This story first appeared in "Soul Quest 2: Ties That Bind" published by DE Press.

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.

Many thanks to Lorraine Brevig for letting me use her art to illo this story.

Rating: NC-17 / FRAO

Warnings: MPREG AU with elves

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: The Amateur Radio call signs used in this story belong to my husband and myself.)

Comments welcome and appreciated!

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 cannot!"

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 undo 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 story arc concludes with Soul-Quest 9: Healing Ties