WG - Chapter2 - Baby Mine
1344 Words
“There you are you lazy turd” Junie screamed as Zinah entered the cottage
“I am sick and tired of you skipping out on your chores here to go and help Duskin. I know he letʻs you slack. Now get over here and start cleaning this filthy cottage. The dishes need washing, the floors need sweeping, the clothes need washing, the wood needs replenishing as well as cut and restocked in the woodpile outside!” Junie barked orders.
Zinah heads to do her chores while complaining under her breath. Junie hears her and whips her with a switch as she walks past. Zinah knows thatʻs gonna leave a scar like the many others sheʻs received over the years. Through all the beating sheʻs received, Zinah had no more tears to shed as she continues with her chores. By the time Zinah is done, itʻs late and she is exhausted.
Zinah heads to the nearby river to bathe all the exhaustion away and finds some shampoo ginger growing nearby and plucks a bulb. She squeezes it over her head as she starts to lather in the shampoo into her hair and her body. She breathes in the deep soft smell of the ginger while her teeth chatter from the icy cold water. It helps to numb the welts she received from Junie.
Zinah gets ready to leave the creek when she hears something nearby and freezes in her tracks. Her heart starts to pound as she stands completely still listening. Then she hears it again, this time louder and there is no mistaking the cries of a baby…
Zinah quietly walks along the river’s edge toward the sound and tries to listen for adults nearby but hears nothing. She approaches a small fork in the river and follows it to a small pool where the water had gathered. Zinah seeʻs the baby lying in a basket, swirling around in a circle from the current of the water.
Zinah approaches the baby and smiles, the baby at first was startled but soon smiled back and slowly reached out itʻs arms wanting to be carried. It was cold out and this child was swaddled in bloodied blankets. This alarmed Zinah and she quickly checked for any injuries but found none. This led Zinah to believe the blood was not the babyʻs. The baby was warm to the touch, unlike Zinah who was freezing. As Zinah unswaddled the child she realized it was a girl. She slowly washed the child and to Zinahʻs amazement the water in the pool became warm. Zinah grabbed another ginger bulb nearby and bathed the child washing away all the blood on her body. When done Zinah held the child close for warmth and soon the childʻs body heat enveloped Zinah and warmed her immediately. Zinah wrapped the bloodied swaddle in another fabric she had and headed back to camp with baby in tow.
“Thank you little one,” Zinah said with a smile and the babyʻs eyes began to droop and it drifted off to sleep
Zinah walked back to the camp and thankfully Junie was already asleep. Zinah took the child to her room, got it changed, and set up a makeshift bassinet from an oversized foraging basket before walking back out to the main room. She started preparing a bottle of goat’s milk like she does when watching Ogre babies from another camp nearby when Duskin came out of his room.
“I was beginning to wonder what happened to you,” Duskin said
“I had gone to the river to get myself cleaned up. Seems Junie felt the need to barrage me with chores when I came home” Zinah replied
“Can I show you something?” Zinah asked and Duskin nodded and followed her
I found it on the riverbank, itʻs a girl” Zinah said
Duskin’s eyes grew wide when he saw the baby. He couldnʻt believe what he was looking at.
“You found her?” Duskin asked
“Yup. She was floating in a basket in a wading pool right off the shore of the river. Isnʻt she beautiful Duskin? I named her Crimson due to the crimson hi-lites in her silver hair. Her eyes are silver with crimson as well” Zinah stated proudly
“Oh Zinah, You should not have given her a name before trying to find her parents or family. In doing so you have imprinted on her and she on you. She seeʻs you as her mother, that is until her true mother comes along” Duskin said matter of factly
“Thatʻs not going to happen Duskin,” Zinah said as she showed Duskin the swaddle that Crimson was wrapped in, it was soaked in blood.
Duskin quickly grabbed the swaddle out of Zinahʻs hands and threw it into the fireplace. The flames burned a dark crimson color while the tips were blue.
What the hell was that!?” Zinah asked concerned as she protectively shielded the child
“Do you know what she is?” Duskin asked and Zinah shook her head no
“Zinah, you have what is known as an Ifrit. Until today, I thought they were extinct. One has not been seen for centuries. Stories told of their kind are legendary. You need to keep her hidden. The Queen cannot find out about her. She will either surely kill her or use her powers to do terrible things” Duskin said in a hushed tone
Zinahʻs heart sank at the news of this child being in danger
“Duskin, I canʻt let anything happen to her. Iʻll leave if I have to just to protect her from the Queen” Zinah said
“That is an option Zinah, as much as I donʻt like it. But…there may be another” Duskin said with a faraway look in his eyes
“Really Duskin! Can you help her!” Zinah whispered loudly
“No my dear. Only you can help her. I know someone that could help, but you will be the one to have to ask for it. But I need to tell you Zinah, payment will be steep” Duskin said sadly and his reactions scared Zinah. She looked at the sleeping child then back to Duskin
“Tell me” Zinah said
“You and the child will need to make a journey East to Mount Yamnuska. It is flat-faced mountain with a traversed trail that leads to itʻs summit. Itʻs a far journey Zinah outside of the protection of our forest. You need to keep hidden, especially with the child. If word gets out that the child has been spotted, you will be hunted like an animal and the child taken. She harbors gifts that can be harnessed but will be made a servant for these gifts. At the summit of Mount Yamnuska, you will find a Witch by the name of Rissa. Tell her that I sent you and she will understand that you come asking a favor” Duskin said
“A Witch Duskin? I donʻt know about that. What if she takes the child for herself?” Zinah asks
“She will not touch the child. Witches and Sorcerers already have magic so they have no use for an Ifrit. Be very careful with Rissa, Zinah. Her words are like poetry, you need to read between the lines when she says things and especially when she asks for payment. Be mindful of that” Duskin says
“Journeyʻs, Witches, Poetry, Payment. I donʻt understand Duskin. What is it that I am asking Rissa to do?” Zinah said confused
“You will be asking her to conceal the child’s identity,” Duskin said
- Writer
