Chapter Nineteen
Malgkir
Paloda smoothed her dress over her distended belly with damp palms as she paced. The air of her guest hut was filled with the pungent scent of herbs. Water bubbled softly over the fire in the corner of the room where Iadrawyn and Andirlynia spoke to each other in hushed Elvish voices.
“Here,” Andirlynia said in Common. She approached Paloda with a steaming mug. The scent made the dwarven woman’s nose tingle. “Drink this. It will help with the pain.”
Paloda accepted the mug with a nod of thanks. She gave the contents a cautious sip. The steeped herbs were warm but not hot enough to burn her mouth. They tasted strongly of honey, but there was an astringent aftertaste that made her wince. Andirlynia nodded in approval as she steeled herself to gulp the rest down.
