She plodded on, putting one foot in front of the other
The pain she felt was almost overshadowed by her exhaustion
The pains had started during the night
The old birth woman had come at her braves request but
She just shook her head and said long time
That’s all she would tell her now, long time
It seemed like it had been forever already
They would not stop until her time came so she walked
Shivering inside the fur her brave had put over her shoulders
She saw the other squaws snicker at this gesture
But she was too cold and tired and in too much pain
To care at this time what they thought, she had to walk
She had to concentrate her whole being on that walk
It was the only way she could keep moving
Suddenly she felt a cold rush of liquid down her legs
Her look of fear must alerted her brave
He was walking with the other young braves nearby
He was at her side instantly, yelling ahead for the birthing woman
The pain tore thru her with a new viciousness and she sunk to her knees
Picking her up, her brave carried her to some bushes
The women had already spread a birthing mat
The pain was constant now and she had witnessed many births
She squatted while the birthing woman squatted in front of her
Shadow Moon, her best friend squatted behind her
Bracing her when the pains came and she pushed
Time became thing of pressure and relief, pressure and relief
She knew the baby was coming soon, she could feel it
The birthing woman grunted and reached out her hands
And with an anguishing push the baby leapt into her hands
The boy child was blue and quiet but the old lady sucked
On his mouth and suddenly he began to cry
The old woman cackled and spit out the mucus she had sucked
From his throat and one of the other squaws knelt with the soft
Leather bunting she and Shadow Moon had cured months earlier
There was still more to do she knew and the pains were no less
For having birthed her son already but the afterbirth soon followed
With a grunt of satisfaction the old woman cut and tied the cord
And handed the child to her, her son, the son of her man
And although she knew they must continue on to the hunting ground
She rested for a few minutes, content and drained
She was a mother, she had a son and nothing would ever be the same