As the warrior leads me to my patient, I start asking a set of questions to ascertain any issues that may come up during the delivery.
"I can only assume that the woman is a shifter, but what kind of shifter?"
"She actually wasn't born a shifter but was changed by her mate when he claimed her. Her original species was Anuki. We are Belani shifters." He replies as he assists me over a fallen branch in the path.
"Can you tell me anything about the birth of the first child?"
"Unfortunately, no. She had the child before she met her mate. She has said in the past that her daughter would be around twenty-five years old now. She also says that if it wasn't for the circumstances where she was living at the time of the mating, she would have gone back to retrieve her daughter. Her mate has tried in the past to at least get more information from her, but she has refused to go into further detail." He replies as we round a bend and come to a circle of wagons with campfire dotted here and there. The smell of cooking food made me yearn for the tender meat, but my patient must come first.
It perks my interest that we were the same race at one point. I know that when a mate is changed, they still retain the abilities such as healing and such, even after the transformation. The tale of the woman's story also makes me think that it is a coincidence, but also what were the odds that this could be my missing mother. Nevertheless, I must treat all of my patients the same.
We come up to a wagon with a man making a rut in the ground as I can hear painful grunts from inside the wagon. The man looks up with a look of relief.
"Thank the goddess that you were nearby, Healer. My mate may be Anuki, but her abilities usually do not work on herself, only others."
"That is common enough." I reply. "May I know the name of my patient?"
"Her name is Francine. She said that she did not have this much difficulty with her first child."
"Every birth is different." I reply with misgivings. What were the chances that this woman also had the same name as that of my mother. Still, it could not be her. I request clean cloth and warm water be prepared. I also request that when my wagon shows up, to have it pulled up beside the wagon so I could have it within easy reach for anything I might need.
"Also, please let lose my steed so he may continue to graze nearby. He never goes very far from the wagon and is always ready to go at dawn." I say as I enter the wagon that holds my patient. The wagon is brightly lit with lanterns hanging from the rafters of the wagon. The items in the wagon are neatly organized with the space in the middle cleared for a bed. That is where I find my patient.
"Hello, Francine. My name is Clara, and I will be helping you bring your child into the universe." I said, giving her my nickname. I kneel next to her, "May I examine you and see how far along you are?"
"I have a daughter that would go by the name of Clara among her friends." The woman looks me in the eye and gasps. "Clarissa?!" She asks questioningly with tears in her eyes.
My eyes become bleary with unshed tears as I recognize my mother laying there in labor. "Yes mama."
"Oh my. Look at you all grown up. But what are you doing all the way out here away from the fortaleza?" She asks while trying to sit up.
I calm her down and get her back into a reclining position. "I will answer your questions after you have my baby brother or sister in your arms, Mama. But I will tell you now that I left of my own accord and my own choice to improve my own healing skills. They were not left without able help. Now let's get started."
After several hours of pushing and panting, my mother gave birth to a little boy who let the world know he was there with a loud wail. I could hear loud cheers from outside the wagon as I cleaned him up and placed him in mother's arms. I then examined mother and made sure that the placenta was whole. It would not do for her to risk an infection.
"Thank the goddess you are here, Clara. I have missed you so much over the last few years." Mother said as her mate came into the wagon to meet his newborn son.
"Clara? Do you mean that she is the daughter that you left behind?" He asked with a gruff voice.
"Yes, my maritus." Mother said with tears in her eyes. "Clara this is my mate, Gerald. That last healing run, he caught my scent and claimed me. I didn't want to risk the fortaleza so I told him that I was a roamer. I knew you would be safe with the tribu."
Gerald pulled me in for a long hug saying "Francine has told me all about you! It feels that I have always known you. I am sorry that we couldn't come back for you."
"I understand. When we investigated why mother had disappeared, we came to the conclusion that she had been claimed by a shifter group that was reported to be in the area. We weren't sure what group of shifters it was, but we knew that they would not hurt her. We went with the assumption that she was a mate to one of them."
"So why are you not still at the fortaleza, Clara?" Mother asked.
"Emily found her mate and he took up residence at the fortaleza. They now have more healers than ever." I replied. "Emily is actually expecting her first child, and I am on my way to be there for the birth per her request. So I wish I can continue with you but I cannot dally much if I am to get there in time."
"What planet are they on and we will accompany you." Gerald says with the air of command.
"Camasi." Mother and I say at the same time, smiling at each other.
"Unfortunately, the group of you would only slow me down." I say. "She is due at the end of next month. But I can hang out with you for a couple of days before I must be on my way."
Mother had the look of disappointment but I knew that she understood.