31

Dante and Gaia left the territory for their quest in the predawn hour of a brisk morning. Their Betas drove them to the airport, dropping them off on the tarmac by the private plane.

Their first destination was Scotland, where Baldur would meet them. He'd already set up transportation and overnight stays for the several days of travel they'd take to reach the fey-lands.

However, Dante had looked at the maps provided and thought if they cut across the back country instead of keeping to the roads they'd reach the destination sooner. He reasoned the sooner they reached the place, the sooner Gaia would be able to rest.l

Baldur had confirmed it would only take two days if they travelled the back country, and it wasn't overly difficult terrain for a wolf to traverse.

Dante and Gaia hosted a final dinner with their friends, and then spent the next few days packing and preparing. And now they were here, stepping into the lush black, white and gold interior of the Black family's private jet.

Dante helped the crew stow their luggage while Gaia looked through the interior of the plane, finding a queen bed and small bathroom in the back past the steward station, and a second bathroom and plush seating for twelve in the front. A very kind young man helped her into a forward facing seat and brought her a bottle of water and a blanket. Then Dante was sitting beside her and helping her with the seatbelt, while the plane was taxiing the tarmac.

And then Gaia was holding her stomach and drawing in a breath as the plane lifted into the air. She exhaled as the plane leveled.

Watching the clouds in fascination, she asked, "Have you ever flown before?"

"A few times. All before my parents became involved with the council, though."

The steward appeared, offering them snacks, and showed them all the devices, then rattled off the list of beverages and asked what they wanted to drink. "Breakfast this morning is ham and veg frittata, served with hash browned potatoes and fruit, if you're ready I'll get that started and return with your drinks."

"Yes, and I'll have coffee, black..."

Dante turned to Gaia, who answered, "I'll have orange juice, please."

The steward smiled and retreated to his workspace.

Dante and Gaia peered out the window and chatted quietly together. Soon enough their food and beverages were handed to them, and they ate. Then Gaia retreated to the bed with a book, and Dante followed with his laptop.

***

"Wake up, little mate. We've touched down. We're in Scotland."

Gaia whimpered and tried to snuggle deeper into the blankets. So far, the bed on the private plane was the best part of this trip, and she didn't want to leave it. However, the pups growing in her belly were responding to their father's voice and proximity, and their kicking was making staying in the bed impossible.

"Give us a minute, Baldur."

"Is lotus bloom always this hard to wake up?"

Dante smiled for the term of endearment the dragon used for Gaia. The Fey had said she 'blushes like a sunrise and smiles like a lotus blooms', and the dragons had ran with it.

"My mate loves her sleep. Come, baby girl. We still have a ways to go."

Gaia huffed and opened her eyes to glare over her shoulder at her mate. She found his expression of amusement annoying. Grumbling, she threw the covers off herself and slowly maneuvered her ungainly body from the bed, then stumbled into the obnoxiously tiny bathroom to relieve her bladder. She spent a few minutes gathering her hair into a bun, and washing the sleep from her face and mouth.

After exiting the bathroom, Dante rushed her off the plane, not giving her a chance to change from the clothes she'd worn to board the plane fifteen hours ago. The car that awaited them was an older Jeep, dented and splattered with dried mud. Once in the vehicle, she was handed a foil topped juice drink she found much too sugary and a plastic wrapped pastry.

The ride north was anything but smooth, and Gaia regretted eating the paltry breakfast. The passing scenery was beautiful, though, almost taking her mind off the growing nausea and discomfort from being jostled.

When the car stopped, Gaia's gratitude for a chance to stretch her limbs and relieve her bladder was short lived. They would be traveling by horse now. Or at least she would be. Dante could shift into his wolf.

Dante helped her pull on a thick sweater and bundle up with gloves, scarf and beanie before boosting her onto the back of the hoofed beast. Then he undressed and folded his clothes into his bag that was strapped to the back of another horse.

Gaia found it hard to not be jealous watching her mate lope in front of her steed, and the dragon soar above them, but she was feeling miserable. She thought the rough handling of the Jeep to be bad enough, but it couldn't compare to the bruising act from riding on the broad back of the horse. Discomfort throughout her body was increasing with every step, radiating from her thighs, hips and buttocks, down her calves and up into her shoulders and neck.

When they began to ascend a mountain, nausea began to form in her belly unlike any illness she'd ever experienced before. By the time they came to the point where they'd leave the animals behind and proceed on foot, she was experiencing a crushing headache on top of cramping centered in her lower back and abdomen that she hoped would dissipate as she walked.

She hissed through her teeth when Dante and Baldur helped her dismount and settle her to the ground. Their look of amusement faded to concern when she clutched Dante's arms, panting.

"Are you alright?"

Gaia shook her head.

"What's wrong, little mate?"

"Can we just rest for a bit," Gaia rasped, "I want to not move for a few minutes." She stifled a moan as the cramp in her abdomen tightened, nearly knocking her legs from under her.

"It's just a little further," Dante coaxed, "You can rest when we get-"

"Oh my word, Baldur," a woman with a thick brogue was walking towards them, "What are ye doing here already? You were supposed to let them rest along the way!"

"We'll take her," two pair of hands gently grasped Gaia under her arms and guided her a short distance to sit on a camp chair near a small fire, and a cheerful female voice said, "Here sweetheart, sit and rest. I'll be making some tea that will help."

Surprised, Dante took a step back as Gaia was taken from him by two women who seemingly appeared out of thin air. He whipped his head around to see children playing under the watchful eyes of a few men and women milling about, a few tents and two cook fires where just moments before there had only been large rocks dotting the grassy highlands.

"Thank you," Gaia murmured, raising her gaze to peer about her. After patting her shoulder, the two women left her to return to their tasks, and the third was still dressing down Baldur and Dante.

Gaia listened as Baldur explained that Dante had wanted to push through and not stay in any of the villages along the way. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of the tall, older woman dressing down the sheepish dragon and her confused mate.

Fists planted firmly on her wide hips, the woman demanded, "Well, has mister Dante here ever been pregnant before," the woman raised a finger, thrusting it at the large dragon's chest, "Or you, ye big oaf, have you ever given birth? I know ye haven't because you're a walloper jobby pushin' a pregnant woman like that! She's already using more energy in one week growing life in her belly than you've managed to muster all your years training for all the battles you've never fought! And if that was her first time riding a beast, ye could have thrown her into early labor and what good would that be doing any o' us her giving birth on the side of the bloody mountain rather than at the gates as she's meant to!"

Both men attempted to redeem themselves and the woman swiped her arm, snarling, "Oh go be useful and pitch some tents! The wee lass isn't going a step further until she's acclimated!"

Gaia watched the men dramatically roll their eyes and head over to the animals. The woman stormed over to the cook fire to exchange a few words with the woman pouring steaming water from the kettle into a teapot. As she spoke with the younger woman, she fixed her hawk's gaze upon Gaia and stalked toward her with a cup and the teapot.

Gaia swallowed, nervous for what this woman might have to say to her.

"Child," the woman knelt in front of Gaia, poured liquid from the teapot into the cup and placed the cup into her hands, "drink this, you'll feel better. My name is Brigga, I'm the healer and senior midwife of the north highlands Wicca clan. May I have a look at you?"

Gaia accepted the warm cup gratefully. She sipped the steaming liquid carefully at Brigga's urging and her nausea and cramping began to dissipate as soon as the warm liquid washed over her tongue. At her nod, the older woman stood and laid her hands on Gaia's head. She could feel a pleasant tingling course through her body from the top of her head to the bottoms of her feet, and soon she wasn't quite so achy or tired.

After a few minutes Brigga settled on the ground at Gaia's feet saying, "Well, you're definitely bruised and exhausted, but you're not excessively damaged. My healing ability isn't what could take all your aches and pains, but I've hopefully given you some respite. We'll have you rest today and tomorrow, then you'll be fit enough for the remainder of the journey. If you're hungry, we've stew on the fire and bread to share."

"I'm still a little nauseous, but this tea is amazing."

"That's my brew for pregnant women. I'll share with you the mix of herbs, if you like."

"I would like that. Very much," Gaia smiled.

Brigga gestured towards Dante and Baldur, who were erecting the tent, scoffing, "Are men utterly clueless? You'd think giving them a task so simple they'd be able to figure it out, but no," she stood and stalked over to the hapless duo, dusting her skirt along the way.

"Oh, they're in for it now. Here, drink this, but slowly." One of the younger women who'd earlier helped Gaia to the seat had approached her side once more, with a sweating flask that proved to be full of water. "They're doing it all wrong. I'm Yennifer, by the way."

Gaia wiped her chin with the back of her hand before answering, "Hi Yennifer, I'm Gaia." It was difficult to only sip the water she'd been given. It was the sweetest water she'd ever tasted and it danced delightfully against her tongue as she swallowed. "To be fair, I don't think Dante's ever camped before."

They watched as Brigga lit into the two shifters once again, entertaining the nearby men and women busy with their own tasks.

Yennifer giggled, "Well, I know Baldur never has. If he sleeps outdoors he prefers to find a cave, but the tent isn't for them, it's for you."

"Right," Gaia grimaced, "can't have the pregnant woman subject to the elements."

Yennifer head swiveled to gape at Gaia, "You're not just any pregnant woman, Gaia, you're a goddess divine! And these babes you're carrying aren't just any children, they're gods! You're channeling the bridge between the worlds and the spirit realm to bring these little ones into existence. I can think of no higher honor-"

"They'll never suckle my breast," Gaia felt the pressure of tears at her eyes and let them fall, "...I'll never get to hold them... they'll never take first steps or say first words-"

"Oh, Gaia," Yennifer threw her arm about the smaller woman's shoulders, "of course. I'm so sorry. We're all so excited to be able to walk beside and converse with a n actual goddess and witness the birth of gods, I didn't even think to consider the hardship you're facing." She quietly comforted Gaia for a few moments before adding, "There are a few in the camp who know the pain of losing a longed for babe. If you feel a desire to confide, you won't be short of a shoulder to cry upon."

Gaia nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks. When she looked up, her mate was standing before her, his eyes full of concern for her.

"Gaia," Dante knelt and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, "why are you crying?" He gently held her face between his hands and wiped her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Yen, what did you say to lotus bloom?" Baldur stood behind Dante, frowning at the Wiccan with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I-"

"It's nothing," Gaia interjected. "I'm just tired and sore."

"I'm sorry, little mate," Dante kissed her forehead. "I shouldn't have pushed us so hard. I didn't realize the going would be so rough, I assumed it would be restful since you would be riding most of the way. The tent's up, would you like to lay down for a little bit?"

"I think I'd like to try to eat before I lay down. I'm a little afraid if I just lay down I won't get up to eat when I'm hungry."

"Sure," Dante tilted his head, his forehead creased with concern, "Are you ready to eat now? I can bring a bowl."

Gaia shook her head, "No, not yet. My stomach is still a bit queasy."

Dante pursed his lips, "Are you sure? You haven't eaten anything since this morning."

Gaia nodded, "I'm sure. Will you sit with me?"

"Only if I can hold you."

Gaia blushed, "That's what I'm wanting." She grasped the arms of the chair for balance, preparing to heft herself up, but Dante stood and scooped her into his arms, swiftly taking her chair and settling her in his lap. She rested her head against the crook of his neck, snuggling into his body and sighed, "Much better."

He rested his cheek against her forehead, and laid his hand on her belly, smiling at the flutters greeting his touch. "Have they been active all day?"

"No, they've been quiet all day. I think all the traveling put them to sleep."

"And I just woke them?"

Gaia murmured, "They know their father."

"And daddy loves them," he kissed her head.