butchiesmom

Mara brings Eilia Home

“Here, Ainie, it’s yours take care of it!” Mara said. The sleepy femm looked at her mother. “What? What are you talking about Mam? What’s mine to take care of?”

Stupid femm! It should be obvious what I’m talking about! she spoke again, “The babe, you idiot! Can’t you see the babe here? Take it! I’ve been holding it for hours and I’m sick of it. It’s your problem now, take care of it!”

Sleepiness cast aside as Ainie’s sleepy eyes finally focused on the bundle in her mother’s arms, “Is it femm or male?”

“Femm. A hungry and soiled femm by the wetness of its wraps and my gown! Here, take it! I want nothing more to do with it.”

Mara’s disgust at the mess in the young femm’s wraps and her gown was obvious. She had walked home with the infant, seething over Keirn’s insults and his invoking the law forcing her to take care of Eilia. Only the demonstration of his power kept her from finding the nearest patrol and giving the femm to them. “How dare he do this to me!” she repeated constantly on the walk. Switching the femm from one arm to the other only increased her anger. “I am Midwife Mara. No one forces me to do anything I don’t want to do! Lady Brinn, she said. Not giving birth on the floor like a commoner, said she! King’s Grace! Who did she think she was? Lady Brinn my foot! She was no more a commoner than I am!”

She stumbled over a root, almost dropping the infant, in the dim light of the moon. “What was that Seeker talking about? What prophecy? Preordained? Who does he think he is and who in the world are you? Eilia, he said. ‘All will speak your name’ he said.”

Was it anger or frustration which drove her now? “Why didn’t she listen to me? Why did she have to be so rude? I am Midwife Mara not Femm Mara! The atmosphere of anger in that cottage wasn’t my fault! She started it not I! I would have Mae’s head on a tray right now if I could! I can not believe she said that to him! My fault she crossed in anger, indeed! I never!”

“What am I to do with you?” she said to the babe. “How do I explain you to the village? To the Council? To explain what happened and the law he invoked will ruin my reputation, my standing in the village! What say I now? Think, Mara! Think! Ah! I have it! A femm in an isolated cottage with no one to help her. A passing wanderer happens across her in pain and comes to me. I arrive just as the babe comes into the world and her femm crosses over. With no one to care for the babe I take her home, just as I did Ainie.”

“I’m the midwife. It has happened before in that same cottage. Since the cottage and the femm is no more, who will not believe me?” Convinced she had the story straight, she continued on to her home.

SarahNSH

Hey Gail!

I enjoyed reading this chapter that features Mara, which, like I told you before I can tell why she is a favorite character of yours. She is definitely that character you love to hate and that is not such an easy thing to do many times to make that kind of antagonist that you just despise. Alright, now, onto suggestions and what I thought of this chapter.

Okay, I only had one problem with reading through this chapter when I was first reading the beginning of it and this was what was "femm." But, as I continued to read on I realized that this was another way of calling her a girl but I was wondering at first what it might be.

And with this part right here:

Mara’s disgust at the mess in the young femm’s wraps and her gown was obvious. -

I'd suggest maybe removing this part, in my opinion and this is just my suggestion because I can definitely feel her disgust as she's talking to Ainie and can literally feel her distaste as she's trying to pass the girl away from her because of her being soiled by the child. This is really well-done and you just set up Mara and her character really well and this is another way of showing it to the reader.

She stumbled over a root, almost dropping the infant, in the dim light of the moon. “What was that Seeker talking about? What prophecy? Preordained? Who does he think he is and who in the world are you? Eilia, he said. ‘All will speak your name’ he said.-

This is too great, I love how you have her so flustered over what happened that she isn't even paying attention to where she's walking and though it probably isn't right to say that when the infant could have been dropped I just think that it explains even more her anger and displeasure with dealing with being forced to take care of the girl. Good job!

“I’m the midwife. It has happened before in that same cottage. Since the cottage and the femm is no more, who will not believe me?” Convinced she had the story straight, she continued on to her home.-

I like this how she comes upon her own conclusion and that she's so angry that she is talking to herself this entire time. I am wondering as I'm reading more is femm another name for a girl or is femm meant as something more a girl? Does it mean that she is a girl with magic maybe? Anywho, I enjoyed coming across this chapter and I really want to read more chapters and see more of her in it because she makes such an interesting antagonist to read.

Thank you for sharing and keep on writing away!