* * * *

The first birthing pangs came a few hours before dawn. Her groans got her husband's attention, he held her close, while cursing the bad timing. Looking at her feet which bore cracks of blood and filth, he said ' you need to rest, the baby is coming, we have to stop '.

' No ', came her reply through gritted teeth, ' It'll be an hour or two before our child is due '.

With time, the intervals between each contraction shortened, the bellows of horns and the clattering of hooves could be heard from a distance. ' They're almost on us, we can't get caught' the woman said as she hobbled on, almost entirely leaning on her husband who winced at every groan she let out.

They had been walking for almost three days with little water and nearly no food, the sounds of hooves and horns became closer with and his wife's groans more frequent, he feared for his wife and their unborn child. His wife gave another groan,' They're almost here'. Her words chilled him to his bones, sighing, he spotted the mouth of a cave and led her towards it. As they got in, he a saw a short slopy mass of rock and laid his wife down, making sure she was leaning on it despite her continuous protests. One way or the other, we'll have to stop' he said as he began to pace worriedly, only to be stopped short by a whispered ' The baby is coming' from his wife. ' The baby's been coming for over two hours' he said as he knelt beside his wife, eliciting a small smile from her.

She raised her legs a little, bending them at the knees as he laid a shawl beneath her raised knees. Through labored breaths, she screamed loudly as she scrunched up her face while holding on to him with a vice-like grip. He muttered words of encouragement as she groaned, trying desperately to muffle the sounds of her pain. Soon, the baby was out up to its shoulder, with another loud scream from his wife, their child flopped right into his arms. Slick and slippery with blood and gore, the baby scrunched up its face and gave its first cry.

* * *

He watched her smile as she cradled their baby, hating to spoil the moment, he said ' We have to go, they've found the cave entrance'. He helped her stand , with some effort, she got on her feet with a loud groan. Giving her a kiss on her forehead, her husband said ' Go on, the exit is not far off, I'll buy you some time'. ' No...' , she started in protest, but he was already gone. Forcing back her tears with the knowledge that it was no use going after him, she trudged on slowly, leaning on the cave wall for support. Soon, she found an exit, and with bitter tears in her eyes, she looked up at the sky to see the first streaks of dawn.