Soldier Jerad
Arrival


Jerad arrived outside the small room to which he had been summoned, huffing and puffing and slightly red in the face. The reason why he had been summoned here was unknown to him, only that it involved Dedicated Lorian. Stopping, he calmed himself, entering the Void, calming himself. His breathing slowed to its norm, and his racing pulse returned to its normal also. He threw open the door, gliding in gracefully. Instantly the scene greeted him.

The M'hael, Rashadin, and Raven sat around a bed, on which lay the Amyrlin. She seemed slightly pale, and was breathing hard. She clenched her teeth as another bout of pain rolled through her. "Can't you hurry this up any!?" shouted Tatania, clenching the bedsheets in a white-knuckled grip. Quince and Raven looked at Jerad sternly.

"Where have you been?! I sent Rash here out for you over a quarter of an hour ago!" hissed Quince, glaring. Jerad nodded to him.

"Dedicated Lorian did think that I needed some exercise, Asha'man, or I would have no been late," he replied smoothly. Rash's face reddened with embarassment and shock at the same time. Didn't think I could find that out, did you you wretched child? Jerad thought to himself. He allowed a slight satisfaction to penetrate his mask of serenity. All of the sudden, Tanya cried out again. His eyes became those of a healer, taking in everything.

The sudden pains, the clutching of the abdomen, and the paleness of Tanya's face indicated two possible things. Poison, or labor. "Have I permission to channel, Asha'man?" he asked the M'hael, who was the senior officer present. He nodded quickly, mummuring conforting words to his pained wife. Jerad seized the Source, spinning the weaves to Delve as he had learned in his Spirit lesson with Asha'man Ryalin.

He swept the shallow net of Spirit through the Amyrlin's entire body, confirmation of her condition achieved. She was indeed in the early stages of labor. He released the Source, pulling a small leather pouch out from behind his belt. Better to use the training he already had, than to fumble around blindly with the Power. Jerad reached into the pouch and pulled out a paper packet of herbs without looking. He tossed the pouch aside, tearing open the small packet. Three leaves, each as long as an average person's smallest finger, fell out into Jerad's palm. He set two aside, walking up to Tanya with the last.

"Everything will be fine. I promise," he said in the soothing voice he used to deal with his charges. "Mother?" he said. She looked up at him questioningly. "Please chew this leaf. It will relax you, and lessen the pain." She nodded, taking the leaf. She looked at it for a moment, then put it into her mouth, chewing. All of the sudden, Jerad was bombarded with questions.

"How is she doing?"

"What is happening?"

"Will she be in pain much longer?"

"How long until the baby is born?"

"If you could ask your questions one at a time, I would be able to answer them more fully." That received a curt nod from Raven. "Now, I don't know how long it will be. All we can do is wait..."

~Jerad