I found a simple hut to rest for a mont. While walking through the forest earlier, I found several trees that had ripe fruit. After living in Birwick forest for quite so ti, I ca to know which fruit was edible and which wasn’t.
I bit it slowly. The sweet fruit juice felt so refreshing in my mouth. I knew that fruit wouldn’t be able to fill my stomach. Actually, on the trees just now, there were a lot of ripe fruits as well, but their positions were way above my reach, and I couldn’t climb up the trees.
I touched Amadea’s incandescent light. If only Amadea was with at this ti, he would definitely help to collect more fruits. Rembering the man again made unable to hold back my tears.
"Excuse ... Miss... Miss..."
I imdiately wiped my tears away and looked to the side, and a very old woman walked up to with her wooden cane. Her hair was full of gray hair. There was no black hair left there.
"Ah, sorry. Is this your hut? I didn’t an to bother you. I just wanted to rest a bit."
"Oh, sit back down. Don’t force yourself to get up!" said the old woman while touching my shoulder and telling to sit back.
"Where is your house? Why did you walk all this way alone while you’re pregnant?"
"Ah, that..."
How should I put it? I couldn’t possibly say that I was on the run, right?
"I... my husband is at war. My house is on fire and I don’t know where to go now."
"Gosh, poor woman..."
I squeezed the remaining fruit I hadn’t finished eating. Perhaps the old woman wanted to rest in her hut. It seed I had to walk again to find a new resting place, and maybe along the way I would also find food.
I stood up to give the old woman room to sit and rest her old body.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Eum... I was worried that my presence would bother you so I’ll be going on again now."
"Do you have a place to go?"
The old woman then took out a wicker basket and put it on the seat that I used earlier. Then, she opened the cloth covering the basket. I swallowed my saliva because I was tempted to see lots of fresh berries and fruits there.
"Sit back. You can grab so while resting your body. I’ve seen many won like you. Being left alone and lost her way because her husband went to war."
"After you fill your stomach, then spend the night at my house. You need rest, otherwise you will only endanger the baby in your womb."
I touched my belly and thought about it for a few monts. Finding soone so kind to felt a bit impossible. There had been many people who had been good to and they ended badly.
Even King Theodore, who I thought was kind ended up hurting . I wanted to refuse, but I couldn’t even hide my hunger. The old woman touched my hand gently. Then, I sat beside the bed.
"These are the fresh fruits that I have collected. I live alone, and adding one more person won’t make it difficult for ," said the old woman.
I, who was still hungry, took a pear and bit it heartily. I turned to the old woman who was smiling kindly at . She even stroked my hair gently, making cry even more. I took one more bite and left only the stem and seeds.
"Take it again. This is still too much for to eat alone," she said.
I didn’t forget to say thousands of thanks for the old woman’s kindness, and I took so berries from the basket. I let my greed envelop until the fruits in the basket were gone.
After I ate the last berry, I panicked.
"I-I will collect berries for you again! I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ve never been this greedy before. I will replace all your berries and fruits again."
The old woman actually laughed out loud then stroked my hair once again.
"It doesn’t matter. Pregnant won do eat a lot. I’m glad to see it. If you’re still hungry, I also have plenty of food at ho."
The old woman covered her basket with the cloth again. She took my hand gently to follow her. I seriously felt hesitant. Would... she also... take my blood if she found out?
I shook my head. I couldn’t be selfish. My little Snowdrop also needed to rest and eat. Maybe if I went with the old woman, I could find a job so I could have money to buy food. I just needed to hide my identity. There was no need for anyone to know about the ability of my blood that could heal all wounds and illness.
"Is it really okay?"
The woman nodded slowly. "It’s really okay. I have been in your position too, going on a long journey while being pregnant. It’s torturous. I just don’t want other won to feel what I’ve felt."
"Does your child live with you too?"
The woman nodded slowly. "Yes, but he went to war twenty years ago and has not returned until now," she answered sadly.
I was also sad to hear that. I hoped that Amadea could imdiately clean up all the ss on Birwick Mountain so that I could go ho soon.
***
***
However, the thing I was worried about didn’t happen at all. The old woman looked after very well. She was a silk cloth weaver in her village, and in my spare ti I helped her by making food as well as learning to weave, so that when the old woman went to sell her woven fabrics, I could help her too.
The villagers also welcod with open arms. I got to know them one by one. The small village was so independent to et their needs. They worshiped the God of Water because it was said that the place where they lived before was a vast ocean. However, as humans began to run out of land to live on, the compassionate God of Water pulled the water back to give them land.
I passed the day in the village quietly. And every day, I started having trouble moving. The last month of my pregnancy was really torturous. Sotis I felt mild stomach cramps, and the old woman started to forbid to move much. She just told to sleep on the bed.
Until finally, the day that Amadea and I had always been waiting for arrived. At night, when I got up to get a glass of water, I felt a trendous contraction. I even fell on the floor because I couldn’t stand the pain. I wanted to howl.
"Oh my god, what are you doing?"
"My stomach... my stomach hurts so bad... I can’t take it anymore..."
"Oh my, is it already ti to give birth?" asked the old woman in a panic.
I gripped her hand, but she ran out of the hut to ask for help. I begged her not to leave ... I couldn’t stand up enough to get back into bed. Until in monts of despair, as well as between my groans, I heard the voices of two n as well as several won approaching .
They carried in their arms and put on the bed.
"It is ti for Cecilia to give birth. Please prepare warm water imdiately!" shouted a woman.
I didn’t know who scread and who spoke right now. The pain I felt was thousands of tis the pain when two arrows pierced my back. Then, their voices beca faint. I didn’t know what they said.
"Cecillia... calm down... take a deep breath... and exhale it slowly... everything will be fine," said a woman.
I tried to follow what the woman instructed, but it was so hard. It felt like being forced to breathe while underwater.
"Aaaaarghhhhh!"
I scread in pain. They told to calm down and took a deep breath while slowly pushing the baby in my womb to co out.
My body was wet with sweat. I gripped the old woman’s hand tightly and touched my chest. I needed Amadea’s warmth. If the man was here, maybe it would be easier. I cried again because I couldn’t bear the pain.
Until my vision started to blur, and I felt a pair of warm hands touching my face.
"Amadea..."
"Hold on, Cecilia. I will always be there for you and our little Snowdrop... My warmth will always protect both of you. I love you all."
The voice sounded very faint, but I knew that it was my husband’s voice. I took a deep breath and then exhaled it slowly. With new determination and the warmth of my husband who was always with , I pushed our little Snowdrop very hard. Until a sense of relief ca over .
After I opened my eyes again, the first thing I heard was a baby crying. My little Snowdrop’s cry that Amadea and I always wanted to hear.
"Amadea, our little snowdrop has co into the world."
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