**Morning, day 3**

*Xanthia*



Xanthia groaned as she sat up in bed, first rubbing her aching back, then 

her turgid belly. She noted how tightly stretched the skin was, so taught 

that there was a slight sheen. Looking at her ample abdomen were some 

object from the heavens, she traced the pale brown line which now ran down 

her midsection, noting how her belly button had inverted from it's normal 

form and now poked outward defiantly.



<Quit contemplating your navel and let's get on with the day!> Maxima prodded.



<It won't be long now, Maxi,> Xanthia reflected.



<Goodness, I sure hope not! I need a good feed!>



<Surely you don't mean to eat my baby!> Xanthia gasped, clutching her arms 

about herself protectively.



<Baby??? I thought you meant it wouldn't be long til we get out of here and 

get a start to the day! I'm hungry!> Maxima roared with draconic laughter.



<You mean? I'm sorry Maxi, I misunderstood...> Xanthia colored with 

embarrassment as she shuffled over to the wardrobe to search out clothes. 

<I should have known you could never harm a baby...>



<Mutual misunderstanding,> Maxima corrected, accepting part of the blame, 

<we were both thinking of our bellies only, just in different ways...>



***



Xanthia wandered into the dining hall and mutely set about selecting her 

breakfast, not really giving her selections much thought.



"Good morning, Xanthia!" Latnem greeted her brightly.



"Oh... Hello..." Xanthia yawned.



"Did you not sleep well?" The mind healer frowned.



Xanthia shrugged. "I'm just tired..." she replied with another yawn.



"Maybe you should have Th'rin check you out."



Xanthia cast him a glare that told him she was in no mood to discuss it. 

"Damn dragon got me up way too early... " She grumblingly explained.



Latnem was about to reply when a loud voice drew his attention to the front 

of the dining hall.



"Good MORNING, HAR'SON!  Sleep WELL, Last night?  MY, Did WE FORGET 

someTHING this Morning?" J'red's voice boomed.



Both healer and mind healer stood agape at the sight they saw. There stood 

Har'son, wearing only his under pants.



"What on earth???" Xanthia mused aloud... "Latnem, I think you should go 

see if Har'son is in his right mind!"



Latnem nodded and started walking toward the pair. Life was certainly 

different at the warren, Latnem decided.



[[NRPG: Tag Arlene, Darren!]]



As Xanthia finished gathering her tray and heading toward the table she 

couldn't help but giggle at the sight that had just unfolded before her.



<Be good!> she mentally chastised herself as she set the tray on the 

nearest vacant table and began tucking into her breakfast. She fought to 

smooth the smirk which threatened to erupt into laughter, trying to think 

only serious thoughts and concentrate on the food before her.



After a couple more bites she couldn't help but glance on over, and again 

she began giggling with a gleeful high pitch as she glanced once more 

toward Har'son. She tried again to still her mirth, taking a sip of orange 

juice. But the redhead erupted with laughter anew, spraying orange juice 

everywhere as the giggles gripped her. Tears sprang to her eyes and her 

belly bounced as a giggles turned to chuckles, which then became great 

guffaws of uncontrollable glee.



[[NRPG: Tag anyone???]]



***

Xanthia was still smiling to herself over Har'son's unique dining hall 

entrance when she and Th'rin entered the room of the Marrid rider.



"Oh shit." Muttered Tel'thar, grabbing a pillow of the bed and trying to 

cover himself.



"Don't worry it's nothing I haven't seen before," said Xanthia, and Th'rin 

chuckled.



<At least *he* tried to cover up!> Xanthia smirked.



<Behave!> Maxima cautioned.



"Fair enough," said Tel'thar, dropping the pillow and picking up his tunic 

and pulling it on quickly, causing him to wince in pain again. He sat on 

the bed and pulled on his breaches and boots.



"Are you sure you are up to this?" asked Th'rin.



Xanthia shook her head. She didn't approve, but she'd learned that often 

you had to settle for close to healed when it came to stubborn 

dragonriders. She'd just been through similar when she went to examine 

'Tonio that very morning. In a way the landbound in Tilharnon were so much 

easier to treat, they were more likely to relax into being a compliant 

patient.



"Oh I'll take it easy, just a half hour sword practice, maybe a jog round 

the warren, a dozen or so sit ups and press ups." Smiled Tel'thar. Th'rin 

frowned, and this time Xanthia chuckled.



For the first time, she caught the sarcasm in the comment, and it hit her 

funny. She caught a look from Th'rin and attempted to smooth her face into 

serenity as she wondered what was with her this morning. She wasn't usually 

prone to outbursts of laughter.



She glanced down at her belly as the baby gave a kick. <Perhaps it's 

hormonal?> she wondered.



"Now who wants to show me around, I feel like some fresh air."



"I was about to go and give some vaccinations. If you don't mind, we can do 

both your tour and the vaccinations at the same time," Xanthia volunteered.



"Are you sure?" Th'rin asked.



"Yes. It'll save me a trip later."



"I don't want either of you overdoing it!" Th'rin cautioned.



[[NRPG: Tag James]]



***



*Latnem*



The mind healer walked through the garden, enjoying the relative cool of 

the morning, when his eyes fell on the form of the new female queenrider, 

busily weeding.



"Looks like no one has tended to this in ages," she muttered.



"Xanthia tends to the garden regularly," Latnem smiled, garnering a look of 

disbelief in response.



"Of course," he added, "she really hasn't been back that long."



He wandered over and knelt beside her. "Remember me? You're not going to 

hit me this time, are you?" He teased.



[[Tag Bets!]]



**Middle of the afternoon**

*Xanthia*



"What is this???" Xanthia demanded, finding herself cornered in an exam 

room with Th'rin, Latnem, Corra, and Merissa.



"You are overdue for a checkup, and I'm concerned," Th'rin stated.



"We *all* are concerned," Latnem stressed, with a purposeful glance toward 

Merissa. Indeed, the tension in the room was palpable.



"What is she doing here anyhow?" Xanthia asked out of honest curiosity, 

though it sounded horribly rude.



"Oh for pity's sake girl!" Corra shot back after some uncomfortable looks 

exchanged between Latnem, Th'rin, and Merissa, each waiting for the other 

to explain. "She's his mate and it's his baby. She has every bit as much 

right to be here as I do! Now up on the table with ye!"



There was no arguing with the older woman. Since her remarkable recovery 

from the mercury poisoning, she was back to her old crotchety but loveable 

self.



Latnem couldn't help but admire Corra's direct approach to handling Xanthia 

as he watched his patient slide up onto the examining table and begin to 

change into an exam gown.



***



"Your ankles are swollen." Th'rin commented as he began his examination.



"Yours would be, too, if you were carrying an extra two stone around all 

day every day." Xanthia grumbled.



"Ha ha! She's got you there, lad!" Corra cackled.



"Hush, I'm trying to listen!" Th'rin said as he listened to her chest. "Any 

history of heart murmurs?"



"Not that I know of... Why..." Xanthia asked.



"Making sure history doesn't repeat..." Th'rin replied softly.



"Well?" Xanthia asked when he was done with his examination and writing 

down his findings.



"I want you off work immediately."



"What???" Xanthia shrieked.



"Xanthia, you are due any time now, and I really feel it's best if you take 

some time off before hand. It's what most women do." Th'rin explained.



"I'm not 'most women'!!!" The redhead protested.



"Aye, that you're not!" Corra agreed. "But we want the best for you *and* 

this baby, and if that means resting for you, so be it."



"I've got to get out of here..." Xanthia fumed as she started pulling her 

clothes back on.



"Where are you going?" Latnem asked.



"Out of here, out of the warren... Just for a while." Xanthia looked at him 

with wild, pleading eyes.



"But where? We need to know if something happens."



"I... I... I want to go gather some wild herbs."



"Okay, I don't see a problem with that. You can't go alone, though." Latnem 

said.



"Take Merissa with you. And you might want to take the new junior 

queenrider, Arri, with you too. Seems she's also a healer and she knows her 

herbs as well." Latnem said, ignoring the looks he was getting not just 

Xanthia but also Merissa and Th'rin.



"I think that's a fine idea!" Corra agreed. "Make sure to stop at the 

dining hall and take some sandwiches with you."



"Come on Xanthia,' A'rillia will meet us at the dining hall," Merissa said, 

after having Chrysthal contact Daetyn.



[[Tag Arlene and Bets! Kris, any reactions after they leave?]]



***

**Evening, somewhere in a wildflower field outside Whiteriver Warren**



It had been a busy afternoon of herb gathering and discussing herb lore and 

medical uses. In fact, Xanthia found that despite her initial discomfort 

with the situation, she was actually enjoying herself.



"I'm stuffed!" Xanthia announced after half a sandwich.



"You didn't eat much!" Arri commented. "You look a little gray... Are you 

feeling okay?"



"I'm fine. My stomach just hurts." Xanthia reached around and rubbed her 

back, "and my back."



"You're back, too???" Arri asked.



"Yeah... It comes in waves..." Xanthia said.



A'rillia and Merissa glanced at each other, as the same thought crossed 

their minds. "Up you go!" Arri said, offering Xanthia a hand up. "Let's get 

back to the warren."



"Oh no!" Xanthia pouted as she began to stand, letting herself fall back to 

the ground...



"What is it?" Merissa asked.



"I just wet myself..." Xanthia hid her face in shame.



"I don't think so..." Arri said. "More likely your water broke."



"Broke?" Xanthia asked, even though she'd delivered many a baby in her 

young life, somehow being pregnant herself was quite different and she 

suddenly felt quite naive. Suddenly a strong contraction grabbed her and 

she curled up in a ball with a whimper. This was the worst pain she'd felt 

all afternoon.



"Breath, dear," Arri instructed.



"Here?" Merissa blinked. "We've got to hurry back to the warren!"



"Let's see how far along things are first before we go a'dragonback," 

A'rillia advised. "Now lay down, Xanthia, and let's have a look."



"Well?" Xanthia asked after a few minutes.



"Merissa, I'll need your help. Here's what I need you to do... " Arri 

listed off some instructions as she rubbed Xanthia's belly during another 

contraction. "This baby has decided here and now is the time and place to 

be born."



"Where's Th'rin! I want Th'rin!" Xanthia cried. "Merissa!" Xanthia held out 

a hand to the warrenlady and looked to her with panic in her eyes. "Stay 

here with me. I don't want to die... Not like Aradia!"



****

NRPG: Tag Bets and Arlene! Arlene, are our two girls going to do some 

female bonding here?



Respectfully Submitted by,



Morgan