“Revna, Runa, girls wake up.” Cuyler Edman, usually so soft spoken around his girls, had an edge of urgency and demand to his voice. It got both Revna and Runa’s immediate attention. “Da?” they questioned in unison. Cuyler turned away as a low pained moan came from the other room. “Go get your Aunt Trine. Hurry and put your coat on, it’s cold.” The girls got up looking scared at the sounds their mother was making from the other room. Cuyler’s face broke out into a huge grin. “It’s alright girls. The baby is coming, now hurry.”

The prospect of their baby brother or sister arriving was enough to jolt them into moving. Wrapping blankets around themselves they hurried out of the house and across the square. This far north, on the banks of the North Sea it was cold in the middle of October at night, though the days were still bright and crisp. They hurried past Uncle Oddvar’s forge, that was still warm but they hurried past to bang on the heavy wooden door of the nearest house. A very tall very large man opened the door, their father, well their father’s twin. “Girls what....”

“THEY BABY’S COMING THE BABY’S COMING THE BABY’S COMING!” Oddvar couldn’t help but laugh as the two six year old twins bounced up and down on the balls of their feet in their excitement. Aunt Trine, a no-nonsense blonde hair woman came to the door, bag in hand and tossing a shall over her shoulders, kissed Oddvar’s cheek, patted the girls on the head and stepped outside. “Of course it is and you two are gong to wake the entire clan in your excitement.” Then she hurried away back toward their house. Aunt Trine was their doctor.

“Alright Helka, up you get. If you want to go to the hospital we’ve got to get moving.” Helka grunted and struggled to stand up. Cuyler wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her, “Cuyler! Get. Your. Hands. Off. Of. Me! This is…” Helka gritted her teeth refusing to yell and then panted out “your…fault!” Cuyler grinned over Helka’s shoulder at his sister-in-law. “Yes dear, it’s all my fault, so please let me help where I can.” Then things went to warp speed. Helka’s water broke and the contractions turned to an irrisistable compulsion to push. There was panic in Helka’s voice, “I’m not gonna make it to the shuttle. Cuyler…? The transporter?”

Trina tsk’d and shook her head, “No transporters aren’t safe for women in labor. Cuyler pick her up and carry her to the shuttle. Unless you want to get back in bed Helka?”

“No! I want a hospital!” Cuyler bent slightly, sliding his arm behind her knees and shoulders and then lifted her, and moved with a speed suprising for a man his size. Oddvar, was already moving in front of him to get the door open.

Trine shook her head and whispered in the pilot’s ear, “Hurry up.” She glanced at Cuyler and shook her head. They weren’t going to make it to the hospital. Cuyler was sitting on the floor of the shuttle, letting Helka rest back against him. Trine opened her bag and gave Helka a hypo that would help with the pain. “Helka, you need to push. This baby isn’t waiting for us. Impatient, wants things on its terms.” Helka grabbed hold of Cuyler’s hands. She did not want to have the baby in a shuttle! She wanted a hosptial with all technology and medicines and a slew of doctors.

“Once more Helka, push…good…good…no stop. Cuyler hold her still, Helka don’t push anymore.” Cuyler’s gaze snapped to Trine, “What’s wrong?” Trine was busy and didn’t answer him right away. “The umbilical cord, it’s twisted and knotted. Not around the neck, but I need to get it loose first.” A minute later, “Ah…alright there we go little one,” Trine glanced up at Helka, “One more.”

Trine held the small baby girl in her hands and a scream of rage and protest issued forth before she could even clear the airway herself. Trine grinned, “She doesn’t like being cold, do you little one?” Cuyler was over the moon, another daughter. Trine handed Helka the small squirming bundle, head full of white blonde hair and blue eyes like the hottest fire.

Helka was still exhausted, there had been complications post delivery. Helka did not want to miss the rite and so Culyer lifted her into his arms and carried her from the house out to the chair near the bonfire. Renva carried the tiny squirming bundle of her baby sister, very proud of herself. Runa was already outside waiting with old Gothi. After her da settled her mother into the chair he reached over and took the small seemingly sleeping bundle from Revna. The baby began to scream her protest, she liked her big sister. Cuyler laughed, “Fire and ice this one, Helka. She has an opinion about everything.” Helka smiled and reached over to run her finger and tap the babies nose.

Gothi, the wise woman of the village, smiled as she walked over to them. She wasn’t old yet, but settled into her place and now had her own apprentice, Runa. This was the first time Runa would help her. She stood between Cuyler and Helka’s chairs and turned to look at the gathered village. “Mother of the most ancient times, bless this blissful child, conceived and birthed in love. Grant her thine own strength, thy power and thy eternal magic.”

Then she picked up Ragna towards the stars, placed her in a small Moses basket on the ground. “Blessed Mother Frigga, bless and protect this tiny one, who is loved so deeply by us. Give thy warmth and thy love, and be with her always. Hail Frigga! Wise Allfather, bless and protect this tiny one, who is loved so deeply by us. Give thy wisdom and victory over all, and be with her always. Hail Odin! Strong and hearty Thor, guard this tiny one, who is loved so deeply by us. Give thy protection and thy strength, and be with her always. Hail Thor!”

She picked Ragna up, handing her to her father who held her closely to his heart as Ragna screamed at being moved about and distrubed endlessly. Cuyler warped his free arm around Hulka encircling them all in his embrace. Gothi returned with Runa who was holding one small mobile in hand. A tradition of their village, a rune with the symbol for each of their gods hanging from it, each a different color, muted in the dark but lit by the fire. Runa dangled it over Ragna’s head who stared, as any infant at the different dancing colors. One small hand reached out to grab the stones and then wailed and flailed, fussing in frustration because they were too far away. “Bring it closer Runa, she can only reach so far,” Gothi guided Runa to bring the mobile within reach. One tiny hand flashed out, refusing to be denied her prize, grasping the rune for the goddess Idun. Gothi smiled a warm loved filled smile at her and placed her hand over Runa’s on the babe’s forehead.

“Tonight we welcome the next generation of our village. Even though mankind has reached beyond the stars, has met new species and found the worlds our ancestors had no inclination of ever reaching, we are still here, and we still believe, give credit to, the old ways.” There were chuckles and laughter, smiles and knowing winks all around. “Tonight we welcome Ragna Idun Edman to our family, we will protect her, teach her, watch her grow, but more importantly love her.”

The festivities were not long. Hulka was exhausted, and though only 5 days old the small new born refused to sleep. There was much going on and she wanted to see it all. Tired, hungry, over stimulated the baby was, every knew person who came to see her, was given her opinion loudly and fiercely.

Ragna