you think? Or will our children be alone?”
“If they cannot have local mates, I am sure that we can press the great ship into service once again.” He finished stirring the stew and settled next to her.
“Cierra, stop worrying about children who have not yet been born. Sebach seems to want to help us, and my folk have learned their lesson when it comes to dealing with the Avatar. If she orders them to take our kin to mate, they will.”
She leaned against him, and he took her in his arms, cuddling her with one hand on her belly.
“It sounds so romantic. I suppose you are right. By the way, Sebach is returning. We might want to get dressed.” She smiled and kissed him quickly.
When the Avatar returned, the food was ready and they were dressed. It was the start of a strange arrangement, and Cierra enjoyed it. She had always wanted a sister.
Chapter Nine
When the three months was up, they were wearing N’ga formalwear that Sebach had brought out of storage, and they flew to the colony with the Avatar holding their hands.
Cierra had never felt so queasy with just a bit of air travel.
They hadn’t sent the retrieval ship. Sebach had told them it wasn’t necessary. Cierra could only imagine how shocked the colonists had been to find out that the Avatar was still alive, sort of.
When they landed, Ahket took her protectively and wrapped his arm around her as they approached the large gathering of the women and men of the N’ga-Sebach.
Sapya gave them each a hug and smiled at how healthy and strong they seemed.
“She needs to be strong. She is carrying my next Avatar.” Sebach smiled tightly, informing everyone that Cierra was pregnant.
Urion’s mother and father stepped forward and embraced him before they turned to her. “Welcome, daughter. Sebach has told us that you have chosen our son and you will take him without dowry.”
Cierra blinked. “I hadn’t thought of it like that. I already have him. That is for sure.”
A woman in the back gasped in horror.
Cierra looked toward the woman who had tried to put dibs on Urion. “Isn’t it wonderful that, through Sebach’s efforts, he and I found each other?”
The woman looked from her to the Avatar, and Sebach was bristling with power. She backed down immediately.
Urion grinned down at Cierra, and she slid her arm around his back.
His mother whispered, “Son, are you sure that the child is yours?”
Cierra blinked at that one.
“I was her first, Mother, so, yes. She was not pregnant in the scans done on the ship. Now she is.”
His mother held up her hands. “I just wanted to make sure, son. Her ways might not be our ways.”
The sky opened, and a gentle rain came down, dampening everyone. They moved the discussion underground, and Sebach took control of the meeting, negotiating a return to the great cities now that she had removed the disguise from their minds.
Cierra tried to get used to living in the colony, she really did, but with every passing week, she grew more and more unhappy.
Urion came into their quarters one night, and he wrapped his arms around her. “What is it?”
“I really don’t like it here. They are always touching me, caressing my hair, and they won’t let me do anything. I am not wounded, I am just pregnant. It will pass. I just need to get into a schedule, and I am not even allowed to do that.” She grumbled and tears came to her eyes.
He stroked her back. “I have a solution. You might actually enjoy it.”
She sniffled and looked up. “What?”
“Sebach has offered us the use of her city and tower as long as we wish it. The colony has been looking for a new base to keep the majority of their shuttles, so the city is the best place for them. We can live there and call for a medic when the baby comes.”
“You wouldn’t mind living there with me?”
He smiled. “This time, we would have all the comforts of home and you would be able to assist us in our trade endeavours via com link. I
“If they cannot have local mates, I am sure that we can press the great ship into service once again.” He finished stirring the stew and settled next to her.
“Cierra, stop worrying about children who have not yet been born. Sebach seems to want to help us, and my folk have learned their lesson when it comes to dealing with the Avatar. If she orders them to take our kin to mate, they will.”
She leaned against him, and he took her in his arms, cuddling her with one hand on her belly.
“It sounds so romantic. I suppose you are right. By the way, Sebach is returning. We might want to get dressed.” She smiled and kissed him quickly.
When the Avatar returned, the food was ready and they were dressed. It was the start of a strange arrangement, and Cierra enjoyed it. She had always wanted a sister.
Chapter Nine
When the three months was up, they were wearing N’ga formalwear that Sebach had brought out of storage, and they flew to the colony with the Avatar holding their hands.
Cierra had never felt so queasy with just a bit of air travel.
They hadn’t sent the retrieval ship. Sebach had told them it wasn’t necessary. Cierra could only imagine how shocked the colonists had been to find out that the Avatar was still alive, sort of.
When they landed, Ahket took her protectively and wrapped his arm around her as they approached the large gathering of the women and men of the N’ga-Sebach.
Sapya gave them each a hug and smiled at how healthy and strong they seemed.
“She needs to be strong. She is carrying my next Avatar.” Sebach smiled tightly, informing everyone that Cierra was pregnant.
Urion’s mother and father stepped forward and embraced him before they turned to her. “Welcome, daughter. Sebach has told us that you have chosen our son and you will take him without dowry.”
Cierra blinked. “I hadn’t thought of it like that. I already have him. That is for sure.”
A woman in the back gasped in horror.
Cierra looked toward the woman who had tried to put dibs on Urion. “Isn’t it wonderful that, through Sebach’s efforts, he and I found each other?”
The woman looked from her to the Avatar, and Sebach was bristling with power. She backed down immediately.
Urion grinned down at Cierra, and she slid her arm around his back.
His mother whispered, “Son, are you sure that the child is yours?”
Cierra blinked at that one.
“I was her first, Mother, so, yes. She was not pregnant in the scans done on the ship. Now she is.”
His mother held up her hands. “I just wanted to make sure, son. Her ways might not be our ways.”
The sky opened, and a gentle rain came down, dampening everyone. They moved the discussion underground, and Sebach took control of the meeting, negotiating a return to the great cities now that she had removed the disguise from their minds.
Cierra tried to get used to living in the colony, she really did, but with every passing week, she grew more and more unhappy.
Urion came into their quarters one night, and he wrapped his arms around her. “What is it?”
“I really don’t like it here. They are always touching me, caressing my hair, and they won’t let me do anything. I am not wounded, I am just pregnant. It will pass. I just need to get into a schedule, and I am not even allowed to do that.” She grumbled and tears came to her eyes.
He stroked her back. “I have a solution. You might actually enjoy it.”
She sniffled and looked up. “What?”
“Sebach has offered us the use of her city and tower as long as we wish it. The colony has been looking for a new base to keep the majority of their shuttles, so the city is the best place for them. We can live there and call for a medic when the baby comes.”
“You wouldn’t mind living there with me?”
He smiled. “This time, we would have all the comforts of home and you would be able to assist us in our trade endeavours via com link. I
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