JP - The Keep - Collision

Lek jumped over the last four steps at the bottom of the stairs and hit the floor running. He ran across the inner bailey with no real destination in mind. Pinja had given birth, and Lek realized it would make no difference with his lack of a relationship with her. It did not undo what had happened to her. She still would not want him around her.

Miyuki didn’t even notice Lek as she stared into her bag and looked for something, so when he slammed right into her and they both went tumbling, she shot out some foxfire into the sky. “What the-?!” She wiggled and shoved at him, wondering what the rush was. “You okay?”

Lek was further startled by the fire shooting into the sky, but he quickly untangled himself from the kitsune and got to his feet. Tears were running down his face, but he did not realize it. “Yeah, sorry for running into you- are you okay?” He asked, offering her a hand up.

She took his hand, unintentionally holding one hand on her stomach as she got to her feet with his help. “Yeah, I should be…just a little bruised. Are…you okay? You’re crying.” Pulling out a cloth from her bag, she held it out to him.

Lek noticed something about how Miyuki held her stomach, but before he could piece it together he was distracted by her words. Bruised? Lek felt terrible, he had hurt her like a clumsy oaf. “I’m so sorry!” He accepted the cloth and wiped his face, feeling worse for being in tears. His own mother had thought he was too sensitive for a man, and maybe she had a point. He cried too easily. “I’m just… are you sure you are okay? I was running really fast when I hit you.”

“Really, I’m fine,” Miyuki reassured him, her hand still on her stomach. “You surprised me more than anything. Can I ask what’s got you so upset, though?” She had genuine concern in her voice and on her face.

“Pinja had her baby… babies. And it…” Lek looked at Miyuki’s hand on her stomach, clues clicking into place. He realized she was pregnant. His eyes widened in horror when he realized he had knocked over a pregnant woman. “Oh my god- I am so sorry. Sit down-I- I can get the healer. Pinja is done giving birth so she should be free now.”

“W-what? No! I’m not…what?!” Miyuki began to panic. “Don’t tell anyone! It…I…oh, God…” Her ears fell back, worry etched on her face now. “Look, I…I guess get the healer, but…only let her know, okay? I…I didn’t exactly get this baby because I wanted it…” She looked away, that worry now turning to shame.

Lek understood quickly. “I see… You’re not alone. The raid… A lot of women are due to give birth soon because of those bastards. Pinja’s babies…” Lek’s eyes filled with tears again. “I’m not going to tell anyone, okay? The healer’s room is probably locked but you can wait outside while I get her, you’d have more privacy in there than out here.”

Miyuki slowly nodded, fighting back her own tears as the memories of what happened to her bit at her mind. “O-okay, thank you…Lek, right? My memory isn’t great…” She said, both hands now clutching her bag and hugging it to her stomach. Inside were medications she had been taking to help her along through the pregnancy so far.

Lek nodded. “Lek Gerthrim. You met my mother, Aislyn, in the kitchen who made me help carry water.” He said, leading her into the main building to the healing room. He tried the door and found it to be unlocked so he opened it. The room had several beds and smelled strongly of healing herbs, the cupboards were full of herbs. It was very clean. “You can wait in here, it shouldn’t take me too long to get her.”

Following him, Miyuki tried her best to remember the layout of the place, but she was positive there would have to be a few walkthroughs before she got the gist of it. In the healing room, she gave Lek a nod and a weak smile. “Thank you,” She repeated, eyes on the floor.

“It will be okay, Difyr is really good.” Lek assured her before hurrying off.

True to Lek’s word, it did not take him long to return with Difyr. She smiled kindly at the kitsune. “Hello, Miyuki. Lek said you needed to see me.”

Lek hung back in the doorway. “I’ll go…”

Miyuki gave Lek a pleading look. As the only one that knew of her predicament so far, she was a bit worried about what to do around this healer. “Uhm…yes…I…” Her hand went to her stomach again. “I’m pre…pregnant…and Lek was worried I may have hurt something because we bumped into each other.” She made it sound less drastic than he did, no doubt.

Lek was going to leave, but he heard Miyuki understating that terrible collision and had to correct that. “I ran into her really hard- so hard we both went tumbling. I didn’t mean to but I was running so fast and I didn’t see… I was crying.” He admitted.

“I see.” Difyr patted Lek on the shoulder, Lek’s father was like a brother to her and she had known the boy since he was born. “Have you eaten at all since coming back from the village?”

“No…” Lek admitted.

“Go eat before you faint.” Difyr ordered.

Lek looked at Miyuki, then slipped out of the healing room to get some food.

“How far along are you?” Difyr asked Miyuki.

Miyuki shifted in place and finally sat on an unused bed. “A few months, I think…” She admitted. “I…about three or four months ago I was…I…I ran into some men and they…” The words wouldn’t slip out. She couldn’t speak about the horrible men that had used her when all she had wanted were directions to the next town back then.

Difyr quietly stirred the fire in the fireplace back to life and put a kettle of water over the flame to make tea. While the water was heating, Difyr sat on another empty bed across from her. “I’m sorry you went through that, it must have been terrible. Less than nine months ago the village was raided, we just had the first birth from that and are expecting more in the coming weeks. Even before the raid I have had other patients who were raped, some left pregnant from the ordeal.” The healer said softly.

Miyuki nodded in understanding as she tried to find her own voice again. She had not spoken to anyone about what happened simply because no one was there for her to trust with the knowledge. Though, perhaps she could learn to trust the people here.

"Lek really didn't hurt me all that much," She said in a slightly calmer voice. All that happened was a tumble. I'll have a few bruises but I don't think anything serious happened. Plus, he was very kind." Not many humans were kind to her species because of the stigma around kitsune.

“Lek has a very kind and gentle nature. He started training shortly after the raid, learning to fight, just so he could better defend others.” Difyr said and returned to the fire to pour the hot water over the herbal tea in the teapot, her own blend, mostly calming herbs and flowers. She let Miyuki talk about what she was comfortable with, slowly draw out what had happened, and examine her more closely when she felt comfortable. “Lek told me your name is Miyuki. I’m Difyr Bateman.”