A New Life

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 10th May 2011

Characters: Famell, Irabel
Description: Famel and Irabel witness the birth of Kerchek's and Frili's calf.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 2, day 2 of Turn 6

Irabel knocked on the door and once given permission, she opened it
but just poked her head through it. Her eyes were wide and sparkling
and there was a broad smile no her face. Even though she wasn't
really moving much, there was a sense of energy about her, a happy
tension in her body, the way she leaned, the hold upon the handle of
the door. "Master, Frili's in labour." The smile broadened at the
mere mention of it. "I thought you might like to know."

Famell had looked up when the door opened. Irabel's words brought a
smile quickly to his face. "Is she here then?" He asked, turning,
ready and eager to join the others as they celebrated a new life.
Famell felt especially connected to this one as he had just recently
helped Frili through an illness and he'd been anxious to make sure her
calf was born healthy.

"She is." Irabel nodded and motioned for Famell to follow her before
turning and making her way quickly down the hall. There was another
reason she had sought out Famell. Frili was still young - no longer a
calf, but had gotten pregnant as soon as she had barely entered
adulthood. She and Kerchek were mates and...well, it still made Irabel
nervous,
especially when one of her favourite dolphins had died two turns
prior, young, and pregnant, complications in the labour. "She's
swimming around and chatting away."

Famell grinned excitedly but felt his heart pound at the same time.
"Let's go." He followed Irabel, hoping that everything would go well
with the birthing.

Irabel had to admit she felt a little better knowing Famell would be there
and she picked up her pace. Frili was in the birthing pool, swimming around
and chittering, Kercheck with her and chattering right back at her. She
rolled over once as she swam, but didn't stop even though Irabel and the
Master entered. "Hey girl." Irabel called, slipping easily into the water.

Famell quickly joined them in the water, nodding and greeting both dolphins.
"And how are you Frili?" He asked as he reached out a hand to caress her
snout.

"Time. Babee. Come." The dolphin sounded gleeful and swam around them.
Famell grinned. "Aye, yes. Your baby comes." He looked up and noticed other
dolphins swimming not far from the birthing pool.

"Tafa?" He called out, wondering if his own partner was among them. She was
one of the better midwives. Two dolphins swam forward.

"Fameel." Tafa clicked happily, jumping up to gaze at him."Tafa miss you."

"I miss you too, Tafa. Will you assist us? This is Frili's first." Famell
reached out and scratched his dolphin partner.

"Tafa and Bla help Frili," she responded, slipping back under water and
swimming towards the youngest dolphin. Famell turned toward Irabel. "They
really are some of the best midwives in this pod. They'll help her and we'll
be here if anything else goes wrong."

Irabel nodded and pretty much stood back. Frili allowed a little
scritching, but she was soon moving again. The journeywoman crossed
her arms over her chest, eyes following the movements of the younger
dolphin - her partner's mate. She wasn't sure how close the dolphin
was to actually giving birth - after all, this wasn't her specialty.
Kerchek remained with Frili rather than hovering near his partner,
clicking whistling and encouraging her in general.

"How long does this usually take? A normal birth I mean?" The last
one had taken a very long time and had wound up requiring specialised
care. Famell hadn't been there, he'd been called away from the Hall.
She couldn't help but think if he _had_ things would have gone
differently. She was glad he was there now.

"It can very from dolphin to dolphin. It also depends on whether she
came here early in her labor or if she's already been in labor for
awhile."

"Babee come soon." Frili called out as she swam past. She'd already
begun swimming in the circles that were common when dolphins were
giving birth.

"I think it might be sooner rather than later from how Frili is
acting." He grinned, eager to be here for the birth of a new calf. Not
all the dolphins came into the Hall's birthing pools so he'd not
witnessed nearly as many dolphin births as he would have liked. There
was something amazingly breathtaking about a birth, be it dolphin or
human. It was a true joy to witness such an event.

Irabel had a sense of that same joy, but it was tempered by the concern she
still felt. She lowered into the water at the edge where it was still
fairly shallow, her chin just above the water. Her gaze never wavered from
Frili, going around and around and around in those circles. "She does seem
to be getting there." Bell commented though she really didn't know, just
merely picked up on the cues from the dolpin. Of course, she could be
interpreting them wrong.

There was a flash of something just beneath the surface. Irabel slipped
below the water, peering at the dolphin as she went by from that point of
view. She popped up, her eyes bright. "I think I see a tail!"

Famell grinned from where he waited in the water. "Then it's nearly time for
sure," he replied, just as eager as she was to be a witness to this birth.

Irabel couldn't help herself. She ducked under the water time and
time again, peering and spying. It seemed to take forever. How much
time had truly passed? She couldn't be sure and she was far too busy
paying attention to Frili and her progress to check. Her excitement
grew and what seemed like turn later but was probably only moments,
more of the tail appeared. Then the body and suddenly, a smaller
version of a combination between Kerchek and Frili was thrust out into
the water.

"The baby's here!" Irabel cried, jumping up in her excitement, then
going back down and looking under the water at the new baby. She
watched as the little thing swam easily with his or her mother,
drawing into the current created by the older dolphin.

Famell had been watching the water as well, but from above. He could
make out enough of what was happening to know where the dolphin was in
her labors. When the water changed colors he held his breath, knowing
the calf had been born. He waited, watching and hopeful until he saw
the newborn calf emerge above water. He let out the breath he'd been
holding the moment he saw the calf was alive and swimming besides the
mother.

"Amazing," he murmured, simply watching mother and calf as they swam
side by side, Frili guiding the newborn to the surface with her and
alongside her using the instincts only dolphins shared. He wondered
what the calf's name was, but for now, he didn't wish to interrupt
these first breathtaking moments. It reminded him in so many ways of
how he'd felt when his own daughter was born. New life had a way of
making him feel a bit choked up inside.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Irabel let her hand rest upon Famell's arm but
her eyes followed every single move mother and calf made. She had
been so worried, but that was slowly slipping away each time the two
passed by her. Frili was doing well and Kerchek remained near by,
clicking softly to his mate and his new child. She too wanted to go
and see, get a closer look, but like Famell, she did not wish to
disturb. The mother and calf were bonding and she wouldn't interrupt
that. "I suppose we should let them be." Now that the birth was
over, everything seemed fine.

"Aye, we probably should." He looked back again, and felt his heart go
out to the little family. Suddenly he had a desire to seek out Famynta
and pull her into an embrace. He could still recall with vivid detail
the first time he'd held her in his arms. Feeling a bit choked up at
the thought he nodded towards Irabel then took her hand and led them
both out of the water.

"Witnessing a birth is truly one of the greatest gifts I think we've
ever been given. New life." He looked wistfully back towards the water
before turning and smiling towards the journeywoman dolphineer.

Irabel allowed Famell to guide her out of the pool with a soft sigh.
Sometimes she wished she could live in the water like the dolphins
did. "Yes, it is." She'd never been witness to a human birth, but
the dolphin births fascinated every time she saw one - which hadn't
been all _that_ often, but it was amazing every single time. "I
wonder what it's like." She mused softly as the two drew onto dry
land. "To have a baby."

"It's a truly breathtaking experience," Famell replied wistfully, "and
I wasn't even the one _having_ the babe at the time." He grinned at
her. "But I have to admit there were times during Famynta's birth
where I almost felt like I _was_ the one actually giving birth." He
chuckled. "I'm sure my wife would put me in my place now if she was
still here. Have you thought of having children of your own?"

"Really?" Irabel laughed. It was hard to imagine, but she supposed
that she could see what he meant. Not quite the same, though. "I
have." She nodded as she addressed his second question. She'd
thought about it more than people probably realised. "I just haven't
met anyone that I felt like would be a good life partner." Oh she'd
had interests, but either they weren't returned or she found out
pretty quickly things just weren't going to work. "Maybe some day."
Though she didn't have _that_ much longer.

"Someday," he repeated. "And if that doesn't work out we'll always
have the dolphins." He smiled at her, knowing, in some small way how
she felt. He'd been lucky to have a love in his life, but since her
passing, he'd not really had any desire to find someone else to share
his life with.

"Yes. And I'm lucky to have them." Irabel agreed, turning her gaze
back in the direction they had just come. She wasn't pining over a
lack of a love life. She had a full life, even if she didn't have a
man as a part of it. She didn't _need_ a man. It would be nice, but
it wasn't necessary. "I guess I should probably get back to taking
care of some things. I have some maps I want to check out. I'll come
back and check on Frili later."

Last updated on the May 16th 2011

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A New Life