isn't good for the baby.
Zora's ass hit the floor with a thud. What?
The elders were hovering in concern. Vikar helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?"
"I am fine. I just got some information that surprised me."
The woman smiled. "Your pregnancy?"
Zora felt her mouth open in an unflattering way. "How could you know that?"
"We are Oefric. Our sense of smell is the keenest of our gifts. I carried your ship suit to the seamstress and your scent has changed from there to here." She smiled and patted Zora on the shoulder.
Zora suddenly felt a flare of suspicion. She whirled to see her men by the opening to the council hall. "You!"
She stalked toward them and to everyone's amusement, the general and captain began backing away. "You knew!"
"We weren't sure. I don't carry that test in my med kit. We were just guessing based on scent." Wayk stumbled and ended up on his ass.
She stopped in front of him and glared at her general who was hiding behind his friend. "Why didn't you mention your suspicion?"
"Well, it is very early days. If your cycle resumed it would miscarry and we wouldn't want to upset you." Wayk was trying to be logical but she wasn't in the mood.
Zora started stalking away and Carser tried to stop her. She paused. "What?"
"Where are you going?"
"I am walking home. Shisala can heal just about anything, I am pretty sure this baby is fine right where it is." She waved him off and started the long hike home.
The colonists she passed gave her a wide berth as she stomped toward her house, muttering the whole way.
There were no wolves this time, but two bears came galloping up to her and she snarled at them.
Wayk nudged her into getting on Carser's back. Still grumbling, she settled astride him and together they went home.
She might not be letting either of them into her bed that night. At least they were together. Her mad would fade, it always did, but for now, she couldn't believe that they had kept this from her.
She really hoped it was a little girl. She needed someone on her side.
Epilogue
"Here they come."
Their triad stood and watched the shuttle drop to the landing strip. Carser and Wayk were both fidgeting. It wasn't every day that their parents arrived on their new home world.
There was a crowd of Oefric waiting for loved ones to arrive. The town had done wonders in the last three months and it was time to fill the empty homes.
Her men were wearing their uniforms. Not the Oefric uniforms they used to wear, but the livery of the consorts of the avatar. Zora was wearing a matching gown that fell softly to the ground in swaying folds.
The shuttle finished its landing rituals and the door opened to disgorge a stream of eager colonists.
Wayk went on the alert as he spotted his parents and family. A moment later, Carser did the same.
As a group, they walked toward the incoming crowd and when their families saw them, there was an incoming rush that left Zora standing back and waiting.
Wayk recovered first. "Zora, this is my mother, Ahna, my father, Rikart, my sisters, Ren, Vish and Tala."
Zora shook each hand in turn, smiling as she met each one. "I see where you get your looks, Wayk."
His mother gave her a funny look, but she smiled. "I hear that you are the avatar of this planet. Does that mean I have no chance of grandchildren?"
The question was blunt. "I am currently pregnant, Ahna. Shisala loves the idea of babies and there is no doubt that if your son is willing, there will be children."
She turned to get a quick distraction. "Carser, introductions?"
He looked up in surprise and flushed. "Mother, Father, this is Zora, the avatar of Shisala, and my mate. Zora, this is Yilia and Morhart."
"Pleased to meet you." She extended her hand and Yilia's nostrils flared.
"You are pregnant?"
Zora scowled from Carser to Wayk. "Yes. About three months."
"You are not happy about it?" Yilia looked concerned.
"I am very happy about it, just not happy to be the last to know." She was back to
Zora's ass hit the floor with a thud. What?
The elders were hovering in concern. Vikar helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?"
"I am fine. I just got some information that surprised me."
The woman smiled. "Your pregnancy?"
Zora felt her mouth open in an unflattering way. "How could you know that?"
"We are Oefric. Our sense of smell is the keenest of our gifts. I carried your ship suit to the seamstress and your scent has changed from there to here." She smiled and patted Zora on the shoulder.
Zora suddenly felt a flare of suspicion. She whirled to see her men by the opening to the council hall. "You!"
She stalked toward them and to everyone's amusement, the general and captain began backing away. "You knew!"
"We weren't sure. I don't carry that test in my med kit. We were just guessing based on scent." Wayk stumbled and ended up on his ass.
She stopped in front of him and glared at her general who was hiding behind his friend. "Why didn't you mention your suspicion?"
"Well, it is very early days. If your cycle resumed it would miscarry and we wouldn't want to upset you." Wayk was trying to be logical but she wasn't in the mood.
Zora started stalking away and Carser tried to stop her. She paused. "What?"
"Where are you going?"
"I am walking home. Shisala can heal just about anything, I am pretty sure this baby is fine right where it is." She waved him off and started the long hike home.
The colonists she passed gave her a wide berth as she stomped toward her house, muttering the whole way.
There were no wolves this time, but two bears came galloping up to her and she snarled at them.
Wayk nudged her into getting on Carser's back. Still grumbling, she settled astride him and together they went home.
She might not be letting either of them into her bed that night. At least they were together. Her mad would fade, it always did, but for now, she couldn't believe that they had kept this from her.
She really hoped it was a little girl. She needed someone on her side.
Epilogue
"Here they come."
Their triad stood and watched the shuttle drop to the landing strip. Carser and Wayk were both fidgeting. It wasn't every day that their parents arrived on their new home world.
There was a crowd of Oefric waiting for loved ones to arrive. The town had done wonders in the last three months and it was time to fill the empty homes.
Her men were wearing their uniforms. Not the Oefric uniforms they used to wear, but the livery of the consorts of the avatar. Zora was wearing a matching gown that fell softly to the ground in swaying folds.
The shuttle finished its landing rituals and the door opened to disgorge a stream of eager colonists.
Wayk went on the alert as he spotted his parents and family. A moment later, Carser did the same.
As a group, they walked toward the incoming crowd and when their families saw them, there was an incoming rush that left Zora standing back and waiting.
Wayk recovered first. "Zora, this is my mother, Ahna, my father, Rikart, my sisters, Ren, Vish and Tala."
Zora shook each hand in turn, smiling as she met each one. "I see where you get your looks, Wayk."
His mother gave her a funny look, but she smiled. "I hear that you are the avatar of this planet. Does that mean I have no chance of grandchildren?"
The question was blunt. "I am currently pregnant, Ahna. Shisala loves the idea of babies and there is no doubt that if your son is willing, there will be children."
She turned to get a quick distraction. "Carser, introductions?"
He looked up in surprise and flushed. "Mother, Father, this is Zora, the avatar of Shisala, and my mate. Zora, this is Yilia and Morhart."
"Pleased to meet you." She extended her hand and Yilia's nostrils flared.
"You are pregnant?"
Zora scowled from Carser to Wayk. "Yes. About three months."
"You are not happy about it?" Yilia looked concerned.
"I am very happy about it, just not happy to be the last to know." She was back to
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