Harmonizer's Evolution (Balancer's Soul cycle) (19 page)

Sarah
heard Connor chuckling. “
That will be alright.” T
hen he spoke evenly to a different person. “Sorono, when do you wish to head out?”

“As soon as possible.”

By the time he said that
Sarah’s meal
became deceased
and she
headed outside. I
t was chilly
, but there wasn’t any
cutting
wind so it was bearable.
She
looked
straight ahead and saw that
her
mate’s dark form stood with his back to
her
. Sorono and Veronica st
ood side by side while making Sarah’s
tank of a husband look like a
mere
child’s toy.

“Go on ahead!”
She
shouted over to everyone.
Sarah
then saw Shannon stick her small and round head out from behind her mother’s robe. “It will b
e girl time from here on out.” She
then looked over to Veronica. “I have already informed everyone that it will be our time today so it will only be the female species coming over here. No men allowed.”

Veronica grinned and looked to Sorono playfully.
“That means you had better leave as soon as possible. Kara informed me about this kind of gathering. Apparently if a male shows up during the
female gathering
time, we
bind them and put
vibrant and colorful
paints all over their bodies
to
feminize them.”

Sorono wasn’t sure if she was playing, but he didn’t
dare
take the chance. His expression turned
downward and his scaly brow came together into
worr
y
.
“Connor, can we leave now. I don’t want to chance it.”

Sarah’s
mate laughed silently, but he turned around and walked passed
her
, but
he did
wink
in passing
. Connor entered the house while
they
waited
together
outside. Shannon
began attempting to climb
down and Veronica helped her daughter to the grou
nd. Then Shannon walked up to Sarah
again and asked
“May I feel your tummy again?”

It was a simple request and
easily
granted.

A minute later Connor came out
of their
home
w
earing
Tool
hung off
his right hip and the polished steel shone in the morning light. Then in his left hand was a
cube of steel that he was barely able to hold in the palm of his lef
t hand. He walked right up to her
and Shannon. He lifted up the reflective cube and asked “Sorono, is this large enough for whatever purpose you need.”

The Head Elder of the Keepers dropped down on one knee and looked closely at the metal.
“Yes, it shall do nicely.”
He then stood back up and looked at his mate.
“We shall return later this afternoon. Paint isn’t my idea of masculinity.”

“Be safe, Princess.”

Sarah
could feel energy being gathered within the two
powerful
Harmonizers and soon they used Pressure to fly into the air. They flew side b
y side while heading westward. She
guessed they were going to the field
for privacy
.

“Sarah,”
her
attention turned down towards Shannon.
“do you have any food. I’m a little hungry.
Father found a deer last night, but it wasn’t enough for all
three
of us.”

A look of
shocked
humiliation flared in Veronica’s features. Before any chastising could occur
,
Sarah
patted the smooth and scaly head of Shannon. “A single deer? It isn’t your father’s fault.” Her small brow came together. “During the winter
s,
many hunters come up around here to get deer. In many places there
is
very little
game
to begin with, but in a few mor
e months there will most likely be more game
available.
Usually in spring many babies are born to repopulate those that were hunted or died during these long wintery months.” She
then looked up to Veronica
casually
. “From now on
,
don’t hesitate to ask for our help.
If you need more food than you find out here, we can go to a butcher
’
s and
purchase
anything you might require.”

“We couldn’t impose on you any more than we already have.”

“Nonsense!” Veronica looked abashed. “We owe you and Sorono more than just a simple meal
or two
. Don’t forget how indebted we are. Sorono afforded to feed us during last year
’
s party for all those months
while asking for nothing in return,
and that’s not to mention how much I owe you.” Now Veronica’s scaly features were overly confused. “When Connor brought a halt to the meeting and fought those guards…you saved my mate from killing those Immortal Guard Keepers and your actions brought the danger he faced down to zero. Like I said, just ask.
It’s that simple.
A good host takes care of their guests.”

She looked away and showed her shy side. Connor won’t allow her to show such weakness. She learned her lesson and
had
waited for him to leave.
“If you really feel that way, I’ll take you up on your offer
.”

Sarah
smiled and then peered at Shannon. “Come inside and help me make you and your mom something
special to eat. Take my hand.” She
let out
her
left hand and Shannon didn’t understand because she sniffed the back of
the
hand. “Hold my hand with yours.”

“Oh,”
Shannon finally figured how to wrap her
warm
hand with
Sarah’s. They
then walked together into the cottage and Veronica followed
as best she could
.
Shannon
turned out to be
a great helper as she held all the meat
they
had stored in the refrigerator while
Sarah
grabbed all the loaves of bread.
Veronica then began watching them
through the open door as
Sarah
showed Shannon how to cook
on a stove
.

Soon after Shannon was full and Veronica ate
what her daughter couldn’t.

Around ten in the morning Vero
nica and
Sarah
were sitting around the
fire
,
outside again. Shannon ate a little too much and was curled into a ball and sleeping
soundly
on her mother’s lap.

All the
other
girls arrived together
. Everyone was silent and looked reasonably the same except for Kara. She was wearing normal clothes. She wore a tight pink top and jeans.
Sarah
guessed she wasn’t as susceptibl
e to the cold like the rest of them
were.
Kara
was the first to notice Shannon’s sleeping form. She then actually spoke in a whisper. “Shh, the little one is asleep.”

Then all who arrived went inside and grabbed their chairs.

Shannon finally awoke an hour later and soon
realized that she
had been transferred and
slept
on Kara’s lap. And soon they
went back to a subject that couldn’t be avoided
, Sarah’s
pregnancy
. This time it was Veronica’s inquisitive nature.
“Sarah, I’ve never had the opportunity to ask this question
before
, but what is it like to have a child growing inside you. I’ve only known how it felt to take care of my children. Shannon was inside me for about three weeks until I had her egg.”

Sarah’s hands went down to her
covered belly and began rubbing
tenderly. Then she
felt one of them kick and a smile spread across
her
face. “It is an experience that is hard to put into just simple words. There are so many emotions and feelings it gives me. Your honest feelings don’t become too real until you feel the first kick. It is scary in a way because your life isn’t
just
yours anymore, it belongs to the life that is struggling for survival. And then there is the happiness as they are
the
proof
and product
of love. They were conceived when
the
love for my mate was absolute and they
are the confirmation from the joining of our lives. Like I said
it’s
difficult.”

Before Veronica could respond to
such an
answer, Shannon asked
“If you carry your young, how much bigger will your tummy get?”

Kara grinned and stated “If she gets any bigger she’ll pop like a zit.”

Sarah
eyes zeroed in on Kara. “Thanks for that vivid mental image you gave us!”
she
chastised annoyingly.

“How do they come out?”
Shannon asked innocently while sitting comfortably on Kara’s lap because she didn’t understand
the terminology of
what
Sarah’s
sister-in-law said.

With Veronica’s permission, Jenny explained just how a baby is born.
Sarah would
bet if a Keeper could blush, Shannon would be fire-engine red
about now
.

During the explanation Sarah sensed Connor’s energy, but the amount he used w
ent
beyond anything she ever sensed before for the distance that separated them was several miles. Veronica sensed it too, but her knowing smile eased Sarah’s worry that something
had happened
.

About an hour later
Sarah
felt that
her bladder was full. She stood up and tried waddling her
way to the cottage, but something
suddenly felt strange. She
wondered what it was that was off
,
and then there was
a lot of
wetness trailing down her
leg.
Then a sharp pain rushed through her.

“UM,
JENNY
!
M
OTHER
!” Sarah’s
eyes widened as she
looked to them sitting to
her
left.
T
heir conversation
cut
short
.

Jillian
looked at
her
and spoke in
a
confused
tone
. “What’s wrong, Sarah?
”

Sarah’s eyes widened as she
finally choked out. “The…twins won’t arrive in a few weeks.” Everyone
grew
silent and looking at her
strangely. “They are coming right
now
!”

Jenny was the first to r
eact. She looked down between her
daughter-in-law’s
legs and
t
he nursing side
of her
kicked in. “Jillian, Sarah’s water has just broken. We need to get her in the house right now!”

After all the preparation, it was time.

After leaving Sarah in the care of Veronica and the innocently inquisitive Shannon, it felt good to fly once again. Sorono and
Connor
flew just above the treetops so as not t
o be easily seen. While flying he
didn’t put up a pressure shield and
that
allowed the wind to kiss
and caress
his
face. It was cool out, but
the early spring didn’t phase the
flight. The wind mussed
his
hair, but it was worth it. The air
remained
crisp
but hinted that
the very first signs
of
winter was
slowly coming to an end. They
had gotten lucky
this year
and
the thaw had finally arrived. Connor
had gotten worried because Sarah hasn’t liked the cold very much, even if she has seen over three hundred winters and
he’s
only seen twenty one. It didn’t matter
because
the slow flight was perfect.