Chapter 23; The New Watch Man
As expected, the baby growing in her had the vision. Sitting together in the Watcher’s Chair, she showed the baby her grand parents and his People. A full moon before his birthing day, Bel Al arrived bringing both Grandmothers to tend the woman’s tent that would become the birthing tent.
Jin was too large to make it up and down those stairs. She moved down to be with more comfortable. She would walk into the lowest cave to escape the heat. She and lar would dangle their feet in the cool water. He would rub her feet and her back.
As the time neared, he began to sleep less and have a haunted look in his eyes when he thought no one was looking. Jin knew that nothing she said could make him feel better. She just went about her duties of being her two mothers’ patient. They did all the cooking and cleaning for them both, though Lar seldom ate these days.
Another Gathering Time came. On the third night, the cries began. Lar rushed to the women’s tent by the cold pool in the lowest cave. Zet and Mav met him there. Mav had been smart enough to get Kiv. Lar pushed against him, “Get out of my way!”
Without a word, Kiv picked his cousin up, noting that his lightness, “Brother…you are fairly wasting away.”
“I’m not kidding, Kiv,” Lar struggled against his chieftain futily.
Through clenched teeth, Kiv dragged Lar out into the evening light. “You… are… not… allowed… in… that… tent.” He dragged him to Kal’s tent, which was the closest one. He pitched him onto a pile of pillows. “Eat!”
“I cant eat…”
“Then sit there and be a good boy… Your wife and child are in the Watcher’s hands.”
“Yah…and we both know how well that worked out…”
“Blasphemy!”
Lar just put his hands over his face and cried. The other men stayed around him. None spoke. Singing was heard coming out of the cave. Zet was the Keeper of Music and she was trying to calm her daughter. The song was picked up at camp fires all over the oasis. At the worst and best times, music was the key to worship and comfort.
Just then, yuyulating cries came from out of the caves. Lov ran to her son. Barely fighting tears, she said gravely, “Your wife, my daughter, wishes to see you in her tent.”
Lar took off running. Kiv shrugged a question at his aunt. She smiled, There is a new Watch Man in residence …”
The giant picked up the tiny woman and swung her around. Then, they hooked elbows and swung each other in a yululating crazy dance. The cries were raised all across the camp as people rushed to see the result of the birthing.
Lar walked out with a naked bundle, “Thank the Watcher…” People cheered.
“I have a son…” more cheers.
“My darling Jin is well.” Explosive cries of joy and they all joined Kiv and Lov in dancing.
Kiv called out, “Drink… Where is the drink?” His call went unheeded by his cousin. Lar returned to his wife. He held her while she nursed their new born son.
“I was so afraid…”
“Its all over now, my love.” But Lar didn’t hear her. He slept for the first time in weeks. Jin smiled. Her and their mothers packed pillows around him and covered him. When he awoke, he ate like Kiv for almost a week. Joy was every where.
Chapter 24; EPILOGUE
If Jud ever made it home, the People never knew. They never saw him or heard about him at the Trading Times that followed. Life went on as before. Kal was happy to see his grandchildren fill the eyes of the Watcher. His own son grew well and showed a flair for bargaining. In sadness, the fourth year hence, he had scattered Mav’s ashes off the top of their mountain. She had died from a fever that had killed half of the People one bad winter.
By the next time they had returned to the Gathering, Jin was happy to find that Kal remarried her mother. Kal, following the banns, had remarried Zet after she promised to raise Tun as her own child. Over the last few years, Kal had come to realize that he preferred his first wife, Zet’s, quiet company to the mouthy rashness that had passed for company with Mav.
Zet loved Tun. She had always wanted a son to go with her five daughters. Now, the Watcher had given her one. To Kal, he only cared that she was raising his son well.
In his the seventh year, their oldest grandson went with them to the Trading Time. His name was Red Kal. All of the People who saw the boy felt that he would make a fine Watch Man some day. He rarely spoke. He only listened. His red hair and green eyes showed the fire and passion of his mother.
In all other things, he was his father's little boy.
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