finally be born.

"Jim?" B'layr sat in front of the cooking fire eating his breakfast
and eyeing his mate with concern. "Are you not feeling well? You must
eat."

Jim stirred the bowl of cooked grains, sweetened with dried berries,
but didn't take a bite. "I don't know. I've been feeling a little
'off' lately. Nothing serious."

B'layr reached across the short space separating them and pressed his
palm against Jim's forehead. "You do not feel as though you have a
fever."

"I'm not sick," Jim confirmed, forcing himself to eat to prove his
point. "You don't need to worry about me. It's time to be thinking
about yourself." Jim's hand parted the blanket covering B'layr's naked
body to rest a hand on the round belly. "The baby is due any day now."

"He has turned, and his head presses against my cervix," said B'layr
softly. "It will be soon."

Jim glanced up at the leaden sky, heavy with the first snow of the
season. "He'd better hurry, unless he wants to be born in the caves."

B'layr smiled. "The child will come before we make the move."

"You'd better go back inside," Jim suggested when he saw his mate
shiver. "Get to bed. I'll go find some extra blankets to keep you
warm."

B'layr nodded and allowed Jim to help him up and lead him into the
protection of their sleeping hut. He curled on the bed while Jim
covered him with all the blankets they had with them. "I'll be back
soon," promised Jim, as he turned to pull back the blanket that served
as their door.

"Do not worry about me," B'layr assured him. "I will be fine."

As Jim stepped back outside, a wave of nausea overtook him and he was
barely able to reach the rear of the hut before he threw up what
little breakfast he had eaten. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he
straightened and went in search of more blankets for B'layr. Now that
he had emptied his stomach, he felt fine.

"Sire!" L'anin approached as Jim neared the center of camp. "How is
Mother? Has the labor begun yet?"

Jim embraced his son, then stepped back and shook his head. "Not yet,
but he says it'll be soon. I'm looking for some extra blankets. The
weather has turned colder and B'layr needs more covers to stay warm."

"Hmmm... yes," L'anin agreed. "Snow is in the air, I can feel it. Soon
the meadow will be covered in white." He turned toward his sleeping
hut. "I have an extra blanket I can loan to Mother." He ducked inside,
returning with one of the majestic woolen blankets that B'layr had
woven before their exile. "I am certain that K'tiri and T'erin will
also be able to lend you an extra. Will three be sufficient?"

Jim nodded. "Yeah, three more should be plenty, if they're all like
this."

"Mother is an excellent weaver. He and A'mara made more blankets than
we could possibly use." L'anin grinned, pride for his mother and mate
sparkling in his eyes.

Jim paused, turning sober. "How are you doing? I'm sorry I haven't
asked before, but things have been so hectic."

L'anin nodded. "Understood. It is the hectic pace that has kept me
from brooding. It will be a long, cold winter without A'mara by my
side."

"And Naomi?" Jim asked.

"She would not have been able to replace A'mara in my heart, but I
looked forward to her warming my sleeping furs." L'anin sighed. "I
wish we could have gone after M'arik and his band. They deserve to be
brought to justice."

"We know where they went," Jim reminded his son. "We're better off
without them in camp with us. Once the spring thaw begins, I will
personally take you to the Ancients so that M'arik can get his due."

L'anin nodded, and then allowed a grin to curve his mouth. "You had
better get going. Mother is probably already wondering what is taking
you so long."

"You're right. B'layr gets impatient these days if I'm gone for very
long," agreed Jim. "I'll let you know when his labor begins."

"Good-bye, Sire!" L'anin waved as Jim took off toward K'tiri's hut to
beg for more blankets.

By the time Jim finished with the twins and got their offerings of
extra blankets, the first snowflakes were starting to fall. He hurried
back to the sleeping hut he shared with his soulmate, only to find
B'layr standing outside near the fire with his legs spread and his
knees bent in an awkward crouch. Dropping the blankets on the ground,
he ran to his mate. "B'layr! What's the matter? Is something wrong?"
He lightly gripped one of B'layr's arms, trying to lend support.

"Nothing is wrong, my heart," B'layr panted, leaning heavily on his
knees. "My water broke about ten minutes ago."

Jim tugged on the arm he held. "Then let's get you inside and into
bed!"

"Can't." B'layr paused as he waited for the contraction to pass. "The
bed is soaked. All the linens are ruined."

"I'll change the bedding," Jim promised, picking up the blankets he
had dropped. "Will you be okay out here?" He took one of the blankets
and shook it open, draping it over the huddled, shivering body of his
mate.

B'layr gratefully pulled the warmth around him and nodded. "Please
hurry."

Jim ducked inside the hut and pulled the wet sheets and blankets from
the sleeping platform. The cushion of soft grasses beneath the sheets
was also wet, so he cleared it all off and went to fetch more from a
storage hut several hundred yards away. When he returned with the
travois piled high with the dried grasses, he found B'layr had dropped
to his knees and was holding his huge belly as another contraction
rippled across the surface of his skin.

Dropping to the ground beside his mate, Jim covered B'layr's hand with
his own. "How far apart are the contractions?"

"Only about three per hour for now," said B'layr, panting through the
last of his most recent contraction. "There is still a lot of time
before the birth. Go, prepare the bed."

"You're sure?"

"Go!" B'layr pointed toward the hut and then sat back on his heels,
pulling the blanket tightly around him.

Jim stood, then bent over and placed a kiss on top of the mop of brown
hair before hurrying to the hut to prepare bed. When he was finished,
he helped B'layr up and inside.

As B'layr's due date neared, Jim had made the long trek back to their
cabin to bring pillows, a luxury item they couldn't manage when they
first journeyed to their new home. He now piled them behind B'layr's
back, supporting his mate in a semi-upright position. B'layr bent his
knees and spread his legs, planting his feet as near to his body as he
comfortably could. The position exposed him for easier birthing and
allowed him to brace against the strength of the contractions. Jim
piled on the blankets, doing his best to make his laboring mate
comfortable.

"Will you be all right if I leave to tell K'tiri the news?" Jim fussed
with the blankets, straightening them and making sure they were tucked
in all around. B'layr's bare feet felt like ice, so Jim dug out two
pair of clean, white socks and methodically pulled them on, one pair
over the other.

"Thank you, Jim. I will be fine, really. But go, and do not take too
long," B'layr urged.

Jim hesitated in the doorway, torn between spreading the news and
staying with his mate. B'layr waved him on with a quiet urgency, and
Jim fled out the door, into a flurry of white. He ran through the
falling snow until he got to L'anin's hut, which was the nearest.

"Sire?" L'anin looked up from his sleeping platform where he had been
huddled, reading a book and trying to stay warm. "Is something wrong?
You have not been gone for more than a couple of hours."

"Your mother is in labor," Jim informed his son. "Would you please
spread the news? I need to get back."

"How near to the birth is he?" L'anin uncurled his long legs and
stood, pulling on his boots.

"It's going to be a while yet," Jim confessed, "but his water broke
and he's having contractions."

"I will spread the word and the Tribes will sit vigil until the
birth."

"That's not necessary," said Jim. "But I know B'layr wants you,
K'tiri, and T'erin there. Family means a lot to your mother."

"I will tell them. Now go, and be with Mother. He puts on a brave
face, but he has confessed to me that he fears this birth," said
L'anin softly.

Jim stopped in the doorway and turned back. "Why? This has been a
problem-free pregnancy for him."

"It is his first since losing his second set of twins," L'anin said,
"and he remembers the complications clearly. I think he is worried
being so far from medical help."

"Yeah, he's said that much to me, too," Jim confessed. "He doesn't
have anything to worry about... does he?"

"I do not think so," L'anin replied. "But having you near will ease
his worry."

Jim nodded and slipped out of the hut, hurrying back down the path to
where B'layr awaited his return. When he arrived, B'layr had his arms
wrapped around his belly and his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Jim could
see tears forming in the corners to slip down B'layr's cheeks. He
rushed over and knelt next to the sleeping platform, reaching out to
rub gentle circles on the rippling flesh.

"That was a strong one," Jim commented when the contraction had
passed. "Are they coming closer together yet?"

"A little," B'layr answered, opening his eyes to look at Jim. He wiped
at the tears on his face and tried a tremulous smile. "Did you talk to
K'tiri?"

"L'anin's hut was closer," Jim explained. "He promised to spread the
word. I wanted to get back here as soon as possible."

"I am glad. I did not like being alone."

Jim made room for himself to sit on the edge of the sleeping platform
and stroked a hand soothingly over B'layr's hair, ending by cupping a
cheek and turning B'layr to face him. "You don't have to be worried
about anything, you know. I'm here now, and I won't be leaving you
again."

B'layr breathed deeply, letting the air out slowly as he calmed down.
"I-I do not mean to seem so fearful. But it has been over twenty-five
years since I last gave birth, and this child is the first since my
healing. It is almost as though it is my first time."

"Well, if I remember correctly," said Jim softly, his lips curling
into a grin, "I was there for your first time, too. We'll get through
this together."

"I know." B'layr suddenly became quiet, holding his breath as another
contraction rippled through him. "They are coming about ten minutes
apart now."

"Do you need anything? Something to drink, perhaps?" Jim reached for a
pitcher of water and a cup. He held the cup to B'layr's lips and the
elf sipped the refreshing liquid.

"Thank you." B'layr sighed. "Can you see if I am dilating yet?" he
asked, lifting the blankets from his legs.

Jim glanced down, noting that B'layr's opening had expanded some.
"About this much," he replied, showing the distance with his thumb and
forefinger.

"It will be a while yet," said B'layr. "I can feel the baby shifting,
moving down."

"I don't know how you do this," Jim said, his face filled with wonder.
"You go through so much discomfort, so much pain..."

"To hold a new life in my arms," B'layr finished for him. "It is all
worth it. Have our children not been great assets to the Tribes?"

Jim shook his head. "There's no denying that... but what you go
through... God, I'm glad it isn't me!"

B'layr reached up to stroke a hand down Jim's cheek. "If it were you,
you would do well. You are strong, my heart, and your love of life is
great." He grimaced suddenly as another contraction gripped him.

L'anin poked his head passed the blanket covering the doorway. "How is
Mother?"

"The contractions are about ten minutes apart," Jim reported.
"B'layr's doing fine, so far."

"K'tiri, T'erin, and some of the Tribe are here," said L'anin. "We
have started a bonfire outside your hut. The extra warmth should
help."

"Thanks," Jim responded sincerely. "This is a hell of a time to be
giving birth in the wild. I wish we were back at the cabin where
keeping B'layr warm wouldn't be such a problem."

"I am fine," B'layr assured his family. "Soon the labor will be enough
to keep me warm." He smiled weakly at his concerned mate and son.

"We will be here if you need us, Mother," L'anin said before going
back outside to join the rest of the elves as they sat vigil to
observe the birth.

Several hours passed as B'layr's labor progressed slowly. He grunted
through the last of a series of powerful contractions, perspiration
beading on his forehead. "Now?" he gasped. "Can you see anything now?"

Jim lifted the blankets to check on B'layr's progress. "Could be any
time now," he reported.

"*Ohhhhh*!" B'layr cried as another contraction gripped him. The
powerful cramp had barely released the elf when another rolled in to
take its place. "God... help me, Jim! *Ahhhhhh*! It must be time!" he
gasped in the brief seconds between contractions.

"I don't see anything yet," Jim answered, watching closely as each
contraction pushed his mate closer to the brink.

B'layr tossed the covers from the bed, giving him more freedom of
movement as he bent forward over his belly, doing all he could to help
force the movement along. "Check inside," he gasped. "Tell me how far
the child has progressed down the canal."

Jim shook his head. "I'm no Healer, Sweetheart. I can't do that," he
protested.

"You can!" B'layr hissed. "Get the lubricant oil and coat your hand.
*Do it*!"

Reluctantly, Jim located the oil and dipped in his fist. Taking a deep
breath, he moved to the end of the sleeping platform where he could
get a good, straight-on view of the birth canal, and inserted his
hand. He went in about two inches passed his wrist before he
encountered the head of the child. "I can feel him," he said, looking
up from between B'layr's legs and grinning.

The next contraction took them both by surprise. The birth canal
clamped down on Jim's arm before expanding, allowing the baby to move
further down. "He's coming, B'layr - just a few more pushes. Come on,
Sweetheart, you can do it."

"I am getting so tired," B'layr sighed, when the rapid contractions
relented for a few seconds, giving him time to catch his breath.

"Don't quit on me now!" said Jim, his arm still inside his mate. "Come
on, push!"

As the next contraction squeezed his belly, B'layr bore down hard, his
face turning red with the effort.

"Yes! Yes! Again!" Jim encouraged his mate. "It's almost here. Come
on, baby, you can do this!"

"*Ahhhhh! Jim!*" B'layr screamed, as every muscle in his body focused
on birthing his baby. "oh god..." His voice was soft with exhaustion
as yet another contraction rippled through him. He bore down, and a
dark head of hair finally crowned at the opening to his body.

"This is it!" Jim said. "Come on, Sweetheart, push!" B'layr grunted
with effort as Jim continued to coax. "He's coming! The head is out...
now what?"

B'layr dropped back against the pillows as he panted with exhaustion.
"C-Can you get your hands on the baby's shoulders?"

Jim tried to slip his fingers into the tight opening, but his fear of
causing B'layr more pain prevented him from getting the requested grip
on the baby. "I can't; not yet."

As another contraction rolled through him, B'layr sat forward again
and pushed with all the strength left in him.

"That's it! I have the shoulders!" said Jim excitedly. "Now what?"

B'layr braced himself with his arms in an effort to stop himself from
falling back against the pillows again. "Turn the baby face up and
pull gently when my next contraction starts."

"Okay, I'm ready."

Taking a deep breath, B'layr prepared himself for a final effort. When
the contraction came, he bore down as Jim gently tugged. The baby
slipped free into the waiting arms of his father. Jim swept the baby's
mouth and nose clear with his finger and was rewarded with a
resounding squall. "It's a boy!" Jim said proudly, laying the child in
his mother's waiting arms.

"It is an elf," B'layr corrected with good humor, the old joke between
them making them both smile.

A roar of approval from the waiting elves sounded from outside and
K'tiri's head appeared from around the edge of the blanket. "The baby
is here?" B'layr lifted his arms to show off the newborn. "Oh, Mother,
he is beautiful!"

"We're not quite done here yet," Jim informed their daughter. "Give us
a few more minutes?" K'tiri nodded her acknowledgment and slipped back
outside to tell the assembled elves the news.

Jim turned back to his exhausted mate. "Ready for one last push?"
B'layr nodded, his attention now turned to the new elfling in his
arms. "Okay - 1... 2... 3... *push*!"

As a weak contraction gripped him, B'layr pushed one final time,
expelling the placenta. Jim wrapped the organ in a soft rabbit's hide
that his mate had prepared earlier for that purpose, and then turned
toward the goal of cutting the umbilical cord.

Finally, Jim was able to sit next to B'layr and admire the newest
member of their family. With an unerring sense of direction, the child
had turned to his mother's teat and was now suckling contentedly.

"I will call him T'lan," said B'layr, grinning lovingly at his
soulmate. "Thank you for helping me. I could not have done this
without you."

Jim opened his mouth to argue that point, then snapped it shut,
thinking better of his comment. Instead, he covered B'layr and their
baby with the blankets that had been tossed aside earlier, and then
pressed a kiss against B'layr's forehead. "I suppose I should go and
talk to your fan club out there," he said, nodding his head toward the
door.

"Yes, perhaps you should," B'layr agreed, turning his attention back
to the nursing baby.

When Jim stepped outside, he was surprised to see that over an inch of
snow covered the ground in the areas outside the circle of the
bonfire. He looked around at his family and the assembled elves.

"How is Mother doing?" L'anin was the first to ask.

"Exhausted, as you might expect," Jim answered, grinning. "But he
seems to have forgotten that fact now that T'lan is here."

"May we go see them?" asked T'erin, stepping forward toward his Sire.

Jim nodded. "Just family for now, though, please. B'layr needs his
rest." He turned back toward the door, followed by his three children.
When they got inside, they found B'layr sound asleep, a contented
smile gracing his weary face and T'lan still suckling serenely at his
breast.

~oO0Oo~

The first snow of the season had melted days before as K'tiri met with
her family in Jim and B'layr's sleeping hut. "It is time we begin
moving into the caves," she said, casting a concerned glance at her
Bearer and baby brother.

"But it is only barely past mid-October," B'layr protested, unwilling
as yet to leave the comfort of his bed, his newborn son curled against
his bare chest under the blankets for warmth.

"It looks like winter is coming early this year," Jim explained,
reluctantly agreeing with their daughter. "We've already had one
snowfall, and the likelihood of another coming soon is high. The
hunters have all returned and the caves are well-stocked."

"L'anin has found a special place for you," K'tiri continued to argue
her case. "There is a small anteroom off the main chamber with a
natural smoke hole in the ceiling. He and T'erin have been working in
this space to make it comfortable for you. It is their gift to you and
T'lan."

"Then I suppose we should go," B'layr agreed, sitting up and swinging
his legs over the edge of the sleeping platform.

Jim walked over to lift T'lan from his Bearer's arms. "Not like that,
you're not," he said, nodding at B'layr's blatant state of undress.
"It's *cold* outside. Get dressed."

B'layr found a shirt and breeches that Jim had purposefully left
behind, dressing quickly. Pulling on a pair of soft, deer hide boots,
he walked over to his mate, holding out his arms for their child. Jim
handed T'lan over and B'layr tucked the baby inside his shirt.

Jim took the remaining blanket off their bed and threw it over
B'layr's shoulders for extra warmth as they walked out into the nip of
the mid-autumn air.

It was a half-day's walk to the shelter of the caves, and as they
journeyed, B'layr noted a drawn look in his mate's face. "Have you not
been getting enough rest, my heart? You look tired."

"I'm fine," Jim lied. "Just a little stressed from the birth and
having to get things moved into the caves."

"I do not wish for you to get ill, especially so early in the season,"
said B'layr, reaching out to press a hand against Jim's forehead as
they walked. He shook his head. "You do not have a fever. When we
reach the shelter, I wish for you to rest."

"There's too much to do," Jim insisted. "We have ten Tribes of elves
to get settled."

"They can settle themselves," B'layr shot back. "I will not risk your
health. We have a newborn again. I will need your strength."

"You'll have it, don't worry." Jim's pace slowed and he turned to his
mate. "Just a minute, I need to pee." He turned off the path and
walked a few yards into the woods, unlacing his breeches as he went.
When he returned, he wrapped an arm around B'layr's waist and started
them back on their trek. "I made some extra trips so that you could
have most of your books," said Jim, grinning at the shocked look on
B'layr's face.

"No wonder you look so tired! Jim, you *do* realize that all those
books will have to go *back* eventually, don't you?"

Jim nodded, his grin not budging from his face. "Yeah, I know. But you
need something to do to keep you busy this winter."

"You do not think *this* is something to do?" B'layr asked, grinning
back as he bounced the concealed baby.

"I know you... You'll need more than just feeding and caring for
T'lan." Jim chuckled and ruffled his mate's hair. "You'll thank me
later."

The afternoon sun was beginning to lower when they came in sight of
the caves.

"I will be glad for a place to rest and feed T'lan," B'layr said,
grateful that they'd finally reached their destination.

"Hang on a minute." Jim grabbed B'layr's arm to halt his progress.
"I'll be right back." He hurried off the path again to relieve
himself. "I must've had too much water to drink before the trip."

"I have not seen you drinking much all day," B'layr commented. He was
distracted from his concern for his soulmate as L'anin appeared on the
path in front of them.

"Welcome home, Mother, Sire! Come, Mother... I have a surprise for
you." L'anin took B'layr's arm and pulled him toward the mouth of the
large cave. Jim grinned, knowing what their two sons had been up to
for the sake of their beloved mother.

L'anin led the way through the large main cavern, veering left near
the back and dipping through a low entry into another chamber. He
waited until B'layr was inside, delighting in the surprise reflected
on his Bearer's face.

The chamber was roomy, yet small enough that only one family could
occupy it. A sleeping platform had been built to the side, out of the
draft from the doorway, and piled with soft furs. A small fire burned
in a pit chipped out of the stone floor directly below a natural vent
hole. The table and log chairs from the sleeping hut had been moved
in, and an oil lamp sat on the table. Boxes of B'layr's books were
stacked in a corner beside a rack built to hang their clothes.

"I cannot believe it!" B'layr gasped, his eyes scanning the room.
"This is almost like home!"

"With a new elfling to care for, we wanted you to be as comfortable as
possible," said L'anin. "The chamber is small enough that it should be
easy to keep warm. There are enough furs for the floor, as well, to
keep your feet warm, if you wish."

"Do they like it?" T'erin poked his head through the entryway,
grinning at his parents.

"I never dreamed that living in the caves might be this comfortable!"
B'layr said, walking over to give his son a hug. "Thank you for all
you have done to make it so."

"It is the least of what we could do for you, Mother," said T'erin.
"After all, you just brought another life into the Tribe. That
deserves much more than merely this chamber."

"It is enough," B'layr replied.

The soft sound of a throat clearing was heard just outside the room.
Everyone turned to see the tanner, H'tim, standing in the opening.

"Come in, H'tim! Welcome!" B'layr greeted his friend. "I have not seen
you for a while."

"The hunters have kept me busy," the tanner said. "I have had many
hides to prepare for the Cold Time."

"I can imagine!" agreed B'layr. "I remember when I was tanner... It
seemed I worked night and day in the autumn, preparing for winter. I
much prefer weaving." He grinned.

H'tim inclined his head in agreement, returning the smile. "I found
some time in my busy schedule to make you a gift," he said, handing
over a package wrapped in a soft deer hide. "It is for the child."

Jim looked on as B'layr opened the package, finding a finely crafted
blanket made of soft rabbit skins inside. "This is beautiful!" B'layr
exclaimed, holding the soft fur to his cheek, then tickling T'lan's
nose with a corner of the blanket. The baby giggled, delighted with
the attention. "Thank you so much!"

"I had it started before the birth," H'tim admitted, "but the hunts
were so successful, I had to set the project aside for a while."

"Now is when we'll need it most," B'layr assured the tanner. "Thank
you again."

"You are most welcome."

"I hate to break up the party," said Jim, "but we just got here after
a half day's journey. B'layr needs to rest." B'layr started to protest
that he was fine, but took one look at his mate's face and shut his
mouth.

"J'anin is right," said L'anin. "Let us allow them to settle in." He
ushered out the other two elves, leaving Jim and B'layr alone in their
new home with the baby.

B'layr sat on the edge of their bed and patted the furs. "It is not I
who needs the rest," he said softly. "You look beat."

Jim settled down next to his mate, reaching out to stroke the long
hair absently. "I don't know what the problem is. I just don't seem to
have any energy lately. Doing small tasks exhausts me."

"Perhaps you are coming down with something after all," B'layr
guessed. "Why not lie down with me while I nurse T'lan? Later, I will
make you a tea that might help."

"I don't really feel like eating anything," Jim admitted. "I've been a
little nauseated the past few days."

"It is not food, it is tea," B'layr explained. "And it will help
settle your stomach."

Jim stretched out on the bed of furs, pulling B'layr in front of him
so that they spooned together. B'layr unlaced his shirt and bared a
nipple for T'lan, who grasped the teat eagerly and began to suckle.

"I'll see how I feel after a nap," said Jim, closing his eyes and
almost immediately falling asleep.

~oO0Oo~

"You should eat something," B'layr said as they sat at their table,
enjoying a venison stew that K'tiri had brought.

Jim wrinkled his nose. "You don't know what just the *smell* of that
stuff is doing to me!" he complained. "I feel like I could -" He
didn't have time to finish the statement. Pushing up from his seat, he
barely made it outside to the main chamber of the caves before
emptying his stomach contents on the floor.

"J'anin, are you all right?" H'tim, who was closest, quickly
approached as B'layr stuck his head out the doorway.

Hands braced on his knees, Jim continued to lean over, spitting
occasionally as the vile taste caused his salivary glands to work
overtime. "I'm okay," he finally managed to say. "It's nothing."

"You are *not* okay!" B'layr insisted. "I do not know yet what is
wrong, but exhaustion and nausea are not 'nothing'."

"I said I'm fine!" Jim snapped back, instantly sorry for his tone when
he saw the hurt look on B'layr's face. "Sorry, Sweetheart. I'm good,
really. It must have been something I ate earlier that didn't agree
with me."

"You have not had anything all day, except for tea," B'layr responded
softly. "Come inside. Lie down." He took Jim by the arm, leading him
back into their room and over to the bed. "Let me see if there is
anything I can do." When Jim had stretched out on the furs, B'layr
extended his hands, one over Jim's forehead, the other over his
stomach. The soft glow warmed Jim, making him sleepy again. When
B'layr was finished, he stroked a hand over Jim's short-cropped hair.
"Rest now." Jim closed his eyes without further protest.

~oO0Oo~

The following days and weeks were busy for Jim, who considered the
symptoms of his illness more as an inconvenience rather than a reason
to stop working. Wood needed to be gathered; the meat smoked and cured
for the long winter. Besides helping with these and other chores, Jim
did his stint as Sentry at the mouth of the caves, warding off the
wild animals that would like to winter over in the caverns and
chambers inside the great mountain. By early December, the Tribes were
snowed in, and life during the Cold Time was beginning to take on its
customary monotony.

B'layr was quietly nursing T'lan when A'mere came running in. L'anin's
toddler had been a source of joy and entertainment for the elf.
Opening his arms to the child, B'layr invited him onto the bed. A'mere
climbed into his grandbearer's arms and settled in to suckle next to
T'lan.

"Is that brat here again?" Jim asked, stomping into their private
chamber and shaking the snow off his coat.

"A'mere is welcome at any time!" B'layr retorted. "And I wish you
would leave the snow outside. Now the floor will be wet."

"What do you care? You never have to get out of bed." Jim sat at the
table and pulled off his boots, setting them near the fire pit to dry.

"And what has gotten into you lately?" B'layr asked, anger and worry
warring within him. "I have not seen you so cranky in a long time!"

"You try needing to piss every hour on the hour, or being constipated
all the time. Oh, wait, you can't, because elves don't have to
eliminate waste the way we poor humans do," Jim snapped. "I haven't
had a crap in I can't remember how long! And here I am, finally
starting to be able to keep food down again, but my pants have gotten
so tight that I've had to loosen the ties. I can't even get *into* my
jeans anymore! I've been having headaches... I just feel like hell -
and for no apparent reason!" His head dropped into his hands and he
sniffed back the angry tears that threatened to fall.

B'layr settled the two children into a deep nest of furs near the back
of the bed and got up to cross the room, wrapping an arm around Jim's
shoulders. "I could try the Old Magic," he suggested. "You have been
feeling a little 'off' ever since the hunting accident. Perhaps I did
not finish the job of healing at the time. I still do not know how to
completely control the Magic."

"You think it could help?" Jim asked hopefully. He'd been fighting off
a generalized malaise for weeks, and he was growing tired of it.

B'layr shrugged. "I do not know, but it cannot hurt to try." He helped
Jim up and led him over to the bed.

Jim stretched out on the sleeping platform, resting his head on a
pillow. B'layr knelt on the floor next to him and stretched his hands
out over the supine form. Closing his eyes, he willed the Healing
Magic and was rewarded when a soft glow encompassed his soulmate.
After several minutes, he sat back on his heels with a sigh.

"There is no more that I know how to do," said B'layr. Reaching out to
stroke a hand across Jim's forehead and down over the soft buzz cut of
his hair, the elf smiled. "If I did not know better, I would say you
are pregnant." The last word came out on top of an embarrassed
chuckle. "But that cannot be, because you are human."

"Thank God for that, at least!" Jim added. "Hey! What do you think
you're doing?" he asked, when B'layr began to unlace his breeches and
slip his hands inside the pants to press lightly against Jim's lower
abdomen. "Sweetheart... ohhhh..." he moaned. "I don't feel like... I
can't right now..."

"Believe it or not, I am not looking for sex," B'layr explained,
turning to face his mate and smiling. "I am working in my capacity as
Healer. There is something here; a hardness just above your pubic
bone."

"A tumor?" Jim asked, his voice growing somber.

B'layr probed a little harder, making Jim wince. "I am sorry, my
heart. I do not mean to hurt you. Whatever this is, it is about the
size of a softball."

"God, I just hope I survive until we can get out of these damn caves!"
Jim hissed. "Do you think it could be cancer?"

"I do not know what to think," B'layr admitted. "Whatever it is, even
cancer, it should have responded to the Old Magic."

"But you said you don't really know how to use the magic," Jim
reminded him.

B'layr nodded. "That is true." He sighed and pulled the blankets up
over Jim's recumbent form. "I will keep an eye on this. If it gets
worse, we will find a way to get you medical help. Meanwhile, you need
to rest. Sleep now, and let me take care of things."

~oO0Oo~

As Christmas neared, Jim began to feel better and all thoughts of
illness were banished from his mind. Bundling up against the winter
cold, he ventured outside the caves and returned with a small Douglas
fir. B'layr was delighted with the idea of a tree, and went about
decorating it with dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and pinecones.

Although the elves didn't celebrate the holiday, they were more than
pleased to use the date as an excuse for a feast. A bonfire was built
just outside the mouth of the cave and tables set up with food and
drink. There were even some fresh rabbits to add to the dried venison.
The smell of rich stew permeated the central cave as the Tribes
gathered to eat and dance.

B'layr, who rarely bothered to dress since the birth of T'lan,
employed nimble fingers to the laces of his mate's clothing, stripping
Jim with smooth efficiency. For once, his soulmate didn't complain.

"It actually feels good to get out of those things," said Jim, kicking
the clothing away from the fire.

B'layr ran a hand down the flat, smooth abdomen, admiring the muscled
strength. "I see no reason for your clothes to be tight," he commented
softly, letting his hand slip lower to stroke his mate's burgeoning
erection, "unless it is because of this."

A low growl worked its way up Jim's throat as he pressed into the
touch. Since the birth of T'lan, there had been no sex between the
couple. He could feel his need grow as the mating pheromones tickled
his senses, feeding his arousal.

B'layr suddenly found himself lifted off his feet, his legs wrapping
around Jim's waist in response. Jim's mouth met B'layr's in a bruising
kiss as his solid shaft probed at B'layr's ass. The elf lowered
himself onto the cock, feeling a completing sense of fullness when his
buttocks met Jim's balls. Throwing back his head, B'layr cried out his
delight as he rode his mate's organ to the brink of his own orgasm.

When he opened his eyes again, B'layr found himself back in their
private chamber, still joined to his lover by the hot flesh pulsing
inside him. His spent cock stirred, coming to life for a second time
as Jim bent over, carefully laying him on the bed furs and climbing up
between B'layr's spread legs. Jim hooked his elbows beneath the bent
knees, lifting the strong legs so that he would have a better entry
angle. He paused to look at B'layr's flushed face and smiled.

"Get on with it!" B'layr grunted, thrusting his hips to drive Jim
deeper as his own erection began to ache. "I need you! It has been so
long...!" The last words were carried on a heavy sigh as Jim began to
move.

Thrusting gently at first, but building quickly to a pounding rhythm,
Jim answered the call of the soul bonding. For a brief instant, man
and elf became one before the blaze of their mutual orgasms blinded
them, and they collapsed in a sweaty heap of completion.

As he slowly began to recover from the aftereffects of his dual
orgasms, B'layr reached up to stroke Jim's cheek. "Thank you, my
heart. I cannot think of anything more I could want from you right
now."

Jim opened his eyes and grinned sleepily at his mate. "Oh no? Then you
don't want the gift I made you?"

"Gift?" B'layr's eyes lit up and he tried to sit up, shifting Jim's
weight off him so that he could move. "You have a gift for me?"

"It wouldn't be Christmas without something, now would it?" Jim asked,
grinning as he got up to cross the room. Digging in the pockets of his
long-abandoned jeans, he pulled out a small package, wrapped in a
scrap of colorful paper. "It isn't much. If we were back home, this
would have probably been a truckload of books or more wool for your
loom."

"It does not matter," B'layr said, grinning, as he tore at the wrap.
An object dropped into his palm, and he held it up for closer
inspection. "Oh, Jim! It is beautiful! You made this?" He held up a
necklace made of braided hemp and adorned with a large nugget of
turquoise. To either side of the center stone were two smaller
nuggets, bracketed with black beads.

"Like I said, not much," Jim apologized. "But there was no getting
away to buy you something."

"My heart!" B'layr threw his arms around Jim's neck, kissing him
thoroughly. "When will you learn that small things, such as this, made
lovingly with your own hands, are much more precious than anything
money could buy!"

"Then you like it?" Jim took the necklace from B'layr's hands and
draped it around his mate's neck, tying the cords securely in the
back.

B'layr fingered the large piece of turquoise. "Like it? I *love* it!
It makes me wish I had something more for you."

"You have something for me?" It was Jim's turn to be surprised. "You
haven't had time..."

"It did not take time," B'layr apologized. "Actually, I was thinking
ahead and packed it before we made our journey to the meadow." He
slipped off the bed and went over to his backpack, pulling out a small
pouch. "There is not much; I was afraid I could not carry it
otherwise." He handed the pouch to Jim.

Jim's lips pursed and he began to look positively ill. Shoving the
pouch back into B'layr's hands, he bolted for the door to their
chamber, not quite making it before he vomited the little he'd eaten
earlier in the day.

B'layr poured some water from a pitcher they kept in their room into a
small cup and wetted a cloth. He hurried over to wipe the spittle from
Jim's mouth and give his mate a drink. Guiding Jim back to the bed,
B'layr pressed him to sit. "What was that about?" he asked, becoming
worried.

"That smell... coffee..."

"But you *like* coffee," B'layr argued. "I thought you would enjoy it
as a treat. We do not get many luxuries in the caves."

Jim shook his head. "I don't know... I don't know," he repeated. "God,
B'layr, I'm sorry. Thank you, really. It was a very thoughtful gift."

"A thoughtful gift that has made you ill," countered his mate. "I will
pack it away for later. No reason to leave it out, if just the smell
is going to affect you like that."

"I don't understand it." Jim's voice verged on a whine. "You're right,
I love coffee."

"It could be that you are coming down with something," B'layr
suggested. "Illness is common this time of year, especially stomach
upsets. We do not get enough fresh food, and eventually our immune
systems weaken."

"That's probably all it is," agreed Jim. "I think I'll just lie down
for a little bit."

"Scoot back, and I will rest with you," B'layr suggested. "It is time
for T'lan's feeding anyway." The elf made himself comfortable, spooned
against Jim's strong body, and brought the elfling to his teat. As the
baby suckled, his parents drifted off to sleep.

~oO0Oo~

The old year ended and the new year began, ushered in with another
blizzard that kept everyone cooped up inside. Jim's stomach problems
continued to plague him and he found himself eating smaller and
smaller portions; less frequently, as well. There were days when he
didn't want anything more than B'layr's herbal teas. He couldn't
remember the last time he'd had a bowel movement. Curled up in bed, he
found himself restless.

B'layr turned over to face his soulmate, reaching out to stroke Jim's
cheek. "Is something bothering you, my heart? You do not seem to be
sleeping well." Jim just shook his head, his attention focused
elsewhere. B'layr waited a few minutes before trying again. "You need
to talk to me, Jim. I cannot help if I do not know what is wrong. I
have some herb blends for tea that are good to help you sleep."

"I don't need tea," said Jim, still distracted. "I'm not sick, it's
just..." He paused to rub his lower abdomen. "I don't know what it is;
maybe just a muscle spasm."

B'layr moved Jim's hand out of the way and laid his own over the firm
abs. He waited patiently for the muscles to ripple.

"There! Did you feel that?" Jim asked.

"I felt nothing," said B'layr, shaking his head. "I do not know what
you felt, but it was not a muscle spasm. Can you describe the feeling?
Is it a pain?"

"No, not a pain," Jim replied. "Just a 'buzz', very faint; almost like
butterfly wings. It's driving me nuts!"

B'layr added a second hand and began applying firm pressure to Jim's
abdomen, moving around as he felt below tissue and muscle. "Your
softball has turned into a football," he announced, eyeing Jim's belly
for the slightest sign of rounding. "If you were an elf, I'd say you
were well into your second quarter and feeling the quickening of the
child."

"But I'm not an elf," Jim unnecessarily reminded his mate.

"No, but you carry the elven genes; you are a Sentry," B'layr reminded
him. "And you have lived among us for over fifty years, yet retained
your youth. Anything is possible."

"Not pregnancy!" Jim insisted. "You know for a fact that my plumbing
is totally different than yours!"

"I *knew* that," B'layr agreed, "but I am not so certain anymore."

Jim continued stubbornly. "I'm *not* pregnant. That's impossible."

B'layr shifted in bed, propping his head on an elbow as he observed
his mate. "When I miscarried the twins and had to have my uterus
removed, I 'knew' it was impossible for me to ever bear another child.
And yet, T'lan now nurses at my breast. N'elu of the Ancients gave me
back my womb through use of the Old Magic."

"But you're a full elf," argued Jim. "He was only returning something
to you that you'd had before. I've never had a uterus; my insides
aren't built for it."

"But my womb was surgically removed. It should have been impossible to
just 'wish' a new one into existence," B'layr countered. "And N'elu
gave me another gift, whether intentionally or not - one I had *not*
possessed before - the Healing Magic." He studied Jim's face, which
was still a mask of doubt and disbelief. "Jim... after the hunting
accident, you were dying. I did not know if I could save you, but that
was my one goal: to throw everything I had into bringing you back
here, to me. I have had no one to teach me control of the Magic, how
to focus it to do my will. All I knew was that I had to save you.
After the Healing, I was so drained that I slept beside you for two
full days. My heart, *anything* could have happened, to either of us."

"It's something else, you'll see," Jim continued to insist. "Maybe I'm
hungry and my stomach's rumbling."

"Are you hungry?" B'layr asked.

Jim thought about it for a moment. "No. But that doesn't automatically
make me pregnant."

"How long has it been since you experienced a bowel movement?" B'layr
questioned, seeming to change the subject.

Jim narrowed his eyes and stared at B'layr as he thought about it,
then shook his head. "A long time," he admitted. "But I still have to
pee a dozen times a day!"

B'layr sighed. "I cannot explain that. My guess is that your body is
changing to adapt to the pregnancy. Your alimentary canal has cleared
itself and your body is processing food differently, which is why you
are eating less. You now have a pathway for the elfling to emerge."

"No..." Jim shook his head again. "I'm still peeing," he repeated.

"That process has nothing to do with the birthing," B'layr explained.
"Perhaps the Magic did not change you all the way. You still have a
preponderance of human genes, after all."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Jim sighed and pushed the
blankets back, preparing to get out of bed for the day.

B'layr moved over to let his mate out, then got up to fetch T'lan from
his nest of sleeping furs to nurse the infant. Settling back onto the
bed with the suckling child, he watched as Jim prepared some tea. "I
do not mean to upset you. I am only trying to put forward the most
likely explanation for your symptoms."

"Even though it's not possible."

"Even though," B'layr agreed.

"I think I'll go out hunting today; see if I can get us a rabbit for
some stew," said Jim, pulling on his clothes.

"The wind still howls," said B'layr, worried about his lover venturing
out.

Jim put on his heavy parka and grabbed his crossbow. "The snow has
stopped and I'd like some fresh meat," he replied succinctly.

"Be careful!" B'layr called to his mate's retreating back.

L'anin stuck his head into the private chamber about two minutes
later. "Father is going out?" he asked, looking surprised.

"I think he wants to get away from me more than he wants the rabbit,"
B'layr answered. "Come on in; sit with me."

The younger elf slipped inside and perched on the edge of the bed.
"Why would you say that? J'anin loves you with all his being. He would
never wish to be separated from you."

"I would have said the same," B'layr agreed, "but lately he has not
been too receptive to my suggestions regarding his illness."

"I thought he had recovered." L'anin looked surprised. "He rarely
complains of anything these days."

"That is because he is in the 'grace period' of his second quarter. He
felt the quickening this morning, and that has upset him," B'layr
explained.

"J'anin is *pregnant*?" L'anin's question was almost a shriek of
surprise. "I thought that was not possible. He is human, is he not?"

"Mostly human," agreed B'layr. "Although I do believe that the longer
he lives with us, the more prominent his elven genes become. And I do
not know for a fact that he is pregnant, but I strongly suspect that
he is." He sighed and slipped the nursing T'lan from his nipple,
handing the infant over to L'anin.

"And he is not taking the suggestion well?"

B'layr shook his head. "He is in complete denial. Normally, your Sire
is open to new thoughts and new ways of doing things, but in this he
is being stubbornly unyielding. He will not even accept the
possibility."

"But such a tremendous physical transformation is not possible, is
it?" asked L'anin, cradling T'lan in his arms and rocking the child to
keep him quiet.

"Normally, I would agree. But since the hunting accident, I am no
longer certain." B'layr sighed. "I was still pregnant at the time and
could not even consider having half my soul ripped from me -" He
paused and glanced at L'anin, realizing his son had been forced to
face that same destiny. "I did all in my power to bring him back. I
used the Magic," he explained.

"And you think the Magic may have changed my Sire?"

"I think it is at least a possibility," B'layr agreed. "But J'anin
will not even entertain the idea."

"It is a lot for him to take in," said L'anin softly. "If he is indeed
pregnant, as you suspect, his whole world will be changed."

"It is going to be a long year," B'layr sighed.

~oO0Oo~

"I'm getting fat," Jim complained, running a hand over the slight
swell of his abdomen. "How the hell could I be getting fat?"

B'layr decided against suggesting what was becoming more and more
obvious to him as time went on, trying a more traditional approach.
"It is mid-February and we have been cooped up in the caves since the
middle of October. If you are putting on weight, it could be due to a
lack of exercise."

"I do plenty of work around here," Jim countered. "And I haven't been
eating enough to keep a mouse alive."

"You have been eating enough to keep an *elf* alive," B'layr pointed
out. "Actually, you still eat more than I do."

"My metabolism is faster," Jim snapped in reply.

"Then what is your explanation for this?" B'layr stroked his hand over
the softly rounding belly of his mate, wondering what it would take to
convince Jim of the real cause for his weight gain.

Jim frowned, his voice a low growl. "I don't *have* an explanation,
that's the problem!"

"I would not worry about it, then," said B'layr. "It is not a lot of
gain, and I rather like it." He continued his gentle stroking as he
allowed a slight smile to curve his lips.

"You would," Jim grumbled.

"More to love," B'layr countered playfully as he turned to check the
contents of their small pantry. Lifting the precious box of oatmeal
from the shelf, he decided to cook some of the cereal and use a bit of
their dwindling supply of dried huckleberries to sweeten it. He went
about boiling the water and preparing their breakfast without a
backward glance at his brooding mate. When he turned around, his eyes
widened.

Jim had settled himself at the table, a hand still resting on the
swell of his abdomen. His head was lowered and he appeared to be in
deep contemplation. B'layr recognized the signs and hurried to his
soulmate's side. "Jim?" He gently shook his lover's shoulder. "Jim,
come back to me, my heart; follow my voice. Come back... Jim, come on,
baby, come back."

With a snort, Jim shook himself out of his zone and looked up at
B'layr in amazement.

"What is it?" B'layr asked when Jim didn't immediately speak. "Why did
you zone? What was it that caught your attention?"

"A sound," Jim said softly, his head cocked to one side as though he
was still listening to something.

"What kind of sound?"

"Very soft," Jim whispered, as though speaking would drown out the
delicate noise. "Like a fast 'swish-swish'." He began rubbing circles
over his abdomen. "It's coming from inside me... from here."

B'layr sank to his knees beside his mate and pressed an ear against
Jim's belly. "I cannot hear it yet. Let me get L'anin."

"What do you think it is?" Jim asked. "It's not my stomach... it's
constant."

"Let me bring our son," said B'layr, rising quickly to his feet and
heading for the door. "I will only be a minute." He left in a hurry,
before Jim could call him back.

B'layr glanced around the large main cavern before grabbing the arm of
a passing elf. "Have you seen L'anin recently? I need to find him."

"He is out hunting," the elf replied.

B'layr frowned, pursing his lips in thought. "All right. Thank you."
He turned in the direction of K'tiri's lodging, finding her at the
fire with S'kur and their daughter, K'lyn.

"B'layr? Is everything all right?" K'tiri looked up at her Bearer,
concerned by the look on his face.

"Could you come with me... now?" B'layr asked his daughter. "There is
something I need for you to confirm."

K'tiri rose and walked over to B'layr, resting a hand on his arm.
"What is it, Mother? Is something wrong?"

B'layr shook his head. "Not wrong," he said, pausing. "Maybe instead,
something is really right." He hurried his daughter across the main
cavern to the door of the small chamber he shared with Jim. Jim was
still sitting at the table, his head cocked, his ears hearing the soft
sound.

K'tiri gasped when she saw her Sire. His naked body glistened in the
light from the oil lamp, his abdomen curving outward ever so slightly.
"Is he...? But he cannot be...!"

"That is what I need you to confirm," B'layr replied. "I need you to
listen for the heartbeat."

The Chieftess knelt in front of her Sire and pressed an ear to the
distended belly. A grin spread across her face as she listened.
"Congratulations, J'anin! You bear us a new Tribe member!"

Jim shook his head, still disbelieving. "I can't. I'm not an elf. I
can't be pregnant."

"But you are!" K'tiri said, leaping to her feet and clapping her
hands. "This is cause for a celebration!"

"*NO*!" The sharp command came from Jim, who was beginning to look
agitated. "I don't want anyone else to know! Not yet. B'layr...?" He
looked up imploringly at his mate. "Can't you do something? Make it go
away?"

"I cannot, my heart. Reckoning from our celebration after your
healing, I would say you are well into your second quarter,
approximately twenty-two weeks gestation," B'layr informed his
distraught soulmate. "You are fast approaching the second half of your
pregnancy."

"But I'm barely showing! By this late, you look like you've swallowed
a basketball," Jim whined, his voice ratcheting up a notch from
stress.

"It is your first," B'layr explained, "and your abdominal muscles are
strong. Do not worry, you will be showing more soon."

"I don't *want* to be showing more! I want it to not be happening!"

"But it is, my heart." B'layr knelt next to his mate, one hand on the
swelling belly, the other stroking the tightly drawn face. "It is not
so bad. I will help you through it."

"Easy for you to say!" Jim snapped, but his voice had lost the angry
edge and now reflected something B'layr had rarely heard: fear.

"I think you have suspected this for a while," said B'layr softly.
"But you have tried so hard to deny it, that you managed to convince
yourself."

Jim sighed. "So now what? What do I do next?"

B'layr stood up and grinned. "You get up, get dressed, and go about
your business as you would any other day," he said.

"I was planning to help gather and chop wood, then go hunting," said
Jim. "Should I do all that?"

"Do you feel like you can?"

Jim nodded. "Except for the occasional flutter and that incessant
*noise*, I feel fine."

"Then you can do pretty much whatever you wish," B'layr explained.
"You are not ill, you are *pregnant*. You do not need to treat this as
an illness. If you tire, then stop. If you begin to hurt, then stop.
It is quite simple, really."

Jim stood and gathered his clothes, beginning to pull them on. "Are
you *sure* there's nothing you can do?" He watched as B'layr smiled
and shook his head. "My pants are tight. I can't fasten them anymore."

"I still have my maternity jeans," B'layr suggested.

"No! No way!" Jim answered quickly, shaking his head. "I'm not wearing
maternity clothes!" He pulled his shirt down over the open fly of his
breeches and tugged on his heavy coat.

B'layr watched with amusement as his mate stomped out of their living
quarters. "You do not have to now," he muttered quietly, more to
himself than to his departing lover, "but you will someday soon."

~oO0Oo~

A hot column of flesh probed at his backside, awakening B'layr. He
twisted his shoulders and head to look at his mate.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Jim greeted him with a grin. "I didn't think
you were ever going to wake up."

"After last night, I feel like I could sleep for a week!" B'layr
sighed.

Jim rubbed up against his mate, pushing his hard cock between B'layr's
butt cheeks. "I need you." His whisper was almost a soft growl.

"My ass still hurts," B'layr complained. "You took me three times
before the moon rose fully in the sky."

"And at least once more after that," Jim said with a chuckle. "But I
need you again. Now."

"Do what you want," B'layr replied wearily. "I am going to try and get
more sleep." He fluffed his pillow and closed his eyes again.

Jim rose up on an elbow, kissing B'layr's shoulder and leaving a trail
of wet kisses across his neck. Gently turning his lover onto his back,
he captured the unwilling mouth, his tongue probing deep into the
recesses, tasting the flavor of his guide, his mate. B'layr groaned
and opened his eyes, surrendering to his insistent lover. Jim finally
released B'layr's mouth and slipped down to tongue his swollen
nipples, full of T'lan's morning milk.

B'layr arched into the touch, his nipples extremely sensitized. He
moaned his pleasure as the milk leaked and Jim lapped it up like a
large cat, savoring the sweet flavor. As Jim's large hand wrapped
around his flaccid penis, stroking the organ to new life, B'layr
squirmed with anticipation, suddenly feeling the fire of need begin to
burn in his gut. "God, Jim! Take me!" he begged, rolling to expose his
backside once more.

The plea was all Jim needed. His cock slid easily into the stretched
opening to B'layr's body, burying itself deep in the velvet warmth.
His thrusts began slowly, building in strength and speed as B'layr
pushed back against him, encouraging his quick release. Jim's hand
clamped down on B'layr's penis as the organ pulsed with life, growing
hot in his grasp as his lover edged closer and closer to his climax.

Jim could feel the blood in his own cock throbbing to the elevated
beat of his heart. He thrust harder, feeling himself spiral toward his
completion until in a burst of sensation, he flooded B'layr's body
with his seed. Both man and elf cried out in unison, collapsing back
onto the furs in complete exhaustion. Finally content, Jim closed his
eyes and rested his cheek against B'layr's shoulder, his softening
penis still buried inside his mate.

B'layr sighed and tried to close his eyes, but he found he was no
longer sleepy. When Jim's soft snores signaled that he was sleeping
soundly, B'layr slipped out of his grasp and got up to wash. It had
been less than a week since Jim had found out that he was really and
truly pregnant, and while his mate continued to pretend his condition
didn't exist, the increased lust of this period in the pregnancy was
making itself known.

Settling into T'lan's nest of sleeping furs, B'layr lifted the infant
to his breast. His ass still throbbed from overuse causing him to
shift often to try and find a comfortable sitting position on the
hard, stone floor. Finally giving up, he stood, pacing slowly around
the room as T'lan nursed. When the infant had had his fill, B'layr
settled the child in Jim's arms and went to get dressed.

Out in the main cavern, things were bustling. L'anin spotted his
Bearer and waved B'layr over.

"What is going on?" B'layr asked. "There seems to be more activity
than usual."

"K'tiri feels we are in a rut," L'anin explained. "We have been cooped
up in the caves for four months. Only the hunters have ventured out.
She feels we need a celebration, something to take our minds off the
boredom."

"But she has not mentioned your Sire's pregnancy, I hope?" B'layr's
eyes narrowed. "He would never forgive me if that got out before he is
ready to make the announcement himself."

"He still does not want to believe?" L'anin shook his head, grinning.
"He is a stubborn one!"

"That he is," B'layr agreed. "And the condition has not helped improve
his mood any, either. The only thing that seems to make him happy
these days is sex."

L'anin let out a bark of laughter. "It is well known throughout the
Tribes whenever he takes you. Your cries echo through the chambers."

B'layr blushed. "Just what I need on top of the sore ass," he
grumbled. "I suppose today's celebration will give him the excuse he
needs to fuck me another half dozen times."

"Mother!" L'anin pretended to look abashed. "I thought you liked
J'anin's sexual attention. It is usually he who complains that *you*
are the one with endless needs."

"I suppose I asked for that," B'layr chuckled. "It is not his fault.
The increased blood supply for the growing fetus tends to trigger
sexual stimulation. The slightest touch, or even a thought, can bring
on an aching erection. I am well familiar with the condition."

"But you have learned to control it," L'anin pointed out. "If we elves
did not learn that discipline, there would not be enough time in the
day for all the sex!"

"Tell that to J'anin," B'layr grumbled. Taking a deep breath, he
looked up at his son. "So, is there anything I can do to help?"

"There is always need for food preparation," L'anin said, pointing
over to where the trestle table was being set up.

B'layr nodded. "It will do me good to be away from your Sire for a
little while," he said, heading over to the table.

~oO0Oo~

The bonfire blazed at the cavern's entrance, warding off the snow and
cold as the elves danced to their native music. Several couples had
already split off from the group, finding quieter spots in which to
engage in the ritual intercourse common to celebrations.

Jim, dressed in loose fitting clothes to hide his spreading girth,
stood at the table nibbling at a platter of freshly cooked rabbit.
B'layr stood nearby, his bare skin glistening with perspiration from
the dance he had just finished.

"Where's T'lan?" Jim asked, tossing a bone into the growing pile on
the floor and taking another piece of the meat.

B'layr sighed, tired from several nights of little sleep and the
exertions of his dancing. "I left him with T'gan. He is being well
cared for."

"Then you're free for the evening?" Jim's eyes roamed the sleekly
muscled body of his mate.

B'layr returned the gaze with narrowed eyes. "Yes, I suppose that I
am."

"Good." Jim popped the last of the rabbit into his mouth, licked his
fingers, and then wiped them on his pants. Taking B'layr's hand, he
led his mate out of the circle of the firelight to a secluded corner
of the cavern.

B'layr found his backside pressed against the cold stone of the cave
wall as Jim's mouth descended on his, claiming him with a hunger that
food alone could not appease. Thumbs roughly caressed his tender
nipples, causing milk to leak and B'layr to groan with discomfort. At
the smell of the milk, Jim leaned down, lapping it off B'layr's chest
as he let his right hand roam lower to cup B'layr's penis and begin to
stroke it to hardness.

His mate barely had time to gasp as Jim flipped him around to face the
cave wall. Hands parted his ass and B'layr felt the firm hardness of
Jim's cock probing him, entering his body with a quick thrust that
pinned him to the wall.

"Awww, God... Jim!" B'layr moaned in a combination of arousal and
exhaustion. He clawed at the hard surface of the stone as the invading
cock thrust relentlessly into him, grinding his own organ into the
unforgiving surface of the wall.

Jim cried out as his orgasm flooded him, pumping hard into his mate as
his completion ran its course. When he pulled out and backed up,
B'layr slid to the floor, his face held in his hands.

"Oh my God... B'layr?" Jim knelt beside his mate, cradling the shaking
body. "Are you all right? Did I hurt you?"

"'m okay," B'layr mumbled, curling up against his mate.

"No, you're not," Jim corrected, stooping to gather the slender body
into his arms. "I'm taking you back to our room. You need to rest." He
carried B'layr back to their private chamber and laid him out on their
sleeping platform. Only then did he notice the scratches and bruises
on the pale body. "Awww, B'layr... what have I done?"

"I will be fine," B'layr said, recovering a little and reaching up to
cup Jim's cheek with his hand. "You could not control yourself; it is
a byproduct of your pregnancy."

"Is this what it's like for you? Needing it all the time? Every little
thing stimulating you?" Jim asked. He had fetched a bowl of water and
now wiped down his lover's body with a cool, damp cloth, soothing the
scrapes and scratches.

"Yes, my heart, but with time I have learned to control much of it.
You will learn control, too."

"I must! I can't hurt you like this again!" Jim's hand stroked down
over the reddened flesh, finally cupping the bruised penis. "Oh God...
did I do this?" B'layr winced at the touch, drawing in a hiss of
breath. Jim immediately dropped the limp cock, looking very contrite.
"I'm sorry. I'm *so* sorry, B'layr! I never thought... I never meant
for anything like this to happen."

"I know, my heart. I forgive you," B'layr said, sitting up and
gathering Jim into his arms. "Everything is so new. You feel things
more strongly, because you are a Sentry. You are being bombarded with
new sensations: the sound of the heartbeat, the flutter of the
quickening... along with all the other symptoms. Are your nipples
sore?" He tucked a hand between their bodies and gently tweaked one of
Jim's small nubs.

"Ow! Shit! Cut that out!"

"How long?" asked B'layr.

"I don't know... two, three months, maybe?" Jim answered. "It hurt to
wear the furs and leathers, so I started using a cotton shirt
underneath the outer garments. I didn't know what the hell was going
on."

"And you did not ask me." It was a statement, not a question.

Jim's eyes were sorrowful as he contemplated what he'd just done to
his soulmate. "Uh, well... you were already spouting that nonsense
about me being pregnant. I didn't want to add fuel to the fire."

"It did not change the outcome, though, did it?" B'layr tilted his
head up to look Jim in the eyes. "No matter how much you tried to deny
it, in the end, you are still pregnant."

"I still can't believe it. I don't want to be pregnant. I've seen what
you go through and I don't think I can do it," said Jim, carding his
fingers through his mate's thick curls.

"You were blindsided by this," B'layr explained. "We both were.
Neither of us knew the cause for your symptoms until many weeks into
the pregnancy. Neither of us believed it could happen at all, yet here
you are, dealing with something that no human male has ever had to
deal with. It will take a lot of processing for you to get used to the
idea."

"I don't think a year is enough time to get used to the idea," Jim
moaned.

"It will be enough," said B'layr gently as he reclined again, pulling
Jim down with him. "Let us both rest now. We are going to be needing
our strength."

"But your injuries..." Jim protested, sweeping an arm over the
battered body.

B'layr smiled. "...are not severe. Do not be concerned; they will
heal. Now, I wish to sleep."

Jim shifted and settled next to B'layr, pulling the blanket up over
them both and cradling the precious body against his own. Closing his
eyes, he drifted into a restless sleep.

~oO0Oo~

"I do not know what has gotten into Sentry J'anin," M'erin complained
one day in late February. "But he has been getting harder and harder
to please."

"Our Sire does not enjoy being cooped up," K'tiri tried to explain to
the frustrated clansman. "Ignore his outbursts. He means no harm."

"He complains about every bit of leather, no matter how softly
tanned," H'tim added. "There is no pleasing him."

"He is even critical of the food," L'tan added. "Sentry J'anin has
never complained about the food before."

K'tiri sighed. It was difficult knowing, but not telling, the secret
of her Sire's recent mood swings. "He has not been feeling like
himself," she explained. "He has been ill and is currently not
sleeping well."

"Can the Healer not do something?" M'erin wondered. "They are
soulmates, after all. Surely B'layr could do something to make J'anin
well."

"He has tried," said K'tiri. "But we run low on fresh herbs, and there
is still the entire population of the Ten Tribes to care for."

"If he longs for the outdoors, send him on a hunt," H'tim suggested.

L'tan snorted in derision. "If he is so bothered by us here in the
caves, then let him go back to his hut in the meadow!"

M'erin and H'tim nodded in enthusiastic agreement.

"No!" K'tiri said firmly. "It is too cold for him to live on his own
this early in the year. Besides, he has B'layr and T'lan to care for."

"They can take care of themselves," growled L'tan.

K'tiri shook her head. "Imagine being separated from your soulmate and
child," she said. "We all need to practice patience with J'anin."

"Easier said than done!" M'erin mumbled.

~oO0Oo~

"Ungh!" Jim grabbed his growing belly and winced. He and B'layr had
just finished a long, slow, and mutually gratifying round of
lovemaking when the cramp twisted his abdomen. "Damn, that hurts!"

B'layr rolled over to eye Jim with concern. "What hurts, my heart?"

"Muscle cramp." Jim's words were clipped as he rolled to find a more
comfortable position. "Ah, there... it's stopped." He breathed a sigh
of relief.

"You are halfway through the pregnancy," B'layr reminded his mate.
"Perhaps you are feeling the pangs of false labor. I believe the
humans call them Braxton Hicks contractions."

"It's too early for contractions!" Jim spat. "I've got another six
months to suffer through first!"

"False labor is common as you enter your third quarter," said B'layr.
"The uterine muscle contracts and relaxes at irregular intervals
throughout the pregnancy. But as you get further along, you begin to
feel them, especially after any type of exertion, such as exercise...
or having sex." He chuckled at Jim's abashed look.

"Another reason to slow down on the sex, huh?" Jim asked, massaging
his belly.

"Not necessarily," B'layr responded. "The contractions should not be
especially painful, and there is no other physical reason to restrict
sex... except the endurance of your partner," he added with a grin.

"Yeah?" Jim's eyebrows arched. "And how is my partner doing?"

"Your partner has a baby to feed and medicinal herbs to mix. You have
been so caught up in your own little world that you may not have
noticed that as the air begins to warm with spring, many of our
Brothers have come down with colds." B'layr slipped out of bed and
began his morning washing ritual before lifting a sleeping T'lan from
his furs for feeding.

"So how long do I have to put up with these cramps?"

"On and off for the rest of your pregnancy," said B'layr, settling
down to nurse T'lan.

"What the hell?" Jim yelped. "You mean this isn't like the morning
sickness, that'll go away in a couple of weeks?"

"Actually, the contractions will most likely get progressively
stronger," B'layr replied. "But they should not worry you. You still
have many months until the birth of your child."

"Too damn many, if you ask me!" Jim sat up and swung his legs over the
edge of the bed.

B'layr grinned. "So you look forward to the birth of your child?"

"God, no!" Jim said fervently. "I'd prefer to skip the whole birth
thing. Men weren't meant to push a watermelon out of their ass. Leave
that to the women... and elves!" B'layr burst out laughing, causing
Jim to growl. "What's so damn funny?"

"You are, my heart. You have no choice in the matter. You *will* push
that child out your ass, whether you like it or not." B'layr continued
to grin at his frustrated mate. "Believe me, the reward for your
discomfort more than compensates." Unfurling his legs, B'layr stood up
gracefully and walked over to place T'lan in Jim's arms. "Do you not
agree?"

Jim smiled and began making faces at the infant, who laughed at his
Sire's antics. "I love kids, you know that," he said. "But *having*
one? Out of my own body? Huh-uh." Jim shook his head.

"Well, it is too late now," said B'layr with an air of practicality.
"You *are* having this baby. Speaking of which..." He paused to sit
down next to his soulmate. "Do you not think it is about time to make
the announcement to the Tribes? You cannot hide the truth much
longer." B'layr stroked the growing mound of Jim's belly - the belly
he was having a harder and harder time disguising. "The People grow
weary of your constant moods. They would be more forgiving if they
understood the cause."

"I don't give a damn what they think about my 'moods'," Jim snapped.
The baby chose that moment to kick, eliciting a surprised "oof" from
its Bearer. Jim rubbed his belly in hopes of soothing the restless
child.

"I know that you do not," B'layr agreed, "but I think it is time
anyway. This is a cause for rejoicing, whether or not you agree right
now. We will have a new member of the Tribe, and the People have a
right to know."

Jim took a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh. "I suppose," he said
reluctantly. "I can't hide it forever."

"That is quite true," said B'layr. "When the meadow rings with your
birthing cries, everyone will know."

"You'd have to bring *that* up!" Jim grumbled, standing and going to
fetch his clothes. "Just do me a favor and spread the word quietly? I
don't want a big to-do about it - and no celebration!"

"I will tell K'tiri that she can begin disseminating the word," said
B'layr. "And I will tell her 'no celebration'."

"Thanks." Jim picked up his crossbow and headed toward the doorway.
"I'd like to be far away when you tell her," he said. "I'll see if I
can find any fresh meat for tonight's meal."

"Good hunting," B'layr called to his mate's retreating back. "Be
safe."

~oO0Oo~

The news spread quickly throughout the community, and the Sentry could
not help but overhear the gossip and conversations about his
miraculous condition. He dodged the inevitable congratulations with
grumbled acknowledgments, his mood growing darker with each
repetition. As March drew to a close, Jim's temper had set everyone on
edge.

L'anin spotted his Bearer in the main cavern, standing in a secluded
corner, gently rapping his forehead against the unforgiving stone.

"Mother?" L'anin approached, laying a gentle hand on the rounded
shoulder. "What is wrong?"

"I needed to get away," B'layr said, turning to face his son. "I just
really *needed* some time to myself. J'anin is..."

L'anin sighed. "Yes. J'anin *is*," he agreed. "I can only imagine how
difficult he has been to live with. Those outside the family have
begun avoiding him as much as possible."

"It is not his fault. He did not wish to become pregnant; he never
dreamed he *would*. And I never dreamed he could, either. It is a
difficult adjustment for him," B'layr explained.

"Come, Mother, sit by my fire and have some tea." L'anin led his
Bearer over to his small living area in the main cavern and offered
B'layr a steaming mug.

B'layr clasped the cup with icy hands, welcoming the warming heat. He
leaned over the steam and inhaled deeply. "It smells wonderful. Thank
you."

"It is chamomile," L'anin said, watching as B'layr sipped cautiously
at the hot liquid.

"Just what I needed," said B'layr, nodding his head.

"So what is J'anin complaining about now?" L'anin asked
conversationally. He was almost afraid to hear the answer as he sipped
at his own tea for fortification.

"Anything," B'layr paused and took another sip. "Everything. The sound
of the baby's heart keeps him awake at night, and the movement has
begun to be more pronounced. He complains of being kicked in the gut,
especially just as he is falling asleep. He still cannot stand the
smell of coffee, so I have had to give away the bit that I had saved
especially for him. His feet hurt, his back aches, certain foods upset
his stomach... he complains that he tires more easily and that his
senses seem to spiral out of his control."

"It is true that the fluctuating hormone levels can play havoc with
Sentry senses," L'anin informed B'layr. "There were times I needed
A'mara to ground me, and I could not go out for fear of being
overwhelmed."

"Really? Why did you not tell me?"

L'anin shook his head. "There was really nothing you could do," he
replied. "Only the Guide can help, and you were not mine - A'mara
was."

"Then perhaps I should be staying closer to J'anin to ground him."
B'layr looked thoughtful. "I had not figured in the consequences of
the Sentry senses. They do seem to be at the crux of most of J'anin's
complaints."

"It is different for us," L'anin agreed. "Everything that affected
you, affects us more."

"I have been an unthinking and uncaring Healer." B'layr sighed. "I
should have *known* and taken those things into account."

"It is an oversight you could not have foreseen," L'anin explained.
"You are not a Sentry, therefore it is easy for you to forget how the
senses interact with everything we do, including pregnancy and sex."

"Not necessarily in that order," B'layr added with a huff of a
chuckle.

L'anin joined in with his Bearer's amusement. "He is still quite
horny? I am not surprised. It took considerable restraint on my part
not to nail A'mara a dozen times a day. Arousal is peaked by so many
things: sight, touch, smell, taste... a sound..."

"It is a miracle I am still here to tell the tale," said B'layr,
having his first hearty laugh in many a day.

"B'laaaaayr?" The plaintive call echoed across the cavern.

"Your soulmate calls for you," L'anin said, grinning. "Will you
answer?"

B'layr stood, handing back the empty tea mug. "I must, of course.
Thank you for the refreshment and the enlightenment. I think I have a
better idea of what I need to do now."

"You are welcome, Mother. Good luck!" L'anin watched as B'layr hurried
off toward the source of the doleful cry.

~oO0Oo~

B'layr found Jim waiting for him by the entryway into their chamber.
Though fully dressed, Jim had his shirt pulled out and his pants
pushed down, exposing the mound of his belly as he scratched at the
expanse of skin.

"It itches!"

"Do not scratch!" B'layr commanded softly, grabbing at the offending
hand and examining the reddened skin. "Let us go back inside and I
will see what can be done." He backed Jim up into the chamber and over
to their bed. "Sit, and do not scratch!" He went over to his shelf of
medicinal remedies and searched for a special item. Finding the small
tin, he snatched it up and walked back over to the bed as he removed
the lid and dipped his fingers into the thick substance.

"What's that?" Jim asked, narrowing his eyes and wrinkling his nose.

"It is the cure for what ails you," B'layr replied, lifting Jim's
shirt and rubbing the soothing cream into the stretched skin. "It is
cocoa butter," he explained. "As your abdomen expands, the skin gets
stretched taut and it itches. This helps soften the skin and soothe
the irritation. Here, lie back." He helped Jim recline before tugging
down Jim's pants and opening the shirt to expose the entire surface of
the expanding belly. Using both hands, he massaged the cocoa butter
into the skin with soothing, circular motions. "We will do this twice
a day, more if you need it."

"What if we run out of the cocoa butter?" Jim asked, his voice
mournful.

"The snow is melting, and soon we shall be able to return to the
meadow," said B'layr. "I can make the walk back to the cabin, call
Stevie, and ask for him to send more. Meanwhile, oil or the rendered
animal fats will do in a pinch."

"It feels better," Jim said with a sigh. "Thank you, my soul." He
reached up and pulled B'layr down for a kiss, and for once, the elf
didn't complain.

~oO0Oo~

There were still large patches of snow in the meadow by early May, but
the elves had had enough of the troglodyte lifestyle and had begun
their move back out into the open spaces. B'layr was arranging their
belongings in the sleeping hut when Jim arrived back from talking with
the hunting party.

"They won't let me go with them," Jim grumbled. "I need to get out and
stretch my legs... use my senses on something other than myself."

B'layr approached and reached out to rub the belly that now extended
beyond the boundaries of Jim's clothing. "You have entered your third
quarter, my heart," he reminded his mate. "It would not be wise of you
to go on a hunt now. Come... sit." He led Jim over to their sleeping
platform and gently pushed him down. "Look - your legs and ankles
already swell. You should rest and put your feet up for a while."

"That's all I do anymore - rest and put my feet up!" Jim complained.
"I want to do something useful. I've always led the first hunt of the
new Thaw..."

"But you have never been pregnant before," said B'layr reasonably.
"There are things you could do around camp to help."

"I need to *move*, to get away for a while." Jim's face lit up and he
grinned. "I know! I could take a walk back to the homestead and make
sure everything is still the way we left it."

B'layr's eyes grew round with shock. "That is over a two-day walk,
under the best conditions! You are halfway through your third quarter;
the walk would go slower for you! You should stay here, my heart,
please..."

Jim stood up and grabbed his pack, looking around their small dwelling
for things to take with him. "You walked from there to here when you
were well into your fourth quarter," he shot back at his mate. "It's
an easy trek, and I need to get out, need to do something useful."

"And how is this useful?" asked B'layr, purposefully getting in Jim's
way to slow him down as he packed.

"You really don't know?" Jim stopped what he was doing to look up at
his mate. "If men haven't come and ransacked the cabin by now, they
won't be coming. It will mean that it's safe for the Tribes to move
back to the long houses where everyone is more comfortable."

"You are not going to give up on this idea, are you?" B'layr stepped
aside and let Jim finish packing.

The Sentry shook his head. "I need to do this. I should be back in
under a week."

"*We* shall be back," said B'layr, quickly gathering his own
belongings and stuffing them into his backpack. He swaddled T'lan and
tucked him into a cloth sling.

"I don't need you along," Jim said, pushing past his mate and slipping
through the door. "You should stay here and care for T'lan."

"If you will not see reason and stay here, then I must accompany you,"
B'layr insisted, following his mate out into the meadow. "Besides, I
too would like to see the cabin again. It would be good to be able to
move back."

"Do what you gotta do," Jim grumbled as he headed out; secretly glad
to have the company, but not wanting to admit it.

It was barely past noon when Jim sank down on the trunk of a fallen
tree to rest. "God, my feet hurt," he growled. "I can't even reach my
ankles to rub them."

B'layr dropped to the ground and cradled Jim's feet in his lap,
massaging the swollen ankles. "I would take off your boots, but we
would never get them back on today," he said with a grin. "You will
not be seeing much of your feet for another nineteen weeks, so you had
better get used to it."

Jim groaned. "Oh, God... I'm so ready to be done with this whole
thing. I never asked to get pregnant, you know. Why the hell did you
do this to me? Why? Is this some sort of twisted elven revenge?"

B'layr looked up, his face apologetic. "This *is* my fault, in more
ways than one," he admitted. "I do not know what to say... I am
sorry."

"You always wanted me to know what it was like," Jim accused his mate.
"And now I do."

"I never expected that it could ever happen," B'layr admitted. "I did
not do this to you on purpose, my heart. If I could take back the
gift, I would, but I do not know how."

Jim sighed and reached out to stroke B'layr's long curls. "I know, I
know. I just have to take it out on someone, and you volunteered to
come along."

"I did that," B'layr chuckled. "I guess I deserve what I get. Here,"
he passed a water skin to his mate, "drink this. You need to keep well
hydrated. It will help the swelling."

"Will it help with the other aches and pains?"

"No, but I can brew you a willow bark tea when we stop for a meal. Are
you hungry now? It has been hours since you last ate." B'layr looked
up questioningly at his mate.

Jim shook his head. "No, I'm good," he said. "It's funny, but the more
pregnant I get, the less interested I am in food."

"It is the elvish metabolism taking over," B'layr explained. "Perhaps,
once you have given birth, your system will return to normal."

"Don't even talk about giving birth!" Jim snapped back. "I don't want
to think about that now... or ever."

"You will have to deal with it in nineteen more weeks," said B'layr
softly. "It is the culmination of all you have suffered for."

"Well, it can wait," Jim grumbled. "*I* can wait..."

"Mmm..." B'layr nodded and stood up, offering his hand. "If you feel
ready, perhaps we should continue on. There is a long way to go before
we camp for the night."

Jim clasped the hand and hauled himself up off his seat, dusting the
moss and lichen from his pants. They continued on their journey in
silence - Jim nursing a sore back and feet, while B'layr nursed T'lan.

That evening, they made camp in a small clearing by a stream and
B'layr prepared the promised willow bark tea. Jim sipped slowly at the
brew, giving it time to soothe the aches and pains of the day before
lying down on the hard ground. B'layr watched his soulmate toss and
turn, trying to find a comfortable position that accommodated his
growing belly. Finally, B'layr lay down next to Jim, allowing his mate
to use him like a full-body pillow. Comfortable at last, Jim let the
weariness of the day take him into a deep sleep.

By the next afternoon, they had reached the sacred pool, much to
B'layr's surprise. He had thought Jim was in too much discomfort to
move so quickly, but he had been wrong. The sight of the pool and the
sparkling waterfall filled his heart with gladness. This was home to
the elf, the area of the forest where he had grown up. It was good to
be back.

Finding a sheltered hollow, B'layr stripped and lined the cradle with
his clothing, laying a sleeping T'lan on the soft leathers. Smiling,
he approached Jim. "Come, swim with me," he offered, holding out his
hand to his mate.

"Are you kidding?" Jim looked up from the fire and the meal he was
beginning to prepare. "This time of year, with the snow melting, that
water is going to be ice cold! I may be pregnant, but I'm not crazy!"

"It will make you feel better, I promise. During every pregnancy, I
swam here," B'layr said, coaxing his lover.

Jim shook his head. "Nah... I happen to value my fertility. If I ever
hope to knock you up in return for this," he gestured at the swell of
his abdomen, "I don't dare go freezing my rocks off now."

"The pool has a reputation for *increasing* fertility, and for
blessing pregnancies," said B'layr. "At the very least, it has done no
harm." Jim continued to shake his head. B'layr shrugged and headed for
the water. "Too bad... I was going to let you fuck me while we swam."
Turning his back on Jim, the elf dove into the pool, surfacing in a
spray of water near the falls.

Jim could never put his finger on why, yet whenever he saw his mate
swimming in this pool, it had an immediate and positive influence on
his libido. He felt the hot rush of blood as it gathered in his cock,
making pants that were already too tight downright unbearable. He
stripped off the confining clothing and waded into the water, cutting
a swath across the glimmering surface with his dive. He came up next
to B'layr, shaking the water out of his face. "God, that's cold!" he
complained, treading water next to the elf.

"This is not," B'layr countered, reaching down to grasp Jim's engorged
cock. "I know a way to keep it warm..."

"So do I," Jim agreed, wrapping a strong arm around B'layr's shoulders
and capturing his mouth in a bruising kiss. The couple sank below the
ripples, into the blue-green depths of the mountain-fed pool. When
they resurfaced, Jim was buried balls-deep in his soulmate's body.
B'layr gasped and thrust back against his lover before the two sank
beneath the surface once more.

To thrust against the resistance of the water was hard work, but Jim
was spurred on by the siren call of the mating pheromones. He buried
himself in his lover and kicked toward the surface, both man and elf
gasping in air before sinking into the depths once more. The graceful
dance was repeated several times until Jim's climax swept through him,
filling his mate with living seed.

Pulling away, Jim relaxed onto his back, floating peacefully for a few
moments before paddling back to the bank to collapse in exhaustion on
his blankets. B'layr took a few minutes longer, cleansing himself
before joining his mate by the fire.

"Do you not feel refreshed, invigorated?" B'layr asked, wringing the
water from his hair as he settled close to the warming flames.

"I feel exhausted, totally drained," Jim moaned. He waited for a
response but got none as B'layr silently watched him. "All right, I
*do* feel better," he admitted. "The aches and pains are gone - but
I'm still tired!"

"As you should be after a workout like that," B'layr agreed. "Let us
sleep here tonight and make our way back to the cabin tomorrow." He
reached for the pot that Jim had set beside the fire when he went for
his swim. "I will finish preparing the meal, and then we can rest."

The couple finished the pot of stew and B'layr brought out some sweet
wafers that L'anin had given him the day they had ventured from the
caves back to the meadow. "I have saved these for a special occasion,"
he said, handing Jim slightly more than half. "We have Blessed your
pregnancy, so I can think of no better time."

Jim's eyes lit up at the treat. Made of grains and sweetened with
dried berries and honey, the wafers were a rare delicacy to be savored
and enjoyed. He broke off a corner and laid it on his tongue, letting
the flavors explode throughout his mouth. Closing his eyes, Jim soaked
in the pleasant sensations of the melting wafer. When the first bite
was finally dissolved and gone, he opened his eyes and smiled at
B'layr. "Thank you, Sweetheart. You *know* how much I love these!"

B'layr chuckled. "It was hard keeping them concealed for so long, but
I am glad now that I managed. I am surprised you did not smell them
before now."

"I had other things on my mind," Jim responded, rubbing his belly.

"It is just as well." B'layr smiled at his mate. "I had not thought we
would see a Blessing of your womb at the sacred pool. This is indeed a
cause for celebration."

"Just don't tell K'tiri," joked Jim. "I don't need any public
Blessings when we get back."

"There will be none, unless you wish it," B'layr said. "You made sure
of that when you were K'tiri's regent."

Jim snorted as he pulled on his clothes and came around the fire to
sit closer to B'layr. "You going to be my pillow again tonight?" he
teased.

"If it is what you want," B'layr replied, his mouth capturing the
Sentry's, his tongue darting out to taste the sweet remnants of the
wafer. They toppled over into the soft grass, locked tightly in an
embrace.

The following morning found them tangled together, the baby cradled
gently between them. B'layr awoke first, his chest aching from glands
engorged with milk. He gently turned T'lan to face him, placing the
child at a swollen nipple. The smell of milk woke the baby and T'lan
began to suckle eagerly. When his discomfort had reached a tolerable
level, B'layr sat up, bringing T'lan with him, shifting the infant to
the other teat. He put the pot of water on the fire to boil and began
to prepare some willow bark tea for Jim - the only sustenance his mate
would want or need until at least the evening meal, by which time they
should have arrived back at the cabin.

Jim shifted and groaned, finally pushing himself to a sitting
position. "Ahhh, geez, tell it to stop!" he cried, clamping his hands
over his belly.

"What is it, my heart?" B'layr asked, immediately concerned. "Are you
having more contractions?"

"Noooo... the damn baby won't stop kicking me in the ribs!" Jim
growled, massaging near the top of the growing mound.

B'layr settled T'lan in the blankets and leaned over to firmly massage
and press against the strong uterine muscle. Jim braced himself with
his hands against the ground and let his head fall back as he moaned
in relief. "Oh God, that feels better," he sighed. "Don't stop.
Please, don't stop."

B'layr continued the massage for several more minutes before sitting
back and fetching the tea. Pouring some into a cup, he offered the
medicinal to his mate. "Have some of this before we start out this
morning," he ordered. "I will put the rest in your water skin for
later. It is only a short trip home from here."

Jim drank gratefully, knowing the tea would help ease the stiffness
and aches he felt after a hard night on the ground. When he finished,
he banked the fire and helped B'layr to gather their meager
belongings. By the time they set out on the path to the cabin, the sun
had already risen to mid-morning. It was late afternoon when the cabin
finally came into view, much to the relief of the travelers.

"Everything looks the same," B'layr said cautiously as they
approached.

Jim stepped in front of his mate and held out a hand to halt B'layr's
progress. "You wait here while I check it out."

B'layr pushed his way around the restraining hand. "Why do *you* not
wait here while *I* check it out?" he asked. "After all, who is the
pregnant one here? I may not be a Sentry, but I have good sense. I
will be careful." He handed over T'lan and headed for the cabin before
the befuddled Jim could stop him.

After walking around the perimeter of the cabin, B'layr cautiously
pushed the door open and walked inside. Except for a layer of dust,
all looked as it had when they'd left. There was no sign that anyone
else - human or elf - had been here and disturbed the contents.
Sticking his head out the door, B'layr gestured for Jim to come
forward. "It is all right. No one has been here."

Jim entered and looked around, sniffing the air for any lingering
scent that didn't belong. Satisfied, he sank down on the softness of
their couch in front of the cold fireplace. "It's good to be home
again," he sighed. "I guess the public must have bought your little
explanation about the leaked dissertation."

"As I hoped that they would," B'layr agreed. "But moving away was the
right thing to do at the time. We had to be sure that we would remain
safe."

"I'm going to rest here for a bit, then go check on the long houses,"
proclaimed Jim. "If everything is as pristine as the cabin, we can let
the Tribes know it's time to come home."

"They will be pleased," agreed B'layr. "I know that I am. I look
forward to a night in a real bed."

"Don't we all." Jim sighed and rested his head against the back
cushions of the couch. His eyes drifted shut and, almost immediately,
he was asleep.

As the soft sounds of snoring filled the cabin, B'layr laid T'lan in
the crib and then went to gather kindling and wood from the shed out
back. He soon had a warm fire crackling in the fireplace. Content for
the moment, he left his family sleeping and took a walk over to the
nearest long house. Like the cabin, the contents had not been
disturbed and were covered by a light layer of dust. Satisfied that
his press conference had had the desired effect, he headed back to the
cabin. It was going to be wonderful spending a day or two in luxury
before heading back to the austere meadow camp.

His exhausted mate still slept on the couch, sprawled in all his
pregnant glory. B'layr smiled at the sight: the bare skin of Jim's
belly protruding from the makeshift maternity pants. Now that they
were back at the cabin, perhaps Jim would agree to wear some of
B'layr's maternity clothes. At the very least, there were several
pairs of jeans the reluctant Bearer could use.

B'layr busied himself with cleaning. Knowing the sensitive nature of
his mate, the elf knew the dust would be bothersome if Jim were
exposed to it for any length of time. When the cleaning was done, he
went to the pantry to see what they had left in canned and dried goods
that he could use to make a decent meal.

Some time later, Jim awakened to the rich smell of canned chili and
fresh bread. B'layr smiled at his mate as he set the table. "Hungry?
You have had a long day."

Jim noted that lanterns had been lit and it was beginning to get dark
outside. "Damn! I wanted to go check out the long houses," he
complained.

"I visited the nearest one while you slept," said B'layr. "It is the
same as here: undisturbed. I believe it is safe to let the Tribes know
that they can return. Come and eat." He gestured to the table as Jim
pushed his way out of the soft cushions.

"This smells wonderful!" Jim said, settling himself at the table.
"It's been ages since we've had anything 'civilized' to eat." He
dipped a chunk of the bread into his bowl before taking a large bite.
"Mmmm, good."

B'layr joined his mate, taking several mouthfuls before speaking
again. "Perhaps while we are here, you should contact Stevie," he
suggested. "It has been over seven months since we have been able to
communicate."

"We could certainly use some more provisions," Jim agreed.

"And I would like to know how the litigation concerning my
dissertation is proceeding," added B'layr.

"He's not expecting to hear from us, so he might not have the radio
turned on," said Jim. "But I can try after we're finished with
dinner."

"That would be good." B'layr nodded in agreement as he brought another
spoonful of chili to his mouth. "I was thinking," he ventured after a
few minutes of silence, "that perhaps we should stay here an extra day
before heading back. The journey has been hard on you, and it would be
good for you to rest."

"I'm doing just fine, Imp," Jim replied, laughing off his mate's
concern. "The sooner we go back there, the sooner we can pack up and
come home for good."

"That is true, but one extra night here would not hurt."

"You're just coveting that soft bed," Jim chuckled, nodding his head
toward the corner of the room.

B'layr snorted. "Hmpf! It would do you good, too, you know. It might
ease some of those aches and pains you have been complaining of
lately."

"It's all the same to me." Jim shrugged, polishing off his bowl of
chili with one last swipe of a bread crust. "I don't suppose one extra
night would hurt."

"Good. Then it is settled. We will leave the day after tomorrow."
B'layr pushed his chair back and stood. Walking over to their small
closet, he dug around in a box of stored clothing. "In the meantime, I
thought you might appreciate something comfortable to wear." He
brought out several pairs of maternity jeans.

"Oh no... not that frilly crap you wear!" Jim protested. "No way!"

"These are plain jeans," B'layr pointed out. "There is nothing that
screams 'feminine' on them. I am not asking you to wear my dresses.
The stretch-panel fronts and elastic waistbands are *comfortable*, and
that is what you will need for now until the end of your pregnancy."

Jim looked the clothing over with a skeptical eye. "Okay. Let me try
one," he said finally, taking a pair from B'layr's hands. He wiggled
out of the tight breeches he'd been forced to wear and slipped into
the soft denim. His eyes lit up and a smile creased his mouth as the
pants slipped up and over his protruding belly to fit snugly around
his waist.

"Nice, are they not?" B'layr asked with a grin. Jim nodded. "I thought
you might appreciate them, if you would only give them a chance. I
have some shirts you might wear, as well." He went back to the closet
to pick out several T-shirts from his collection, as well as some
button-down shirts Jim had purchased for him at the 'Big and Tall'
men's shop.

"How about this one?" B'layr asked, walking over to where Jim stood,
naked from the waist up after taking off the leather vest he'd been
wearing. He slipped the T-shirt over Jim's head before his mate had a
chance to get a good look at it. The soft, powder blue brought out the
blaze in Jim's eyes.

"No way!" he shouted, pulling at the hem of the garment.

B'layr didn't release his hold, forcing Jim to keep the shirt on for a
few minutes longer. "It is cute, Jim, and it suits you," the elf
argued.

Jim looked down at the large, yellow arrow that pointed down toward
his belly with "Baby on Board" printed boldly across it. "I don't do
cute," he growled. "Let go and let me take this damn thing off."

B'layr backed off, his mouth turned down in a pout.

Jim hesitated, looking at his mate. "What? I don't get a choice in
what I wear?"

"Of course you do," B'layr said softly, his voice carrying just a hint
of sadness. "But I had hoped that you would come to welcome this
pregnancy; to look on it as the gift that it is. That baby is a part
of *me*, growing in you; my first and probably last chance to be a
Sire."

"What does that have to do with what I wear?" Jim asked, his voice
softening, his hands still poised at the hem of the shirt, but not
moving.

"There is nothing wrong in proudly advertising your condition," B'layr
continued. "You tried to hide it for so long, lying about your
symptoms so that others would not find out the truth. Are you ashamed
to carry my child?"

"Oh God, baby, no..." Jim moaned, reaching out to gather B'layr into
his arms. "You know how much I love you."

"I thought that I did." B'layr's quiet voice filtered up to Jim's
ears. "But now I am not so certain. I know that becoming pregnant was
a shock for you, as it was to me... but I had hoped that by now you
would embrace it; be happy to Bear my seed."

Jim sighed. "I never thought you could ever *be* a Sire," he admitted,
"and yet, here you are." Jim's arms wrapped tighter around the smaller
body of his mate. "I'll wear the damn shirt. Heck, I'll put on your
dresses and parade around -"

"That will not be necessary," B'layr said, pulling away with a
chuckle. He patted the fabric-covered mound of Jim's belly. "But this
does look good on you. The color matches your eyes. We can leave most
of the things here," he continued after a brief pause, "as we shall be
returning to the cabin very soon. There is no need to carry more than
is necessary back to the meadow."

"That's the truth!" Jim stated. "I don't know how we're going to get
everything back as it is."

"With the travois, the same way we got it all to the meadow in the
first place," said B'layr.

"I don't think I'll be able to haul that much, even with the travois,"
Jim replied. "We'll have to make more than one trip."

"What makes you think *you* will be the one to haul the travois?"
B'layr asked. "You did the work last time because I was pregnant. The
return trip is mine to make."

"But you have T'lan, and..."

"And what? I am not as big as you, therefore I am not as strong?"
B'layr eyed his mate with defiance.

Jim held up both hands, palms out. "I didn't say that, did I?" he
protested. "It's just that it's quite a load. We've acquired more
things while we've been away..."

"We do not have to bring everything back with us," B'layr reminded
Jim. "After all, some things were just makeshift to get us through. If
we have to leave something behind, I can always go and fetch it
later."

Jim sighed and nodded. "I suppose. But I want to do my share."

"Do not worry, my heart. You will do as much as you are able. I cannot
do it all." B'layr stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on Jim's cheek.
"Now, you must contact Stevie, while I go out and see about gathering
some fresh food from our garden."

"But it's already dark out there!" Jim argued. "You should stay in."

"I could gather with my eyes closed here," B'layr informed his mate.
"I know my way around this land in the same manner as I know my way
around your body." He patted Jim stomach and grinned. "Go, call
Stevie. I shall be back shortly."

~oO0Oo~

By the time B'layr came in from gathering his fresh produce, Jim was
already settled on the couch, cradling T'lan in his arms. He dropped
the vegetables in the sink and quickly ran some water over them,
rinsing off the worst of the dirt. Drying his hands, he came to sit
next to Jim. "Did you get through to Stevie?"

Jim nodded. "You're not going to believe this," he said with a sly
grin.

When his mate didn't continue right away, B'layr gave Jim's arm a
little slap. "What? What is it that I am not going to believe?"

Jim's smile nearly split his face. "That bitch, Edwards, resigned as
Chancellor and took a plea bargain to stay out of jail. She has to
leave the state and never work for higher education again."

"Good riddance!" B'layr exclaimed. "The university will be far better
off without her. I will not feel so bad about returning now, should I
decide to choose another topic for my dissertation." He paused,
waiting to see if Jim would continue. "Well?" he asked, when nothing
further was volunteered. "Did Stevie have anything to say about the
lawsuit against Sid Graham and Holladay Publishing?"

"Quite a bit, actually," Jim said, still grinning. "Apparently, Sid
Graham doesn't work for Holladay Publishing anymore. It seems he left
his resignation on the president's desk and then just disappeared."

"So he will not be punished or held accountable?" B'layr asked,
disappointed.

"Technically, no," replied Jim. "But the publishing house is so
interested in making this all go away, that they are endowing
one-point-five million to the university for scholarships in
anthropology."

A small grin replaced the look of disappointment on B'layr's face.
"That is agreeable."

"Then you're satisfied?" Jim asked. "Personally, if I ever cross paths
with Sid Graham, he'd better hope I don't notice him. Otherwise, I'm
likely to throttle him on the spot."

"That will not be necessary," B'layr said, snuggling closer to his
soulmate. "There has been no harm done. Our home is intact, there is
scholarship money available for students in need, and I have you. What
more could I want?"

"Your Ph.D.?"

"It is just a piece of paper with no meaning in the elven world,"
B'layr said softly. "It is not important."

"Then why did you try so hard?" asked Jim.

"It was something to do," B'layr replied. "And I wanted to write the
book, as a chronicle of history for our People. The thesis paper gave
me an excuse. I doubt I ever could have published or defended it. I
never really intended to."

"Until Naomi forced your hand."

B'layr nodded. "And that is something we still have left to do...
L'anin still wishes to avenge her murder."

"I could go later this summer," said Jim. "After we're all settled
back here."

"My heart... you would be entering your fourth quarter," B'layr
reminded him. "Is that any time for you to be traveling?"

"We know now where the Ancients live," Jim explained. "I'm not due
until at least mid-September, so if we go in, say, July, there should
be more than enough time to get back for the birth."

"I want you *here*," B'layr said emphatically, "when the baby is born,
on the off chance we may need the medical intervention of your
doctors."

"We can talk more about it this summer," Jim said, leaning over to
press a kiss against B'layr's temple. "I'll see how I'm feeling then.
Travel shouldn't be a problem so long as I'm in good health."

"That is true, although you may change your mind when the summer
comes. Until then, I will not worry about it." B'layr smiled at his
mate. "How about we put T'lan in the crib and go try out that bed of
ours?" He stood, tugging Jim to his feet.

"Sounds like a plan," said Jim, handing the elfling to his Bearer and
heading for the softness of the bed.

B'layr laid the infant in his crib and undressed before turning to the
bed. Jim's soft snores could be heard across the room. With a grin,
B'layr climbed into bed, snuggling down close to his mate. "Rest, my
heart," he whispered. "You have earned it." He pressed a kiss to Jim's
cheek before closing his eyes to sleep.

~oO0Oo~

May and June were busy months for the elf Tribes as they packed up to
move from their meadow home back to the long houses. The news had been
greeted with much enthusiasm, and B'layr had found a great deal of
help getting his and Jim's things moved back to the cabin. The elves
had learned to tolerate Jim's outbursts of frustration and felt
sympathy for the pregnant man - their sympathy taking the form of
assistance wherever it was needed.

B'layr watched with amusement as Jim puttered around the cabin,
obsessively cleaning every nook and cranny. As his pregnancy
progressed, Jim's body began the long preparation for birth. Hormonal
levels had spiked, and the Sentry now moved with a distinct waddle.
B'layr found it hard to suppress the chuckle that threatened to erupt
from his throat.

Jim turned sharply at the soft sound. "What's the matter?" he growled,
staring at his embarrassed mate.

"Nothing; not a thing," B'layr answered quickly. "It was just a
sneeze."

"It didn't sound like a sneeze."

This time B'layr couldn't hold back the laugh. "I am sorry," he said,
wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "But you look like a duck
waddling around." Jim put down his cleaning rag and crossed his arms
over his chest. "I am sorry... but you *do*," B'layr apologized. "Did
I walk like that during my fourth quarters?"

"All the time, Daffy," Jim snapped. "I don't recall making fun of
you."

"I do not mean to make fun of you. I-I just have n-never seen it from
an outsider's point of view." B'layr stifled the last of his laughter.
"You are just so cute."

"Look, Imp. I don't do cute - remember that," said Jim, advancing on
his partner and poking B'layr in the chest with a finger.

"All right, all right!" B'layr agreed, holding up his hands in
surrender. "You are not cute - just damn sexy."

"And don't get me started on sex, either," Jim grumbled. "I haven't
had a decent night's sleep in I can't remember how long."

B'layr sighed. What Jim was saying was the truth. His poor soulmate
could not seem to get comfortable no matter what position he tried,
and his constant tossing and turning had been keeping B'layr awake as
well. B'layr took a step to close the gap between them and tugged the
cleaning rag from Jim's hand. "Here, let me have that. You have done
enough cleaning for one day."

B'layr took Jim's hand and led him over to the couch. "Let me try
something. Sit." Jim settled on the couch while B'layr walked around
behind him and began massaging Jim's shoulders with firm strokes.

Jim's head tipped back and he sighed. "Ahhhh... that feels good." He
rolled his shoulders a bit and then relaxed to enjoy the massage.
"Think you could do my back?"

"You would have to lie on the bed," said B'layr. "On your side or on
your belly, if you still can."

"Help me up." Jim lifted a hand and B'layr pulled him out of the soft
nest of the cushions. Ambling over to the bed, Jim stretched out,
rolling over onto his front as far as his belly would allow. "Ahhhh,
God... yessss..." he purred as B'layr's hands went to work on the
knotted muscles of his back.

B'layr could feel the muscles relax as he worked, and he was pleased
when Jim drifted off to sleep. His exhausted mate needed all the rest
he could get.

~oO0Oo~

July rolled around, and L'anin was beginning to get edgy. "Can we not
go after M'arik and his People?" he asked.

B'layr sighed. "I know you have waited a long time..."

"I have waited a full *year*," L'anin interrupted. "First it was your
pregnancy, and then it was the Cold Time. It is summer now, and we are
back home - safe and comfortable. The hunts go well; the Tribes will
not miss a Sentry or two. I wish to go and claim my justice."

"J'anin enters his fourth quarter," B'layr reminded his son. "He is in
no condition to travel now."

"If we wait until he gives birth, another Cold Time will be upon us
and I will have to wait another year," argued L'anin.

"He's right." Jim's voice made both elves spin around. The Sentry
walked in from spending some time out in the fresh air of their
garden, walking the well-tended paths. "I'm a little awkward right
now, but I don't feel too bad. This would be the best time to go and
seek justice for the death of Naomi."

"Jim, are you certain?" B'layr asked, concerned. "You tire easily and
complain whether you are sitting or standing. This may not be an ideal
time to travel."

"I've still got a couple months left to go," Jim pointed out. "There's
no reason why we can't go now, and a lot of reasons why we should.
L'anin's right; if we delay until after I give birth, he'll be forced
to wait through another winter before we can travel to Romania."

"And how do you plan on explaining *that*?" asked B'layr, pointing to
his mate's basketball-belly. "I could pass as a female; you cannot."

"Ellison and Sons has a private jet," Jim announced. "I can make
arrangements with Stevie to let us borrow it for the trip to Romania.
We can arrange for a rental car and drive to Pestera. I think it would
be nice to visit with Vaida Stefan and Ana again. We can pick up
supplies there and drive out to the area where the elves live."

"If you are sure?" B'layr was skeptical. He wasn't fond of the idea of
allowing his mate to travel in his advanced condition. "I will have to
make arrangements with K'tiri to foster T'lan while we are gone."

"You don't need to go," Jim interrupted. "I'll accompany L'anin to
show him where to find the Ancients. You can stay here with the baby."

"I am *not* leaving your side, Sentry J'anin! You need your Guide and
soulmate. I am your Healer, your Shaman; you cannot travel without
me." B'layr stood his ground, adamant in his position.

"So, we're going?" A smile spread across Jim's face as he nodded at
L'anin.

B'layr suddenly bristled, slapping Jim's shoulder with the flat of his
hand. "You manipulative, deceitful..." He growled, not unlike Jim when
*he* got angry. "You knew I was reluctant, so you backed me into
this!"

Jim shrugged. "Well, you have to admit, your arguments couldn't hold
water."

"And neither can *you*!" B'layr burst out, referring to Jim's frequent
bathroom breaks. "You're going to be miserable traveling in the wilds
of Romania."

Jim shrugged again. "But that's my problem, isn't it? Do you have any
medical objections to my traveling now?"

B'layr chewed at his lower lip, trying to come up with a good excuse
to keep Jim home. Finally, he gave up. "No, not really," he
capitulated. "But I want you back home before mid-August. Your due
date is mid-September, and that is all the leeway I am willing to
grant."

"Then it's a deal!" Jim grabbed B'layr and pulled him into a bear hug.
"It'll be worth it, you'll see."

"I hope so," B'layr muttered.

~oO0Oo~

B'layr looked around the cabin of the luxurious Dassault Falcon. "I
had no idea the Ellison corporation owned a private jet. Why did you
never mention it before?"

Jim shrugged. "We didn't have a need for it. As you might imagine,
it's as expensive as hell to fly... It's much cheaper to go commercial
most of the time. This time, however..." He patted the growing bulge
of his stomach.

//"This is your captain,"// came a voice over the speaker,
interrupting their conversation. //"We will be cruising today at an
altitude of 45,000 feet with an average speed of 480 miles per hour.
Flight time to Romania will be approximately fifteen hours, with
layovers in New York and London for refueling. If you have any
questions, please direct them to your host. Relax and enjoy your
flight."//

L'anin stared out the window at the tops of the cumulus clouds. "This
is most amazing! We will travel halfway around the world in less than
a day!"

"It's going to take more than fifteen hours," Jim cautioned. "That's
just our flight time. The refueling will delay us some."

"It is still an astonishing feat." L'anin's voice was filled with awe.
"I have never been so far from home."

"The forests of Romania are not so much different from ours," B'layr
informed their son. "The Ancients live more primitively, but it is as
they choose. They lack for nothing and are content to continue in the
Old Ways."

"It sounds like the sort of place M'arik and his People would be
happy," L'anin said. "They have not been content since J'anin came to
live with us."

"That's their problem," Jim growled. "I never did anything to them."

"You have diluted the lineage with human blood," L'anin argued. "That
is enough for some of our People."

"The Tribes never would have gotten back their precious Sentry gift
without my 'blood'," Jim spat back. "You, K'tiri, T'erin... without
your tracking abilities, the People would have starved during the Cold
Time of several Turns back. I did the Tribes a favor."

"No one who remains doubts that you did," B'layr soothed. "Those who
*did* have gone."

"And we're chasing after them." Jim scowled at his mate.

"To find the truth and put right a wrong," B'layr replied calmly.
"There has been no violence among our People for as long as memory
serves. We cannot ignore the fact that one of our own may have killed
a human."

"If it wasn't for L'anin..." Jim glanced at their son, who sat at the
window mesmerized by the flashing crazy quilt of fields and clouds.
"If it wasn't for him, I'd say leave well enough alone. We're better
off without the dissident faction in our midst."

"The Ancients would not want to harbor a murderer, either," B'layr
pointed out. "It is our duty to inform them. I seriously doubt that
M'arik has been open and truthful about his reasons for being there."

"That's an understatement if I ever heard one!" snorted Jim. "Ahhh!"
His hands clamped down on his belly and his face twisted in pain.
"Damn kid is sticking a foot in my ribs again! It feels like somebody
rammed in a knife and is twisting it!"

"Lie back," B'layr commanded, reclining the seat to its fullest.
"Here, let me help." He moved Jim's hands and began massaging at the
fundus of the uterus, manually repositioning the fetus. He knew he was
successful at Jim's sigh of relief. "Do not sit up," said B'layr
softly. "Close your eyes and try to rest. The semi-reclined position
might actually be more comfortable than fully reclined. There were
times during the last stages of my pregnancies where I slept better in
this position than in any other."

Jim nodded. "Feels good," he admitted, closing his eyes.

"It will be a relief when this pregnancy has ended," L'anin commented
softly over the soft snores of his Sire. "J'anin did not want this
child; he is not suited to Bear."

"No, but he is handling it better than I thought he would," said
B'layr. "Imagine being a part of a sexually divided race, where only
one gender gets pregnant. Then imagine you are the Sire, born and
raised knowing you would never Bear. And then the unthinkable happens
-"

L'anin nodded. "I suppose it would not go over well. I think our
system is much more equitable. The soulmates trade off Bearing and
raising the children. It is less strain on any one individual."

"It is what works best for us," B'layr agreed. "But looking at species
worldwide, we are the exception. J'anin has had to make many
adjustments and while he does not look forward to the actual birth, he
*does* wish for an end to this pregnancy."

"Is there anything you can do to prevent him from becoming pregnant in
the future?"

B'layr shook his head. "I do not think that is within my power. I know
it is what J'anin wishes, but we may have to take advantage of modern
medicine to have his womb surgically removed. I did not do this thing
to him on purpose, and I do not know how to *un*do it."

L'anin sighed, turning his attention out the window once more. "I
suppose this discussion is moot until after the birth anyway. For now,
we have other problems to worry about."

~oO0Oo~

A ping from the speakers woke the sleeping passengers. //"This is your
captain speaking. We are on approach to Bucharest. The weather is
clear and 73 degrees; winds light from the south. We should be landing
in approximately ten minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts."//

"It won't be long now," said Jim, stretching his legs out in front of
him. "There's a rental car waiting at the airport. It's several hours'
drive into Pestera, but we should reach the town before sunset."

"It will be good to see Stefan and Ana again." B'layr grinned,
remembering the Gypsy couple. "Do they know that we are coming?"

"I had Stevie wire ahead, so they should have gotten the message to
expect us." Jim squirmed in his seat, uncomfortable with the seatbelt
over his pregnant belly.

B'layr reached over to pat Jim's stomach. "Just a few more minutes and
you will be free."

Jim snorted and fell silent, concentrating on the motion and sound of
the jet as it landed. Before they had even finished taxiing to a stop,
he had his seatbelt off and was heading to the exit.

Once they had cleared customs, they made a beeline to the car rental
area of the airport to pick up their vehicle. Jim, being the only
licensed driver, was forced behind the wheel. Pushing the seat back as
far as it would go, he made room for himself, testing to see if he
could still reach all the pedals.

"Are you comfortable enough to drive?" asked B'layr, watching his mate
struggle to make the adjustments. "It is a long way. Perhaps we should
consider another mode of transportation."

"I'm not taking the train!" Jim exclaimed. "Besides, we'll need the
car when we get there. I'm in no shape for a day-long walk from the
village out to the wilderness." He put the car in neutral and started
the engine. Shifting gears, he moved out of the parking lot and onto
the busy city streets. "I hope you have the map," he growled.

B'layr reached into the glove compartment where the requested map had
been stored and began studying it. "We want to take E60 north," he
said finally, looking up to study the road signs as they passed.
"There." He pointed ahead to a large sign indicating the major highway
out of Bucharest.

Jim smoothly maneuvered to the exit and they were on their way. Six
hours of driving, and several bathroom stops later, they drove into
the small village of Pestera, parking in front of the single hotel in
town. After unloading their meager belongings, they started up the
main street toward Vaida Stefan's home. They entered through the
garish front door of a Gypsy Palm Reader's shop, walking through the
traditional trappings to a small, cozy living quarters behind the
business.

"Jim, B'layr... welcome!" Stefan greeted the travelers. "It has been
long since you visited. And who have we here?" he asked, walking over
to stand in front of L'anin. "Another veshengo, no?"

B'layr nodded. "This is our eldest son, L'anin. We come here on his
behalf."

"Welcome to our humble home, L'anin." Stefan swept his arm wide,
indicating the couch and chairs in the room. "Sit, sit... Ana will be
here shortly."

"I heard my name." Ana came from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a
towel. "Ah, the kesali! It is good to see you again!"

"This is our son, L'anin," B'layr said, introducing the younger elf.
"We are here to help him receive justice for a wrong done to him."

"Not to me," L'anin corrected. "Naomi was not my mate -"

"But she could have become so," B'layr argued. He turned back to their
hosts. "She was murdered, and we come seeking the one responsible."

"One veshengo murdered another? This I cannot believe!" Stefan was
shocked.

Jim shook his head. "Naomi was human. L'anin had chosen her as a mate,
but they had not yet consummated the relationship."

"Officially," L'anin added grimly.

"So you go to seek the Ancient Ones again?" Stefan asked.

B'layr nodded. "It is our belief that the one suspected of the crime
fled here with his followers. Have you seen any of our People pass
this way in the past year?"

"No," said Ana. "We keep a careful eye open, but the kesali do not
venture far from their woodland home. We have seen none but you for
decades."

"It is getting late," Stefan said. "You will spend the night with us
before you begin your adventure."

"We have a room at the hotel," Jim said, "but thank you for your
hospitality."

"If you will not spend the night, then you must break bread with us,
at least," said Ana, reaching out to pat Jim's belly and smiling. "I
will not let a pregnant kesali leave without a meal. Having you here
puts a blessing of fertility on this house."

Jim grinned at the statement, eyeing the elderly couple, both of who
were beyond childbearing years. "Well, I certainly wouldn't want to be
the one to spoil the blessing," he said, patting his stomach. "Mmmm,
smells good."

"It is sarmale and polenta," Ana informed him. "There is enough for
all."

"'Sarmale'?" L'anin turned to his parents and whispered as they
followed their hosts into the kitchen where a table was set.

"It's like a meatball wrapped in sauerkraut and then boiled," Jim
explained.

L'anin looked comically perplexed. "'Sauerkraut'?"

"Just try it."

~oO0Oo~

After the meal, they stayed and visited with their old friends for a
while, but the day had been long and Jim was especially weary. After
saying their good nights, they left to return to the hotel to sleep.

The next morning dawned clear and bright. Taking little more with them
than could be carried in two backpacks, the three made their way out
of the village and down the narrow road that led past the forests
where the Ancients made their home.

What had taken Jim and B'layr nearly a full day to walk before, now
took only a little more than a half hour to drive.

"There!" B'layr pointed to a stand of tall trees on their left. "That
looks familiar."

Jim pulled to the side of the road and got out. Venturing a short way
into the forest, he nodded. "This is it, all right. You've got a sharp
eye."

"I have a long memory," B'layr corrected with a grin.

The three made their way under the canopy of branches for more than a
mile before being confronted. "Stop. Go no further." A young elf
appeared from behind the camouflage of a large tree to block their
way.

"We have come to meet with D'oru, Chieftain of the Ancients," B'layr
announced.

"G'hita!" A voice came from deeper in the forest. "Do you not remember
our guests from two Turns ago?" F'lorin, Senior Sentry for the
Ancients asked his companion. "B'layr, J'anin, welcome! And who is
this you bring with you?"

"This is L'anin, our eldest son," B'layr answered.

"G'hita, make way and let them through. Can you not see that J'anin is
heavy with child? Let us take them to the camp where they may rest."
F'lorin turned, indicating that the visitors should follow, and began
his trek into the woods. "We do not stay in the same location from
year to year," he announced, "although we patrol the same territory.
Had G'hita not stumbled across you, you would not have found us."

"You forget," Jim interrupted. "I'm a Sentry, too, as is L'anin. We
would have eventually tracked you."

F'lorin laughed, the sound clear and ringing. "There are a great many
things I do not remember about you," he admitted. "I had thought you
were of human blood and unable to Bear, yet here you are, obviously in
your fourth quarter. What has brought you to us must be important,
indeed."

"It is," said L'anin. "We track a murderer; one of our own."

The Ancient Sentry stopped and turned to look at the younger elf. "One
of the People has killed another?"

"It would be easier to explain if we could tell the story just once,"
said B'layr. "How much longer until we reach your camp?"

"It is a long way - nearly a half day's journey. Will you be up to it,
J'anin?" F'lorin eyed the pregnant man with concern.

"Don't worry about me," Jim growled. "Just get moving. My back starts
to hurt if I stand around too long."

F'lorin nodded and indicated that G'hita should take up the rear of
the procession.

It was late afternoon by the time they entered the camp. With the
heavy forest canopy, it was already getting dark. A large bonfire
blazed in the center of the clearing and elves were busy preparing a
welcoming feast. At their visitors' surprised looks, F'lorin
explained. "We sent ahead messengers to tell of your arrival." He led
them over to where D'oru was seated.

The Chieftain rose as the small group approached. "It is good to see
you again!" He hugged each guest in turn. "I see the Provider of All
Things has seen fit to Bless you." D'oru laid a wide hand over the
mound of Jim's belly.

"That was, unfortunately, my doing," said B'layr. "It was my lack of
control over the Healing Magic that created his womb. In our
excitement to celebrate J'anin's recovery, I impregnated him. But it
is a long story... one for another time, perhaps."

"Does the business that brings you here have anything to do with the
small band of elves who arrived here last year?" D'oru asked. "They
showed up quite suddenly, and were vague about their origins or their
reasons for being here."

"What did they tell you?" asked L'anin.

"You look a great deal like your Bearer." D'oru commented, eyeing the
stranger for a moment before answering his question. "They said only
that they came from a Tribe that mated with humans and that they
wished to live with their own kind."

"Are they here?" questioned B'layr.

D'oru shook his head. "We welcomed them, at first, but they became
offensive to us and so we asked them to leave."

"Do you know where they went?" This time it was Jim asking the
question.

The Chieftain shook his head. "They headed north and west, beyond the
sacred pool," he said. "We have kept Sentries on the perimeter to make
certain that they do not return, but we have not seen them. What is
your business with such as those?"

"One of them killed the woman who was to be my mate," said L'anin.
"She was a human, and M'arik hated that. As it is, he sees me as a
half-breed. If I mated with a human woman, I would dilute the elven
line even further."

D'oru nodded. "That is the truth, in part... But you are not a
half-breed. While you carry a part of your human Sire within you,
remember that your Sire is not entirely human, either. The Sentry gift
is an elven trait passed down from the one Sentry who traveled with
the Lost Ones."

"L'anin," said B'layr. "Our son's namesake."

"That is correct," D'oru intoned. "It does not matter what M'arik
thinks, or what his reason, however well-intentioned. There has been
no violence among the elven People in living memory. We have record of
it going back a thousand Turns of Seasons, but nothing since."

"And what was the punishment for an elf who broke the law?" asked
L'anin. "Is there record of that?"

"Banishment."

L'anin looked up at the owner of the new voice. The Shaman of the
Ancients came to sit with the rest of the group.

"N'elu! It is good to see you again!" B'layr greeted his counterpart.

"As it is good to see you, my friend." N'elu settled himself next to
B'layr and turned to L'anin. "The few who earned the punishment were
marked so that they could be recognized by all and were sent to live
in isolation. Any elf that crossed paths with a Banished One would
eschew him; treat him as though he did not exist. Most committed
suicide after a few decades."

"And how did you determine beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt or
innocence of the accused?" Jim asked. "Do you hold some sort of court?
Present evidence? Because our evidence is pretty slim and mostly
circumstantial."

"The evidence is within the accused," said N'elu. "It is the job of
the Shaman to take the offender on a spirit walk. On the spirit plane,
no falsehood exists. A skilled Shaman can replay the event, bringing
as many witnesses as necessary with him."

"And you could do this, if we find M'arik?" asked L'anin.

"Bring him to me, and we shall know the truth," N'elu intoned.

"I will send scouts in the morning," D'oru said. "But now it is time
to rejoice. Our friends have returned to us!"

"I hate to be a party pooper," said Jim, "but it's been a long day
already. I haven't been sleeping very well lately."

"I can help you with that." N'elu stood up and held out a hand,
indicating the way. "Come with me." He led Jim to a small sleeping hut
and assisted him in finding a comfortable position in which to lie.
Laying a palm on Jim's forehead, he spoke softly, "Close your eyes and
relax; think peaceful thoughts." Jim did as he was told, and was soon
in a deep, restful sleep.

Returning to the group, N'elu found his Chieftain much amused by
something. "What?" the Shaman asked.

D'oru finished his chuckle and turned to his fellow Tribesman. "B'layr
was just telling of J'anin's reaction to his condition, and of his
surprise."

"It was all an accident - literally," said B'layr, recounting the
story of Jim's hunting accident and of his overwhelming need to save
his soulmate's life at all cost. "He started feeling nauseated about
four weeks later," B'layr explained. "We both thought he had come down
with an illness, as it was autumn and many were suffering from colds."

"But it only got worse, not better," D'oru chimed in, having already
heard this part of the story.

"So, when did you realize what you had done?" N'elu asked.

B'layr smiled at the memory. "Oh, I was beginning to have strong
suspicions long before we had proof," he replied. "When Jim first felt
the quickening, I was almost certain. But he would have nothing of
that explanation. After all, he is human and his 'plumbing', as he
calls it, was geared to elimination, not birth."

"But he had not eliminated for weeks," added D'oru.

"Can you not read the condition of your patient?" N'elu looked
surprised. "You should have been able to tell without doubt that your
soulmate was pregnant."

"I do not have that skill," B'layr said with a sigh. "There is much
about being a Healer that I still need to learn, but I have no mentor
to show me the way."

"I will teach you," N'elu offered. Then coming back to the story, he
asked, "And so when did you know without doubt?"

"Back in February, when he had reached around twenty weeks, he heard
the heartbeat," B'layr explained. "We had our daughter, K'tiri,
confirm what he was hearing, as it was too early for me to detect the
sound."

"And his reaction?" asked the amused D'oru.

"He did not want anyone else to know. He kept the secret until he
could no longer hide his condition." B'layr grinned at the memory. "He
is a stubborn one."

"He has come full circle, then," said D'oru. "He is now as much one of
us as if he had been born into the Tribes."

"All the more reason to bring the murderer to justice!" N'elu pounded
a fist against his knee. "J'anin did nothing to dilute the race, and
has strengthened the Lost Ones by giving back the Sentry gift."

"In the morning, we will begin the search," D'oru said, repeating his
earlier pronouncement.

"If it is all the same to you, I would also like to rest now," said
B'layr.

N'elu rose. "I will show you where J'anin sleeps."

"That is all right," B'layr said, waving the Shaman back to his seat.
"I can find my way."

L'anin, who had remained quiet during the story telling, spoke up. "If
it is not too much trouble, I would like to stay up and learn what I
can from our Ancient ancestors."

"The bonfire will burn until dawn," D'oru said. "Join the Tribe and
celebrate with them."

"Thank you." L'anin rose and gave B'layr a hug. "Good night, Mother.
Rest well. In the morning, we shall begin the hunt for justice."

~oO0Oo~

M'arik and his band had managed to make themselves scarce, staying
just outside the patrol perimeter of the Ancients' Sentry guards.
Although none were Sentries themselves, M'arik had set up a rotating
watch and the small group had managed to avoid contact with the
Ancients for the past several months.

Despite a concerted effort, it took nearly a week to track down the
renegade group. F'lorin and G'hita took pride in being the pair to
finally bring M'arik back to the Tribe's main camp.

"I thought you wanted to be rid of me," M'arik complained when he was
brought before the Chieftain. "You did not like our attitude and sent
us away. Now you wish us back?"

"*He* does not wish you back. *I* do."

M'arik spun at the sound of L'anin's voice, his jaw dropping in
surprise to see B'layr and Jim there as well. "W-What? Why? What
brings you here?"

"Surely you know," said L'anin, his voice level and dangerous. "You
are accused of the murder of Naomi Sandburg."

"You have no proof!" the angry elf spat. "You never had more than
suspicions. You cannot punish me for something I did not do!"

N'elu stepped in. "I will be the one to determine your guilt or
innocence. If you are truly blameless of this crime, you shall be free
to go."

"I do not admit to anything! I came here for asylum; to get away from
a Tribe that no longer values the purity of the elven race!"

"It matters not why you said you came," N'elu answered calmly. "If you
are innocent, I can prove that, too, and you will be released."

"I do not give my consent for any of your Shaman magic!" M'arik spat
angrily.

N'elu shook his head and smiled grimly. "Your consent is not
required."

"No!" M'arik shouted, several sets of hands grabbing him as N'elu
approached.
N'elu pressed a palm against M'arik's forehead, instantly stilling
him. M'arik gazed angrily at the Shaman, but found himself paralyzed,
unable to move a single muscle. He was lifted and laid upon a stone
altar with the Shaman's hand still holding him firmly in place.

"As was done in the Ancient Days," N'elu intoned, "I call upon our
elven Brothers to witness the truth. All who accuse this one, gather
to me now."

D'oru took up his place as Chieftain at his Shaman's side and was soon
joined by L'anin, B'layr, and Jim. The small group of M'arik's
followers hovered near their captured leader until one stepped
forward.

"I am S'kim. The others and I followed M'arik here because we
disapproved of diluting the elven race with human blood. We had hoped
to find a home among our brethren in the Old Land. Instead, we found
ourselves outcast because of M'arik's pride." S'kim turned his gaze
slowly from one to the next of M'arik's accusers. "We knew nothing of
the slaying of the human woman, and now wish to stand as witnesses to
M'arik's guilt or innocence. It is our right."

N'elu nodded. "If you have been deceived, it is certainly your right
to know and to not accept the word of others. If M'arik is innocent,
that too is your right to know. Step closer."

S'kim and the other elves drew in, forming an outer circle around the
accusers.

"Let it begin," N'elu intoned.

~*~*~*~*~

The world faded to shades of blue as the elves stood in a clearing
facing the accused. N'elu stepped forward. "On the spirit plane there
is no falsehood. From your own memories of that night, M'arik, here is
precisely what happened." He swept his hand to the right and all eyes
turned to watch the ghostly show.

//Naomi ventured from the cabin into the chill of the winter night.
She hadn't wanted to leave L'anin's side, but nature called and, in
this primitive setting, her only option was the outhouse Jim had built
for his own use. When she finished, she wrapped her cloak around
herself for warmth and glanced up at the clear sky. The stars shone in
all their resplendent beauty, the Milky Way cutting a glittering swath
across the inky blackness. Fascinated by the display, Naomi wandered
away from the cabin, hoping to find an area more open to the sky where
she could get a better view.//

//She had not walked far when she spotted a wide, open area with a
stone altar at its center. Lifting herself to sit on the stone, she
looked up at the sky and wondered if she would be able to make the
change to this primitive life permanently. She had always preferred
the simpler things in life, but she was used to a certain level of
creature comforts, as well. The soft crunch of footsteps through the
snow caught her attention. "M'arik?" She braced as the elf approached.
In his fist he still carried the money Jim had given him for his trip
to the Old World.//

//M'arik stopped just inches from the human woman. "L'anin's whore! I
will not allow that half-breed whelp to further dilute our blood."
Before Naomi could react, the elf had his hands around her neck and,
with a quick twist, snapped it. The limp body fell from his hands,
Naomi's dead eyes staring at the stars.//

//M'arik collected his dropped money and quickly made his way back to
the long house. "S'kim, R'otu... come, we must leave tonight." His
second and third in command blinked up at him. "There is no time, we
must go now."//

//"Why?" questioned S'kim. "Would not morning be soon enough?"//

//Even now, J'anin and his kin plot against us. We cannot wait, or our
passage could be blocked. We cannot take the chance!"//

//The two elves rose and followed their leader throughout the three
long houses, gathering nearly thirty elves with whom they'd been
scheming for the past several months. Packing light, the group made
their way away from the home camp of the Ten Tribes and began their
journey toward what they had hoped would be a new life and
acceptance.//

//The following morning, L'anin and Jim discovered the body, and the
one hundred dollar bill left behind. "Who would do such a thing?"
L'anin asked, choking back his tears. "For centuries, there has been
no crime like this among our People."//

//"M'arik," Jim growled.//

As the scene faded, N'elu pinned M'arik with a cold stare. "Shown and
witnessed beyond any doubt... M'arik, you stand accused of murder and
shall pay the ancient price. May those who witnessed this spread the
word so that all will know the price exacted upon those who take the
life of another."

~*~*~*~*~

The world slowly faded back to normal. The buzz of voices from
M'arik's followers was intense. All were angered and many frightened
by what they had seen. A few drifted away, not wanting to see the
punishment.

"B'layr, I shall need your assistance," N'elu said, summoning his
fellow Shaman. "Place your hand against M'arik's forehead, as I have
done, and hold him still."

"I do not possess that skill," said B'layr apologetically.

N'elu raised his spare hand to B'layr's forehead and a faint glow
suffused B'layr's face. "You do possess the skill, you only need to
learn how to use it."

As N'elu's hand left him, B'layr nodded. "Yes, I can do it." He
pressed his palm against M'arik's forehead, replacing the hand of the
Ancients' Shaman.

N'elu began methodically to remove all of M'arik's clothing until the
elf lay naked on the stone altar. He then placed one hand over
M'arik's lower abdomen and cupped the elf's genitals in his other.
"The taking of another's life, no matter whether human or elven, is
the highest crime and deserves the highest punishment. M'arik, for
committing murder, you will sacrifice your ability to create life."

The gathered crowd watched as the warm, golden glow began to emanate
from the Shaman's hands. M'arik's cries of agony echoed through the
forest, causing some to cover their ears and turn away. When N'elu
finished, several minutes later, M'arik's genitals were shriveled and
blackened.

"It is no less than he deserved," L'anin growled. "Good riddance!"

"The ceremony is not yet complete," N'elu announced. He picked up a
razor-sharp knife and stepped toward the head of the altar. "You will
be marked, so that you will be recognized for the outcast that you
are," he told his frightened prisoner. M'arik's eyes grew round with
terror as the Shaman teased his nipples to hard points. "You will no
longer have young to nurse. This will be a sign to others who
contemplate a similar action." With two quick sweeps of the blade,
N'elu sliced off the buds. M'arik's mouth opened to cry out, but his
voice was gone. N'elu stopped the bleeding with a brief pass of his
hand over M'arik's chest, then got out a pouch and took out a pinch of
ashes that he rubbed into raw flesh. "This will leave a blackened scar
- one that you will not be able to erase or hide." Finally, the blade
hovered over M'arik's face. "When I have finished with you, you will
be escorted away," said N'elu. "You will be taken naked and without
weapons several days' march into the forest. There you will be left to
fend for yourself. You will have to make fire and weapons without aid.
You will need to kill a deer or bear, skin and tan its hide, if you
wish to cover yourself. You will not be allowed any contact with elf
or man for the rest of your days. This final marking will let anyone
know beyond a doubt that you are outcast." With those words, N'elu
made three parallel slashes down each of M'arik's cheeks, rubbing in
the black ash to aid the scarring. "Be gone."

N'elu nodded toward B'layr, who lifted his hand from M'arik's
forehead. F'lorin and G'hita, the Tribe's two main Sentries, flanked
the banished elf, helping him keep his feet when he stumbled, weakened
from the pain.

L'anin and his family watched with a sense of curiosity and
satisfaction. Never had they seen such a harsh penalty exacted, and
yet, it was no more than M'arik deserved.

B'layr shook his head and stared at the Ancients' Shaman. "I had no
idea that the Healing Magic could be used for harm!"

"That is why only the wisest inherit the gift," N'elu said. "The Magic
we wield as Shamans makes us the most powerful in our Tribes. If
deemed necessary, the Shaman can override the wishes of the
Chieftain." He glanced briefly at D'oru, who nodded in return. "Our
Magic must be used only for good or for justice, never in spite or for
revenge."

"It will be several days before the Sentries return," said D'oru. "I
would ask that you stay with us until then so that we may celebrate."

"Jim?" B'layr turned to his soulmate. "How are you feeling?"

"Never better since N'elu helped me sleep," Jim replied. "You should
have him teach you that. I might finally get some rest."

"It is not difficult," said N'elu. "I will be happy to show you."

"Thank you. I will take you up on that," B'layr said, grinning.
"Anything to make life a little easier for J'anin."

S'kim cautiously approached the little group and waited to be
recognized. B'layr finally nodded grimly at his former Tribe mate.
"What is it you want, S'kim?"

The elf had the courtesy to hang his head as he spoke. "As a follower
of M'arik -"

"He no longer has a name!" N'elu barked. "The Banished One was
stripped of *all* his possessions, including his name. It will not be
spoken in the camp again!"

"Yes, sir," S'kim said, blushing and nodding meekly. "As a follower
of... The Banished One... I wish to petition, on behalf of myself and
the rest of our group, for permission to return home." He rushed on
before anyone could offer a protest. "I have spoken with the others,
and we all agree: it is quite apparent to us that J'anin has not
diluted the elven line. The fact that he Bears proves that beyond
doubt. M'... The Banished One was deluded, and we were wrong to
believe his lies. We ask forgiveness."

B'layr looked to L'anin and then to Jim. Both gave him silent nods of
approval. "We accept your apology and will welcome you back to the Ten
Tribes. Our community was lessened with your departure; it shall
rejoice upon your return."

"You'll have to make your way on your own," Jim added. "The
transportation that brought us here isn't large enough to take you all
back."

"We do not mind," said S'kim. "We know the way home. We only wished to
know that we were welcomed back."

"With open arms, my Brother." B'layr smiled warmly and patted S'kim's
shoulder. "Let us eat and celebrate the reforging of our Tribe."

~oO0Oo~

It was six days later when F'lorin returned. He went immediately to
his Chieftain and the Shaman with his news. "G'hita chose to stay
behind and monitor The Banished One," he reported. "The prisoner was
combative and uncooperative. We were unsure whether he would stay or
try to follow us back."

"It is good," D'oru pronounced. "In a few days, we shall send others
to relieve G'hita from duty. In the meantime, we must celebrate!"

It didn't take long for the elves to build a bonfire and load the
tables with food. Musicians played and the People danced, rejoicing in
the reunion of the Tribes. Back at the sleeping hut shared by B'layr
and Jim, the pregnant Sentry was reluctant to join the festivities.

"It is not unusual to be hesitant about your body at this stage," said
B'layr, "but you have nothing to be ashamed of. You are beautiful
pregnant; your shape is perfect. You will be the envy of everyone."

"I look like a beached whale," Jim complained. "I'm not taking my
clothes off in front of so many strangers."

"They are not strangers, my heart. They are our Brothers. Even D'oru
will set aside his robes for this night. It would not do for you to be
the only one at this celebration who is clothed." B'layr reached over
to pluck at the buttons on Jim's shirt.

"Can't I just stay here? You could give me that little sleep nudge and
I could get some rest," wheedled Jim, slapping away his mate's
persistent hands.

"I cannot physically compel you to attend," said B'layr, letting his
hands drop into his lap, "but you would be sorely missed. Can you not
come, just for a little bit? Make an appearance, have something to
eat... it would be easy enough to excuse yourself after that."

Jim's lower lip turned down in a pout. "I don't want to go naked."

"It has been decades since you were shy about your body. Our elven
Brothers practically worship pregnant Bearers," B'layr argued. "You
have nothing of which to be ashamed and *everything* of which to be
proud. Pleeeease?" A wheedling tone entered B'layr's voice and he
looked up at his mate with wide, blue eyes. "For me?"

"You promise I don't have to stay? I can just show up, eat, and get
out of there?"

B'layr nodded. "Just an appearance is all that is required. Everyone
knows about your discomfort, and they respect your wish for privacy
and rest."

"All right," Jim finally agreed, taking off his clothing and laying it
on the bed. "I'll make an appearance, but I'm not staying!"

The couple walked together toward the bonfire clearing. All eyes
turned to the pregnant Sentry as he made his way past the fire and
over to the tables loaded heavily with food.

"They're staring at me," Jim hissed between his teeth to his mate as
he filled a plate with the bounty presented to him.

"They are admiring your beauty," B'layr corrected, smiling and giving
the crowd a small wave. "Even amongst the Ancients, births are rare
and precious."

"I just feel so... I don't know... 'exposed'? I'm not used to being
the center of attention when I'm naked... except with you."

B'layr took his mate's elbow and led Jim to a bench outside the ring
of firelight. "Here, sit and eat. I will go dance and try to draw
attention away from you."

As B'layr turned to leave, Jim reached out and grabbed his hand,
pulling him back and down for a kiss. "I love you, my soul."

"No more than I love you, my heart." B'layr leaned in to give Jim
another kiss, and then slipped away to dance with the others around
the bonfire.

As the night progressed, Jim found himself feeling less
self-conscious. The other elves had stopped staring and the party
seemed to be in full swing. When B'layr approached him again, he
stood.

"Will you dance with me now?" B'layr asked, taking Jim's hand and
leading him back to the bonfire.

Focusing on his mate, Jim joined the dance, moving sensually to the
beat of the drum and the trill of the flute. His arousal grew as
B'layr's mating pheromones flooded his senses and he found himself
humping against his mate for relief. Smiling, B'layr turned around and
bent over, making access easier for his pregnant mate. Jim's cock
slipped into the willing body and he pulled B'layr up and close as he
began to move. Every nerve ending was on fire, heightened by his
pregnancy and the nearness of his mate. His thrusts were hard and
fast, his climax rocking his body.

Suddenly spent and exhausted, Jim backed away, pulling out of his
lover and leaning heavily on him.

"Are you okay, Jim?" B'layr asked, concerned about his lover's sudden
weakness.

"I'm all right, just..." Jim doubled over, grabbing his stomach. "Oh,
Gaaaawd! Oh! Oh! God, B'layr, what's happening?"

B'layr shook his head. "I do not know, my heart. Perhaps you extended
yourself too much and have developed a cramp."

"Is something wrong?" N'elu hurried over to help the couple.

"No, no... I'm fine," Jim insisted. "It's just a cramp."

"I will take you back to the sleeping hut," said B'layr, pulling one
of Jim's arms across his shoulders and wrapping his free arm around
Jim's waist. "Thank you, N'elu, but I think we will be all right.
J'anin just needs to rest."

"You will call if you need assistance?" N'elu asked.

"Yes, of course," agreed B'layr. He started to lead Jim away when his
mate doubled over and a wash of clear liquid flooded down his legs.

"Oh, God! Oh, God! What just happened?" Jim's eyes blazed with fear as
he stumbled forward, landing on his knees. Another cramp rippled
across his abdomen as he panted through the pain.

B'layr quickly knelt at Jim's side, flanked by N'elu. "You are going
into labor," said the Ancients' Shaman. "Soon, you will give birth."

"No!" Jim panted. "No! I can't! It's not time! It's too early!"

"Your bag of waters has ruptured," B'layr said softly, helping Jim
back to his feet. "Early or not, the baby is ready to come." He turned
to N'elu. "J'anin is approximately forty-six weeks into his carrying."

"There could be complications," N'elu mused. "He is six weeks early.
If the elfling is not fully developed..."

"We will deal with that if it becomes necessary," B'layr snapped.
"Help me get him back to the hut."

"Stay here. I will tell D'oru that we need a birthing platform," said
N'elu. "Perhaps one of the tables can be cleared."

"No!" Jim gasped. "No birthing platform!"

"J'anin wishes to give birth in private, with only his family in
attendance," B'layr explained. "The ways of the Ten Tribes have
changed since J'anin joined us, and we are happier because of it."

"But birth is a spectacle that all wish to observe," N'elu argued. "It
is customary to labor and deliver in a public setting."

"It is not *our* custom," insisted B'layr, supporting his mate as they
began to walk back toward the sleeping hut they shared.

B'layr helped Jim onto the sleeping platform, piling pillows behind
his back to support him in a semi-reclined position. "Now, spread your
legs and brace your feet like so," said B'layr, positioning Jim's feet
near his buttocks, exposing the birth canal.

"This isn't supposed to be happening! I'm supposed to have another
month or two!" Jim's voice was edged with panic. "I'm not ready! I'm
not ready! Make it stop, B'layr. Put it back; tell the baby he has to
wait."

B'layr moved to the head of the bed. Dipping a cloth into the basin of
water they shared for washing, he wiped the sweat from Jim's brow.
"There is nothing more to be done, my heart. Now that the bag of
waters has broken, the child must be delivered, or he will die."

"And I'll die with him!" said Jim, his voice strained.

"You are not going to die, my heart. I will not allow it," B'layr
countered, smiling sweetly at his frightened mate. "There is nothing
to be afraid of; this is all very natural. It is how life is supposed
to be."

"Not six weeks early!" Jim whined. "*Ahhh*...!" Another contraction
rolled through him, a little stronger this time.

"You must breathe," B'layr instructed. "Try short puffs like this: ah,
ah, ah. It will help you through the contraction."

"Ah, ah... *shit*!" Jim exclaimed. "I can't do this. There's got to be
another way."

B'layr was sympathetic, but firm. "There is no other way, love."

"I'm thirsty."

B'layr rose to get some clean water for drinking.

"Don't leave me!"

"I am not going far," B'layr explained. "I am simply getting you
something to drink."

"It can wait. Where's L'anin?"

"He will come soon."

"I am here now," L'anin said, running up and stopping in the doorway
to the sleeping hut. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes," said B'layr, handing him the cup. "Please fetch some cold water
for your Sire; he is thirsty." L'anin nodded and disappeared.

"How long is this going to take?" Jim asked, shivering as the cool
night air finally brought his temperature down.

B'layr took a blanket and tossed it over Jim's knees, covering his
stomach and legs. "Hmmm... anywhere from a few hours to several days,"
he said quietly. "It is your first, so it may take a bit longer. Your
passage is not used to being stretched."

"A few *days*?" Jim shrieked. "You didn't tell me that! I can't do
this! I can't go through this for days on end!"

"It will probably last no longer than twenty-four hours," B'layr
assured him. "Probably much less."

"How can you be sure? How can you know it won't go on for days?"

"I cannot," B'layr said, shrugging. "Your body will deliver the child
when it is ready. The process cannot be rushed."

"I have the water," said L'anin, slipping into the hut to hand the cup
to B'layr. "How is he?"

"How do you think?" Jim snapped. "I shouldn't be here yeeettt...
ahhhhh, ah, ah, ah..." He panted through the contraction, his fingers
curled tightly into the furs covering the bed.

"Your Sire is not taking this well," said B'layr with a crooked grin.
"But we shall get him through it."

"D'oru and N'elu wait nearby," L'anin explained. "They wish to witness
the birth."

"Jim?" B'layr turned to his mate. "Even in the Ten Tribes, the Elders
are allowed to bear witness to a birthing. As guests of the Ancients
-"

"Yeah, okay, all right," Jim agreed. "Just keep them out of the hut.
They can observe from outside."

B'layr nodded. "It is too crowded in here for more than the three of
us," he agreed.

"I will go tell them," said L'anin. "I shall be right back." He turned
to leave the hut, returning a few minutes later. "They have agreed to
allow J'anin the privacy of his birth, but they will remain close by
in case they are needed."

Jim's face knotted in pain as another contraction squeezed at his
middle. "They're getting stronger," he hissed when the cramping had
passed.

"And closer together, as well," B'layr added. "You may not have to
wait too long, after all."

~oO0Oo~

The night was long as Jim fought to control the pain and fear as the
strange sensations swept through his body. By mid-morning of the
following day, the contractions were coming so close together that Jim
couldn't catch his breath between them.

"Goddammit you little pointy-eared hobgoblin!" Jim cursed, panting
through the pain. "You're not getting anywhere near me again! I swear,
you're never touching my ass! Never again!"

"Shhhh... Jim, it will be fine, you will see," B'layr said soothingly.
"It is almost over now, and once it is, you will forget the agony of
the birth."

"Like hell I will!" snapped Jim. "You don't just go forgetting pain
like this! Get away from me! Don't touch me!"

B'layr sighed. "Jim, I must check to see how near you are to delivery.
You want this to be over, do you not?"

"Damn straight I do!" Jim stopped to pant through another strong
contraction as B'layr lifted the blanket to get a look at the birth
canal. "What the fuck? What are you doing down there?" Jim swore.

"Checking the elfling's progress," B'layr replied, slipping his hand
deeper inside Jim's body.

"It feels like you shoved a cannonball up my ass!"

B'layr chuckled softly. "It is just my hand. Your body has already
relaxed enough to let me in. The elfling is progressing down the
passage. It will not be much longer now."

Jim sighed with relief when B'layr removed his hand, but was soon
overcome by another strong contraction. "It's not going to be soon
enough for me!"

Taking pity on his suffering mate, B'layr moved up to wipe Jim's face
with a cool, damp cloth and give him a sip of the cold mountain water.
"You are so brave, so strong, my heart. You have gone through much to
get to this point, and your reward is nearly here. All you must do is
hang on a little longer, and do as I say."

"Doing what you say is what got me here in the first damn place!" Jim
snapped. "I swear, that cock of yours is never getting near my ass
again. I won't go through this again. I won't! You have to fix it,
B'layr. You have to fix it so I can't get pregnant. Promise me you'll
fix it." Another cramp squeezed his middle, making Jim grimace and
hold his breath.

"Breathe, my heart. You must remember to breathe," B'layr instructed.
He bent to look at the passage again. The muscle had dilated and a
dark, gaping hole had appeared. The elf probed the opening with a
finger and smiled. "This is it," he said. "When you have your next
contraction, I want you to push with it. Push as hard as you can. Here
it comes... push, Jim! You can do it, come on!"

Jim curled up over the mound of his stomach, using his strong
abdominal muscles to add push to the contraction. He grunted with
effort, sighing and falling back against the pillows when the
contraction ended. "God, was that it? Is it over?" He had no more
finished the question when another strong contraction twisted his gut.
Curling up over it, he pushed again. "Ahhh... *shiiit*!" The expletive
was drawn out as he made a supreme effort to birth the child. "It
feels like I'm trying to pass a basketball!" he panted as the
contraction eased slightly.

"I know, Sweetheart, believe me, I know," said B'layr smiling. "But
you are almost finished. I can see the head crowning. Give me one more
really good one. Come on, you are not through yet. You can do it!"

Grunting with effort, Jim curled his fingers into the furs, his nails
digging into the cured animal skins as he pushed with all the strength
he had left.

"That is it!" B'layr crowed triumphantly. "The head is out. Breathe,
Jim, take a break - a short one."

"What are you doing down there?" Jim strained to see as he felt
movement from between his legs.

"Rotating the shoulders and cleaning the mucus out of his mouth,"
B'layr explained. "Okay, just one more push ought to do it. Come on,
Jim."

"That mantra's getting a little old," Jim groused, curling forward to
help his tired muscles with one last push. He felt something move, and
then a great rush of relief, as though he'd just passed his largest
bowel movement ever. His ears were greeted to the sound of a loud
wail.

"You have a *daughter*, Sentry J'anin!" B'layr announced, placing the
newborn on her Bearer's chest.

Jim wrapped his arms around the tiny child, his face lighting up.
"She's so small! I would have thought she was a lot larger,
considering how it felt getting her here."

B'layr laughed. "I am totally with you on that one! But it is nearly
over now."

"Nearly?" Jim looked up with consternation. "What you do mean,
'nearly'? I thought this was it."

"You have yet to pass the placenta," B'layr explained. "But that is
easy and not painful at all. On your next contraction, just give me an
easy push... There you go, that is all. You are finished, my heart."
He handed the placenta off to L'anin, who took the organ out to give
it a ritual burial. "Have you given any thought to a name for our
daughter?"

"You've always picked the names," Jim replied, surprised.

"That is because I have always given birth," said B'layr. "The naming
is the province of the Bearer. It is up to you."

"K'sali," said Jim softly. "She was born in the Old Land, a forest
spirit of this place."

"That is a beautiful name," B'layr agreed, "and one that honors our
hosts."

K'sali took that moment to begin to wail.

"What's wrong?" Jim asked, perplexed.

"I believe she is hungry," B'layr answered. "Why not try to nurse
her?"

"*Me*?" The question was almost a shriek. "Nobody sucks at *my*
nipples except you! Here," Jim said, trying to hand off the child,
"you do it. You're still nursing T'lan. You've got milk."

"As have you, my heart." B'layr reached out and pinched one of Jim's
nipples. The bud immediately hardened and leaked a cloudy, translucent
liquid.

"That's not milk," said Jim. "She needs milk."

"That is called 'colostrum'," B'layr told his mate. "It is pre-milk
and contains many antibodies against illness. It is all K'sali needs
right now, and she needs it more than she needs milk. When she is
ready, the milk will come." He positioned the baby at the leaking
teat, and she immediately latched on, sucking hungrily.

Jim's eyes widened in amazement at the sensation. "God, that feels
good!" he exclaimed. "Almost sensual, but not... there's nothing
sexual about it."

"It is the most natural thing to do," said B'layr. "Besides, it will
help your recovery. Your uterus will shrink more rapidly and you will
lose the 'baby fat' you have gained."

"This is pretty amazing," said Jim softly.

"And worth all you went through?" B'layr said with a hint of a grin.

"Don't think you're getting off the hook that easily," said Jim. "I'm
*not* getting pregnant again, even if that means you never get to top
me."

"But, Jim..."

"No 'but, Jim's'. This is your fault, in more ways than one. You want
sex, you find a way to fix it!" Jim said stubbornly.

"I will talk to N'elu. Perhaps there is something he can do to reverse
the Magic."

"I saw what he did to M'a... um, The Banished One. He was screaming in
agony. No thanks. I'd like to make this all go away, but not at that
price."

"That was a punishment, this would be a healing," said B'layr. "Let me
speak with him."

"All right," Jim finally agreed, although still reluctant. "But I'm
through with pain for a while, you hear me?"

"Clearly," said B'layr with a chuckle. "Rest now, my heart, you have
earned it." He laid a hand on Jim's forehead and, as N'elu had taught
him, helped nudge his mate into a deep sleep.

~oO0Oo~

N'elu stood next to B'layr at Jim's bedside, studying the new mother
and daughter. "You are certain you truly wish to never Bear again?"

"I'm *quite* sure," Jim responded. "I wasn't cut out for this. I
wasn't meant to have kids like the elves; I'm human!"

"Not entirely," N'elu pointed out. "And your pregnancy was
instrumental in reuniting your Tribesmen. But if this is your wish, I
can return you to your human function." He turned to glance at B'layr
before continuing to talk to Jim. "What I will do will not be
immediately apparent," he said. "You will no longer be able to get
pregnant, but the process of returning fully to your human physiology
will take several weeks - just as the transformation to elven
physiology took time."

"I'm okay with that, just so long as there's no chance of knocking me
up again," said Jim.

"I would not be able to do that in any case," B'layr said softly. "So
long as you nurse, you are infertile."

"That is a 'complication' of this Magic," N'elu added. "You will still
be able to nurse K'sali for a time, but as you change back, you will
lose the ability. Someone will have to take over that function for
you."

"I would be pleased to wet-nurse our daughter when her Bearer no
longer can," B'layr offered. "She is, after all, also of my flesh."

"It is decided, then," N'elu pronounced. "J'anin, I wish for you to
lie flat on your back."

Jim glanced nervously at the Healer before handing K'sali off to his
soulmate. B'layr took the child and immediately put her to his breast,
calming her with his milk.

"Close your eyes and relax," N'elu instructed. "You might feel some
discomfort during the Healing, but it will not last long." Reaching
his hands out to hover over Jim's abdomen, the Healer closed his eyes
and concentrated.

The golden aura washed over Jim, concentrated most brightly at his
lower abdomen. He groaned as a weak cramp squeezed at his exhausted
muscles, but was soon relieved of all pain when N'elu eased him into
sleep.

"He needs to rest. The Healing has also stopped the post-delivery
bleeding. When he awakes, he should be feeling much better." N'elu
rose and held out a hand to the nursing elf. "Come with me, we need to
talk."

B'layr rose and followed the Ancients' Healer outside. They walked to
the main clearing, where D'oru waited. B'layr settled himself between
the two Ancients and looked at both with curiosity.

N'elu was the first to speak. "You are a talented Healer, B'layr, but
untrained. During the past several days, I have found you to be a
quick study, and an apt pupil. In the New World, you have no one to
teach you the Healing Ways. I propose that you stay here for a time
and study under my tutelage."

"We would welcome another Healer with your talent," D'oru added.

B'layr's eyes widened as he looked from one to the other of his hosts.
"That is very generous! I *would* like to gain more control over my
Magic. There have been many times that I have been frustrated by my
lack of knowledge."

"Then you will stay!" N'elu's smile was one of warm welcoming. "That
is excellent news!"

"No, no..." B'layr shook his head. "You do not understand, I am
sorry... I *do* wish to learn control of my Magic, but I have an
elfling at home who is currently being fostered by our daughter, and I
now have Jim and K'sali to watch after as well."

"Surely there are others in your Tribe who would care for your family
during your absence," said D'oru. "This is an opportunity of a
lifetime."

B'layr nodded. "Yes, I understand that, and if it is acceptable to
you, I would like to come back one day and receive the training. But
for now, I am the only Healer in my clan and I have two infants to
help care for. I cannot leave my People at this time."

"J'anin is welcome to stay as well," D'oru offered. "And your son,
L'anin, if he wishes."

"I sense in L'anin the same potential for Healing that you possess,"
said N'elu. "He, too, could benefit from the training."

"That would be his decision, of course," B'layr responded, "but L'anin
also has a young one at home to whom he is very attached."

D'oru sighed. "I see there is no convincing you. Your family ties are
far too strong."

"We live long lives; what is a decade or a century to us?" N'elu said.
"You are welcome back whenever you wish to visit."

"Thank you." B'layr smiled with relief. It was good to know he could
come back when the time was right. "Since J'anin is now Healed and no
longer needs several days of post-delivery rest, I think we shall take
our leave. Our family is anxious for our return."

"As you wish," said D'oru. "We shall miss you."

"We very much appreciate your assistance in capturing and punishing
The Banished One. I know that L'anin's heart has found some ease now."
B'layr stood and offered his hand to D'oru and then to N'elu. "The
news will be welcome at home, as will the travelers who have spent
time with you here."

"Any who wish are welcome to stay, and all are welcome back," said
D'oru.

B'layr smiled. "You are very generous. Thank you." With a nod, he
turned and walked back toward the sleeping hut. Jim would be pleased
to be going home.

~oO0Oo~

S'kim and the others of M'arik's band had packed up and left on foot
to begin their long journey back to the New World. Jim and L'anin had
also said their good-byes, and the family now made its way back out to
the open country where the car had been parked.

Climbing behind the wheel, Jim turned the ignition key and smiled with
satisfaction as the engine roared to life. The drive back into the
town of Pestera was quiet as each of the car's occupants reflected on
the events of the past two weeks. They arrived in town at dusk and
found rooms at the hotel. Weary from their travel, they decided to
rest before saying their farewells to Vaida Stefan and Ana.

The next morning, they were up early, ready to head back to Bucharest
and the plane that would fly them home again. L'anin opted to pack and
to shop for provisions for the long drive, while Jim and B'layr took
K'sali to visit the Gypsy couple.

Ana greeted the family with open arms. "Ahhh! A little kesali! I
thought you were not due for another two months?" The older woman
leaned in to place a kiss on the baby's cheek.

"That's what I thought," Jim said with a laugh, "but Mother Nature had
other ideas."

"The elfling is full-term and healthy," B'layr announced. "That is all
that truly matters."

"Stefan! Come and see!" Ana called to her husband.

The elderly Gypsy Chieftain emerged from the back room, his face
lighting when he saw the couple and the new child. "A beautiful
child!" he exclaimed, reaching out his arms in a silent request to
hold the infant.

Jim passed her over, beaming with pride. "We named her K'sali, in
honor of the Ancient Ones."

"A fitting name," agreed Ana. "She is a true spirit of the forest."
She traced a delicately pointed ear with one finger. "You are truly
blessed." Pausing for only a brief moment, she continued. "You will
stay for lunch, won't you?"

B'layr shook his head. "We appreciate the offer, but it is still
several hours before noon and we are anxious to return home. It has
been a long and weary visit for us. Perhaps we can return to visit
again someday."

Stefan nodded as he handed the baby back to its Bearer. "You are good
friends. We always welcome the veshengo; they bring blessings to our
home. You will always have a place here with us."

"We appreciate it, believe me," said Jim. "We never would have been
able to locate the Ancients without your help two years ago."

"And we will never forget your kindness," added B'layr. "But we really
must be leaving."

"Safe journey!" said Stefan as the couple turned to go.

~oO0Oo~

The flight back home was a long and tiring one, despite the luxury
afforded by the private jet. When they landed at the airport in
Cascade, Stevie had a car waiting for them.

"Perhaps we should spend the night at the loft?" B'layr suggested.
"N'elu may have Healed you, but you still need rest to recover from
the ordeal of birth."

"I'd rather just go home," said Jim, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

"If we stayed, you would have a chance to visit with your family. I am
certain that Kallie, Stevie and the others would love to see you, and
see the newest member of the Ellison clan," B'layr wheedled.

"I don't really feel up to a lot of visiting right now," Jim admitted.
"I'd just like to get home, relax, rest..."

"In the morning would be best," B'layr insisted. "Please allow the
driver to take us to the loft. Your family would be very disappointed
to miss this opportunity."

Jim sighed. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. But we'll go home in the
morning."

"Whatever you wish, my heart."

~oO0Oo~

"Oh, she's just the sweetest little thing!" Kallie cooed, gently
scratching under the baby's chin. "Just look at those cute ears! She's
the spitting image of you, B'layr."

"I think she resembles her Bearer," B'layr corrected, aiming a smile
at Jim.

They were in the loft bedroom where Jim lay propped up by pillows,
proudly showing off the newborn to his sister-in-law, niece, and
nephews.

"I can't believe that you had a baby, Uncle Jim!" Grace exclaimed,
taking her turn to admire the newest member of the family. "Will
wonders never cease?"

"Apparently not," quipped William, who stood behind his mother and
sister as they admired the infant. "We never know what to expect since
B'layr joined the family."

"And he means that in the nicest, most sincere way," Steven, Jr.,
added, cuffing his younger brother on the arm.

"Hey!" William protested lightly, grabbing at his bicep and scowling
at his brother before turning to grin and wink at Jim and B'layr.

"I know that you're anxious to get back home, Uncle Jim," said Stevie,
sitting on the corner of the bed, down at the foot end. "I can have
the helicopter ready to take you back first thing in the morning."

"We certainly are glad you decided to spend the night, though," Kallie
added. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world!"

"I appreciate it, Stevie, thanks," said Jim. Turning to Kallie he
added, "It was B'layr's idea to stay. I wanted to go directly home."

"Well, then, thank *you*, B'layr, for convincing Jim to stay." Kallie
turned her award-winning smile on the elf.

"It was the right thing to do, of course," B'layr replied, giving Jim
his patented 'I told you so' look. "But Jim is exhausted. It has been
a long, hard two weeks, not the easiest part of which was giving
birth. He should rest now, and we will return to the forest in the
morning."

"We understand," Kallie said, gathering her brood of adult children
and ushering them toward the stairs. "But do come back for a visit
when you're feeling better."

"Do not worry," said B'layr. "I will see to it that he visits." After
their guests had left, B'layr cuddled down next to Jim on the bed.
"That was not so bad, was it?"

"I suppose not," Jim reluctantly agreed. "But do you mind?" He shifted
a bit, pulling at the blankets that B'layr was lying on. "I'd like to
get some sleep."

"As would I," B'layr agreed, standing and shedding his clothes before
climbing into bed with his soulmate. "Sleep well, my heart. Tomorrow,
we return home."

~oO0Oo~

K'tiri was hard-pressed to contain her delight when her parents came
home with babe in arms. She allowed for her Sire to have a week in
which to rest before the huge celebration she had planned.

The night of the party, a bonfire blazed in the center of the largest
clearing. Trestle tables groaned under the weight of food and drink,
and the musicians were in their finest form, playing lively tunes to
which the naked celebrants danced.

K'tiri cleared her throat, then shouted to be heard over the noise.
Silence descended and all eyes turned toward the Chieftess. "Tonight's
celebration is in honor of the birth of our Senior Sentry's only
offspring, K'sali." A roar of approval rose from the crowd and K'tiri
was forced to wait until the noise simmered down once more. "But there
is more to this glad occasion than a new Tribe member... We welcome
home S'kim and his followers, as we also celebrate the capture and
punishment of the murderer among us. Justice and reunion has been
brought back to the Tribes!"

This time the roar wouldn't be silenced. As the music started up
again, K'tiri pulled her parents off to the side. "If you would like
for me to care for T'lan and K'sali for the night, I would be happy to
do so. No one would question you slipping away to celebrate privately,
if that is your wish."

"What do you say, Jim? It has been a long time since we 'celebrated'
anything," B'layr said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Jim nodded, a smile spreading across his face as his arousal began to
peak under the assault from the mating pheromones. He reached out to
take B'layr's hand and led his soulmate out of the circle of
firelight, back toward their cabin. "You owe me one, Imp," he growled
playfully.

~oO0Oo~

B'layr grunted as the cock pistoned in and out of his ass, pinning him
to the mattress with the brute force of the thrusts. Jim shuddered
above him, his movements becoming more erratic as his climax neared.
With a final push, he buried his cock, pumping his life's seed into
his soulmate.

A moan was pulled from B'layr as he felt the warm ejaculate of his
lover fill him. If this was the price he had to pay for their
beautiful, infant daughter, he would pay it over and over, for the
rest of his days. He rolled over to face Jim after feeling his
soulmate pull away.

Jim cupped B'layr's cheek with his palm and leaned in to capture the
swollen lips with another kiss. Despite everything he had endured in
the previous half century of living with his elven mate, he wouldn't
change one day of it. He thanked the Creator for bringing him to his
soulmate and for giving them centuries to explore their love. For all
he'd lost, he'd gained so very much more. He'd gained the other half
of his soul.

THE END