born but would surely not live to see grown.
His knowledge of prenatal care was rudimentary, but he had used standard spells from his combat repertoire to immunize her, his other wives, and everyone else who would sit still long enough against all diseases and parasites that the soldiers of his time had been subject to. Hopefully, that would provide a significant general health improvement and contribute to a healthy pregnancy. He had also insisted that all of the warrior women vary their diets from the standard horse/chicken/goat-flesh/milk, dipping into one of the caches of gold that he had long ago secreted along the edge of the Waste to send with the tribe's traders to purchase vegetables and fruits from the outer farms of the Ice River Valley. Other than that, he could perform minor first aid procedures with his portable instruments, but the vast majority of the medical magics that might possibly be needed at a childbirth could only be accessed using the installations of the bunker. Because of the distance that must be traveled on foot across the accursed desert, he considered the bunker for all practical intents and purposes inaccessible. He certainly never expected to see it again.
"We will be ready to go after you have eaten, husband."
Llylquaendt sighed. "I traveled the world alone for nigh on eighty years, altogether, but now you deem me incapable of walking a hundred yards through the camp by myself?"
"Of course not, husband. Now, sit by the fire with Beasl and Kylii while we prepare your meal."
With another sigh, he acceded to the inevitable and sat on the bench. The two women crowded close, wrapping him in their arms to share their warmth. Beasl, whose familiar name meant Smiles at Death , began to rub his gnarled hands to warm them. Kylii -- Two Knives To The Heart -- produced a comb and dealt with his sole remaining vanity, his hair and beard.
When finally the women determined that he was properly fed and his appearance deemed suitable for public consideration, they accompanied him through the cantonment to the tents of The One Who Sees. Very few people were about this morning. The Gheddessii had no problem with sleeping in on cold days. They also planned to march to their spring cantonment in the high pastures without stopping along the way, a journey of at least four days, and were taking it easy before the taxing ordeal.
The Gheddessii seer's portable dwelling, secured for the winter in one of the stone-walled corrals, though a bit larger than the average, was not more finely furnished or outfitted than any of the adjacent ones. As far as the Gheddessii were concerned, wealth could only be measured in livestock and descendants.
The One Who Sees -- he had no given name, only the hereditary designation -- had certainly done what he could to insure the second, with his six sons and four daughters and all their associated children and spousal kin living together in a much extended household. The elder two, a daughter and a son, stood outside the entrance flap of the tent, waiting.
"Greetings, Magic Father," the daughter whose name Llylquaendt could not recall said, opening the flap. "The One Who Sees has been expecting you."
It was impossible to surprise a family who practiced foresight.
Llylquaendt had been able to convince only his wives to call him by his real name, and that only in the privacy of their own tent. There had been some slight solace in the discovery that the slightly crude Imperial phrase "Magic Maker" had been a mistranslation.
His wives and the siblings followed him inside, but all took places on the rug-strewn floor a polite distance from the warm circle of candle light that surrounded The One Who Sees. Among the Gheddessii, only the very old used stools. In general, they lounged upon cushions and rugs, as the seer did now.
Seating himself slowly to avoid any strain to his back, Llylquaendt took his accustomed place on a pile of
His knowledge of prenatal care was rudimentary, but he had used standard spells from his combat repertoire to immunize her, his other wives, and everyone else who would sit still long enough against all diseases and parasites that the soldiers of his time had been subject to. Hopefully, that would provide a significant general health improvement and contribute to a healthy pregnancy. He had also insisted that all of the warrior women vary their diets from the standard horse/chicken/goat-flesh/milk, dipping into one of the caches of gold that he had long ago secreted along the edge of the Waste to send with the tribe's traders to purchase vegetables and fruits from the outer farms of the Ice River Valley. Other than that, he could perform minor first aid procedures with his portable instruments, but the vast majority of the medical magics that might possibly be needed at a childbirth could only be accessed using the installations of the bunker. Because of the distance that must be traveled on foot across the accursed desert, he considered the bunker for all practical intents and purposes inaccessible. He certainly never expected to see it again.
"We will be ready to go after you have eaten, husband."
Llylquaendt sighed. "I traveled the world alone for nigh on eighty years, altogether, but now you deem me incapable of walking a hundred yards through the camp by myself?"
"Of course not, husband. Now, sit by the fire with Beasl and Kylii while we prepare your meal."
With another sigh, he acceded to the inevitable and sat on the bench. The two women crowded close, wrapping him in their arms to share their warmth. Beasl, whose familiar name meant Smiles at Death , began to rub his gnarled hands to warm them. Kylii -- Two Knives To The Heart -- produced a comb and dealt with his sole remaining vanity, his hair and beard.
When finally the women determined that he was properly fed and his appearance deemed suitable for public consideration, they accompanied him through the cantonment to the tents of The One Who Sees. Very few people were about this morning. The Gheddessii had no problem with sleeping in on cold days. They also planned to march to their spring cantonment in the high pastures without stopping along the way, a journey of at least four days, and were taking it easy before the taxing ordeal.
The Gheddessii seer's portable dwelling, secured for the winter in one of the stone-walled corrals, though a bit larger than the average, was not more finely furnished or outfitted than any of the adjacent ones. As far as the Gheddessii were concerned, wealth could only be measured in livestock and descendants.
The One Who Sees -- he had no given name, only the hereditary designation -- had certainly done what he could to insure the second, with his six sons and four daughters and all their associated children and spousal kin living together in a much extended household. The elder two, a daughter and a son, stood outside the entrance flap of the tent, waiting.
"Greetings, Magic Father," the daughter whose name Llylquaendt could not recall said, opening the flap. "The One Who Sees has been expecting you."
It was impossible to surprise a family who practiced foresight.
Llylquaendt had been able to convince only his wives to call him by his real name, and that only in the privacy of their own tent. There had been some slight solace in the discovery that the slightly crude Imperial phrase "Magic Maker" had been a mistranslation.
His wives and the siblings followed him inside, but all took places on the rug-strewn floor a polite distance from the warm circle of candle light that surrounded The One Who Sees. Among the Gheddessii, only the very old used stools. In general, they lounged upon cushions and rugs, as the seer did now.
Seating himself slowly to avoid any strain to his back, Llylquaendt took his accustomed place on a pile of
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