A Broken Fate

She leans against Gorlim and Maglor, closing her eyes as she pants. It takes a few moments to catch her breath -- and she would have taken longer, but another forceful contraction came upon her and her need to push increased.

It was a terrible pressure upon her body, and her mind was already fuzzy. She felt the spirit of the child clawing to get out, for him to be born and free and separate.

Nerdanel pushes, bearing down through the contraction; it passes after what feels like forever and she collapses back against her sons again, taking the brief moment of peace to rest, despite the burning pressure on her lower body.

From:

Asar-Suti had seen Maglor run to get Guppy - that could only mean one thing!

So he had abandoned his book by the fireplace and gone to Gil in the kitchen, to tell him about it, and then proceeded to worry and wibble.

So it was Gil's suggestion, just to give them something to contribute, to go up with a big just of cool herbal tea for everybody involved; nobody would realise how thirsty they were, and people would be grateful at some stage.

So Asar-Suti went ahead to open the doors while Gil carried the heavy tray with the jug; the purple deity stuck his head in first, then opened a door to let the faun through.

From:

"Hey there," Gil said stepping through the door. He was in human form today, neatly shirted and trousered, not wishing to shed on the baby - if it had arrived yet.

Spring moults were the pits.

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Sweaty, half-dressed, Nerdanel looks up.

"Gil. Sooty," she says a bit breathlessly.

Another wave of contraction and pushing (there is something to be said about having many children -- modesty goes out the window) passes before she sighs and lays heavily on Maglor.

"I wondered if you would come," she murmurs, almost slurring with fatigue.

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Asar-Suti hadn't been present at something like this before; but he reminded himself that he was a god, and nothing human (or elvish) should be alien to him. If he wanted to be with the people he regarded as 'his' all the way.

So he went to Nerdanel's side, and squeezed her hand, trying to keep out of the way of people that were actually doing something. And making sure he didn't look at what Guppy was dealing with - Nerdanel probably didn't want everybody looking at that.

"How is Feahelce coming along?" he asked.

From:

namo

Námo sifts so Asar-Suti and Gil can come to Nerdanel's side, but hovers nearby.

Though he isn't sure why it is so important for him to remain -- he just knows deep down it is.

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She blinks tiredly at Sooty.

"He's... coming. It's taking a little bit of time, but he's coming. Soon now." She smiles, the expression hopeful and excited, even if the exhaustion tries to dampen it.

Then she turns her eyes to Gil, sharing that smile with him.

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"Hey Red," Gil says with a smile. "Nice to see you, though frankly I've seen you looking better. I've brought drinks for everyone - nice and cool - and I'll keep Lofty company while you lot do all the work."

He tilted his head. "Wow - looks like he's on the way. Carry on, you're doing fine."

From:

gorlim.livejournal.com

Gorlim smiles brightly at Gil and Sooty, giving a little wave. He's still sitting at his Nana's side.

"Bless you both for that," he says, nodding to the tea. "Nana, can I get you to try some?"

He pokes at Namo through the bond.

From:

namo

Faint? I would never faint.

Though there is a small waver of worry and dizziness through their bond.

Can I change my mind about this now, dove?

He pulled Nerdanel's long copper hair back from her face, binding it in some ribbon to keep the sticky tresses out of her way.

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Nerdanel refrains from asking Gil if he would think it was really 'fine' if he were trying to pass a watermelon from his rectum.

Instead, she smiles, shaking her head at Gorlim. "I think if I ingested anything at the moment, someone would be wearing it immediately after." She sighs, then whimpers when she needs to push again. Gripping Sooty's and Gorlim's hands, she bears down, trying not to sob.

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guppy_sandhu

Guppy looks up and nods to Asar-Suti and Gil as they come in, then focuses back to the job in hand.

"You're doing fantastic Nerdanel, the whole head is out now."

He checks quickly that the cord is not around the baby's neck, gently cleaning its eyes, nose and mouth. He checks its upper air passages are clear.

"Two more should do it." He says, giving her an encouraging smile.

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2nd-feanorian.livejournal.com

Maglor held on to his mother, supporting her, holding her by the shoulders.

Willing this to be over.

It wasn't supposed to be like this for an elf woman. He thought of his grandmother Miriel, whom he had never known, and feared.

And suppressed his fear, as the slightest hint of that wasn't going to help.

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Holding on to all those around her, Nerdanel pushed as hard as she could, determined to have this over with. Three days was more than her body, her mind, and her spirit could take. She wanted this done!

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Asar-Suti felt he determination in the way her hand pressed on his, so he pressed back, encouraging her as well as he could.

This was strange.

But he was a god, he reminded himself.

He looked at Gil and smiled, a bit insecurely.

From:

Gil busied himself pouring glasses of the herb tea. Okay so he was a bit nervous too but this wasn't Red's first baby so presumably she knew what she was doing and when she'd done it everyone was going to be thirsty.

However he did take a moment to glance at Sooty and raised a hand to touch the stone hanging around his neck.

From:

guppy_sandhu

"Okay, here we go! He's out Nerdanel."

He gently lifts the baby onto Nerdanel as he comes, then wraps him in a towel. He smiles a little with relief when the baby cries.

"Welcome to the world little one." he says with a grin, handing him to Nerdanel as he delivers the placenta. The cord is clamped and cut.

"Congratulations. How are you feeling?" he asks Nerdanel, shooting a glance at Námo to see if the new father is still upright.

From:

namo

Námo stares with wide, wide eyes at the tiny child held against Nerdanel's chest as the Elf cries and laughs at the same time.

And he thinks he forgets to breathe and he reaches around her and Maglor to grip Gorlim's hand with a tight, tight grip.

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She stares down into eyes that are luminous sapphires. Eyes of his father. Tiny fuzzy whisps of copper were on top of the screeching child's head. She saw them both in the tiny face, and she held him tightly.

"Feaho," she says thickly, kissing his head. "Dear child. Oh, you are here." Nerdanel laughs again, resting heavily against Maglor, holding his newest brother. "Feaho."

She was sleepy. Very, very sleepy. Still holding him, she closes her eyes, her head lolling and her arms still cradling him, and slips finally into sleep.

From:

2nd-feanorian.livejournal.com

When his younger brothers were born, Maglor was far too young to be let anywhere near the room where these mysterious things happened.

So he was totally unprepared for the emotion that suddenly grabbed him - and found himself shedding some tears into his mother's hair. Through his blurred eyes, he saw the tiny red-haired person, a face that nobody had seen before, ultrasound pictures nonwithstanding. Tiny feet that had never touched the ground, tiny hands that as yet had held on to nothing.

Then, he very gently got up from the bed, leaving her in Gorlim's and Mandos' arms, and stretched.

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Gil watched Sooty holding REd and grinned then nudged the young elf and offered him a glass of the herb tea.

"There you go," he said. "Get that down you. It'll make you feel better."

From:

gorlim.livejournal.com

Gorlim gives Maglor's shoulder a quick squeeze before he gets up, then ALL his attention is on Nerdanel and the infant.

"He's beautiful, Nana," Gorlim breathes, his voice thick as his own eyes shine silver. "Namo. Look. Your son."

He reaches to lightly stroke the child's cheek.

"Our son. Hello, Gabriel."

From:

namo

Námo swallows, remembering to breathe, and reaches with a trembling hand to touch their son.

"He is... beautiful... so... perfect. Nerdanel--"

He stops, frowning, and looks to the copper-haired Elf.

"Nerdanel?" Her eyes closed, her breathing even... it looked as if she merely slept... but Elves didn't sleep with their eyes closed. "Nerdanel? Guppy, something is wrong. Gorlim, please take Gabriel from her. Nerdanel!"

From:

gorlim.livejournal.com

Gorlim quickly gathers the infant into his arms, and stands up and away from Nerdanel. It's an automatic motion. He's seen enough mothers die in childbirth to know what to do. He holds the child to his chest and goes to stand next to Maglor, so that the brothers may be near each other, also.

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