Pinja hunched up her shoulders, sure that Aalyssa was angry with her. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to apologize for. I am just sitting here feeling sorry for myself."

"You were almost killed." Pinja said, curling into herself.

Aalyssa nodded. It had indeed been a close one. She had actually been waiting for the executioners axe to come down on her neck when Wulfsen and his men had managed to secure her freedom.

Pinja felt a pang of nausea. She closed her eyes.

Aalyssa rubbed her neck, as if she was making certain her head was still indeed attached.

Pinja carefully stood up. "I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"I think there's a bucket over there. I had hoped you had passed that."

Pinja hurried to the bucket to throw up. After she recovered she had a drink of water and tottered back over.

"I'm able to keep some food down... but it's still bad." She admitted.

"Hopefully it will ease up as you are further along," Aalyssa replied.

Pinja shrugged. "I can't wait for it to be over."

"I know."

Pinja closed her eyes. The thought of going into labor scared her too.

Aalyssa closed her eyes also, losing herself in a memory of a happier time. Oh how she wished that Konner had survived and that the resistance had him in safety. She wrapped her arms around herself.

Pinja had been told all sorts of horror stories about the terrible ways women died in childbirth. She shook.

"Are you all right, Pinja?"

I'm scarred and pregnant and probably won't survive this....

"Yes." Pinja lied.

Aalyssa was skeptical, but knew better than to press Pinja for the truth.

"You have two daughters?" Pinja asked.

"I do. Kayleigh and Rhiannon. They are both married with families of their own now."

"Do elves ever die in childbirth?" Pinja asked.

The question surprised Aalyssa. "Very rarely. Usually because the birth is not taking place in a good environment."

"Sometimes humans do." Pinja said.

"Yes, sadly they do. More often than not, though, it's due to something having been wrong with the mother and no one knew. Or sometimes the circumstances or an injury."

Pinja shivered.