Myshuno! 2012 - piece 14
Title: Haste
Prompt: Riding bareback/Sending for a midwife. (holleyb76/silverbelle1220)
Rating: U.
Spoiler rating: 6/10.
Summary: A first time father's frantic flight through the night.
Notes: So, the actual in game footage of this has been posted in a picspam, but this is how I see generation six making it's appearance in the story.
Word Count: 1,077.
“Ezra.”
His wife’s voice was soft when she uttered his name, but Ezra had always been a light sleeper, and besides there was an undercurrent of emotion that would have penetrated even the deepest of sleep. He opened his eyes and looked over at her side of the bed. She had lit the candle on the table and was sitting up, her hands tightly clutching the blanket that was wrapped round her swollen midriff, and her breathing faster than usual. He bolted upright. “What is wrong?”
“I need the midwife. The baby is coming,” she replied.
Ezra swore under his breath. He knew he should never have allowed the midwife to leave. Despite her assurances that the baby was most definitely not going to make an appearance that evening, and that Bethany was being unduly worried because it was her first child, if his Bethy said that the labour pains were starting, then, as far as he was concerned, they were starting and the midwife should do what he was bally well paying her for and stay for as long as it took for his first born to arrive. He was about to say as such to his wife, when she screwed her eyes tight shut, and gripped the blanket even tighter. Immediately, Ezra put his arms around her shoulders and held her as the labour pain racked her body. Once the contraction had subsided, and her breathing had slowed somewhat, she looked at him. “Get the midwife.” He smoothed her sweat slicked hair back from her forehead and gave her a tender kiss. “Of course. I will send in Besse before I go.” He was surprised at how calm his voice sounded, when he was quaking inside. He gave her one last kiss and was nearly at the door when she spoke again. “Ezra…”
He stopped with his hand on the door handle. “I will not be long. I promise.”
She shook her head. “It is not that. You may wish to put on some clothes before you wake our maid and head to Ilkford. It would not do to scandalise the household and village.”
Ezra looked down. He was naked as a babe. He swore again as he dashed to the chair by the fire where he had tossed his clothes before climbing into bed the night before. He quickly shrugged on his shirt, and clambered into his trousers, before stuffing his feet into his boots, sans socks. He made no effort to tuck his long shirt into his trousers as he grabbed his jacket and headed to the door. Once there, he hesitated and looked back at his wife. Bethany was looking at him, her eyes wide with worry and fear. His heart thumping he made his way back to her and took her face in his hands. He tenderly pressed his lips to hers. “I will be back with the midwife before you know it.”
“I know,” replied Bethany in a small voice.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” With one final kiss, he hurried out the door to their bedchamber.
Only a few minutes later, Ezra was opening the heavy door to the carriage house, having woken Besse and, as a consequence of his loudness, Mrs Poulter, the cook and sent them to his wife’s side. The horses inside snorted and shifted as he hung the lantern in his hand from a nail and unhooked a bridle from the rack. His favourite chestnut stallion looked at him with interest when he stopped in front of the stall and led him out into the centre of the carriage house. The horse bowed his head obediently as Ezra placed the bridle on him, cursing as his normally nimble fingers fumbled with the familiar buckles. He was about to fetch a saddle, when he fancied he heard his wife’s cries from the house. With barely a thought, he heaved himself up onto the back of the stallion and shook the reins. The horse flew out of the carriage house, his hooves kicking up gravel as Ezra directed him down the drive, towards the lane.
The wind whipped through Ezra’s hair as he rode through Regalton, passing the farm on its outskirts, the row of shops his wife’s grandfather had purchased, her uncle’s house, the common, until finally, he was out of the village, heading up Cucumber Hill and the road to Ilkford.
The horse’s flanks were fair steaming by the time they came to a halt outside the midwife’s cottage. Ezra slipped off his back and ran up the little path to the front door, where he started to hammer on it, relentlessly.
After an eternity, the door opened to reveal the midwife standing there, a shawl wrapped tightly about her shoulders. “Mr Howard!”
“You must come at once. Bethany has started.”
She fixed him with a shrewd look. “Is she certain this time? I will not waste my time on continually running to her for every little ache or pain.”
Ezra’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Yes she is certain, just as she was certain her pains were starting earlier this evening. Our baby will be born tonight, and you are going to come with me to make sure it arrives safely, and that my wife is well.”
The midwife crossed her arms and looked at him for a long moment. Eventually she said “wait here,” and slammed the door in his face. Ezra paced up and down in front of the cottage for what felt like an age before she reappeared, dressed and with a large bag in her hand. “Let us be going then. I see you did not bring a carriage.”
Ezra blinked at her. “No, there was no time. I have only a horse.”
The midwife grunted. “Then I suppose I shall have to ride with you, or walk.”
“You can ride with me.”
The midwife nodded and stepped over to the horse. She went to mount the horse, but stopped short as she approached. “I cannot ride this beast. It has no saddle. I will walk.”
Ezra looked from her to the horse as the last of his patience dissolved. The midwife gave a cry as he bodily picked her up and threw her onto the horse’s back, before leaping up himself. He pointed the horse in the direction of Regalton and Dargent House II before he urged it into a trot, then a gallop, as the midwife cursed him.
Prompt: Riding bareback/Sending for a midwife. (holleyb76/silverbelle1220)
Rating: U.
Spoiler rating: 6/10.
Summary: A first time father's frantic flight through the night.
Notes: So, the actual in game footage of this has been posted in a picspam, but this is how I see generation six making it's appearance in the story.
Word Count: 1,077.
“Ezra.”
His wife’s voice was soft when she uttered his name, but Ezra had always been a light sleeper, and besides there was an undercurrent of emotion that would have penetrated even the deepest of sleep. He opened his eyes and looked over at her side of the bed. She had lit the candle on the table and was sitting up, her hands tightly clutching the blanket that was wrapped round her swollen midriff, and her breathing faster than usual. He bolted upright. “What is wrong?”
“I need the midwife. The baby is coming,” she replied.
Ezra swore under his breath. He knew he should never have allowed the midwife to leave. Despite her assurances that the baby was most definitely not going to make an appearance that evening, and that Bethany was being unduly worried because it was her first child, if his Bethy said that the labour pains were starting, then, as far as he was concerned, they were starting and the midwife should do what he was bally well paying her for and stay for as long as it took for his first born to arrive. He was about to say as such to his wife, when she screwed her eyes tight shut, and gripped the blanket even tighter. Immediately, Ezra put his arms around her shoulders and held her as the labour pain racked her body. Once the contraction had subsided, and her breathing had slowed somewhat, she looked at him. “Get the midwife.” He smoothed her sweat slicked hair back from her forehead and gave her a tender kiss. “Of course. I will send in Besse before I go.” He was surprised at how calm his voice sounded, when he was quaking inside. He gave her one last kiss and was nearly at the door when she spoke again. “Ezra…”
He stopped with his hand on the door handle. “I will not be long. I promise.”
She shook her head. “It is not that. You may wish to put on some clothes before you wake our maid and head to Ilkford. It would not do to scandalise the household and village.”
Ezra looked down. He was naked as a babe. He swore again as he dashed to the chair by the fire where he had tossed his clothes before climbing into bed the night before. He quickly shrugged on his shirt, and clambered into his trousers, before stuffing his feet into his boots, sans socks. He made no effort to tuck his long shirt into his trousers as he grabbed his jacket and headed to the door. Once there, he hesitated and looked back at his wife. Bethany was looking at him, her eyes wide with worry and fear. His heart thumping he made his way back to her and took her face in his hands. He tenderly pressed his lips to hers. “I will be back with the midwife before you know it.”
“I know,” replied Bethany in a small voice.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” With one final kiss, he hurried out the door to their bedchamber.
Only a few minutes later, Ezra was opening the heavy door to the carriage house, having woken Besse and, as a consequence of his loudness, Mrs Poulter, the cook and sent them to his wife’s side. The horses inside snorted and shifted as he hung the lantern in his hand from a nail and unhooked a bridle from the rack. His favourite chestnut stallion looked at him with interest when he stopped in front of the stall and led him out into the centre of the carriage house. The horse bowed his head obediently as Ezra placed the bridle on him, cursing as his normally nimble fingers fumbled with the familiar buckles. He was about to fetch a saddle, when he fancied he heard his wife’s cries from the house. With barely a thought, he heaved himself up onto the back of the stallion and shook the reins. The horse flew out of the carriage house, his hooves kicking up gravel as Ezra directed him down the drive, towards the lane.
The wind whipped through Ezra’s hair as he rode through Regalton, passing the farm on its outskirts, the row of shops his wife’s grandfather had purchased, her uncle’s house, the common, until finally, he was out of the village, heading up Cucumber Hill and the road to Ilkford.
The horse’s flanks were fair steaming by the time they came to a halt outside the midwife’s cottage. Ezra slipped off his back and ran up the little path to the front door, where he started to hammer on it, relentlessly.
After an eternity, the door opened to reveal the midwife standing there, a shawl wrapped tightly about her shoulders. “Mr Howard!”
“You must come at once. Bethany has started.”
She fixed him with a shrewd look. “Is she certain this time? I will not waste my time on continually running to her for every little ache or pain.”
Ezra’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Yes she is certain, just as she was certain her pains were starting earlier this evening. Our baby will be born tonight, and you are going to come with me to make sure it arrives safely, and that my wife is well.”
The midwife crossed her arms and looked at him for a long moment. Eventually she said “wait here,” and slammed the door in his face. Ezra paced up and down in front of the cottage for what felt like an age before she reappeared, dressed and with a large bag in her hand. “Let us be going then. I see you did not bring a carriage.”
Ezra blinked at her. “No, there was no time. I have only a horse.”
The midwife grunted. “Then I suppose I shall have to ride with you, or walk.”
“You can ride with me.”
The midwife nodded and stepped over to the horse. She went to mount the horse, but stopped short as she approached. “I cannot ride this beast. It has no saddle. I will walk.”
Ezra looked from her to the horse as the last of his patience dissolved. The midwife gave a cry as he bodily picked her up and threw her onto the horse’s back, before leaping up himself. He pointed the horse in the direction of Regalton and Dargent House II before he urged it into a trot, then a gallop, as the midwife cursed him.