Among the Vay

Faye was dozing lightly in her little pillow bed. After Abby had been taken Faye had done her best to comfort Maya, but Maya didn't trust her anymore. Faye didn't really mind though. The sensations running through her body as the baby grew felt so good it was impossible to get upset about anything. Even when Maya was venting her rage and fear like bile, Faye accepted her friend's pain with a calm placidity. Faye even felt like she this helped Maya. She sort of half listened to Maya, offer assurances Abby would be fine, and let Maya yell at her. Eventually Maya just wore herself out and settled down. By then Faye was hungry again, so she took the opportunity to eat the rest of the food they had brought for her. She couldn't believe there was enough room inside her for all that food, but she never seemed to get full.

After she finished eating the feeling came back again. If anything it was stronger than it had been after breakfast. First the warmth returned and then the feeling of potential. Every few minutes she'd feel that coiled tightness spread from her center, stiffening her nipples and blossoming damp heat between her legs. It was a mild, playful cousin of when Glenn made her come. If Maya hadn't been there she would have looked for that spot between her legs that Glenn had pressed into until she went over the edge. Even without that she drifted along in a blissful haze for a while.

The whole time she could feel the baby growing in short, powerful bursts. When she had a particularly intense wave of pleasure she could actually feel the skin of her stomach stretch. When that happened if she put her hand on her stomach she could feel it pressing outward. It all seemed unbelievably strange but she also loved the feeling of creating something new with her body.

Maya mostly left her alone as she dozed. Sometimes Maya stared at her angrily, other times she looked terrified. Faye wanted to explain it to her but she knew it was impossible. It was something that needed to be experienced first hand. Faye just hoped it would be as satisfying for Maya as it was for her. Eventually the blissful feeling left her and she mostly just continued to lay on her pillow bed. Moving was becoming a hassle and there wasn't anything to do.

Just when the boredom was really kicking in, the tent flap opened again. An orc woman they had never seen before came into the tent accompanied by two orcs with platters of food. The woman looked very different from the one who had overseen their captivity so far. She was short and broad, with a wide, grass green face and heavy features. She had long, pine colored hair that she left loose in a wild tangle of curls, and big earnest eyes that were a darker yellow than any they had seen so far. Her eyes were the color of honey. It was hard to tell an orc's age but she seemed young. Only a little older than them.

The orc's honey eyes settled on Faye, and she gave her a wide smile, "Hi! I'm Meredith. I'm going to be you midwife."

Faye blinked, thrown off by the woman's friendliness after the first orc woman's hostility.

"H-hi. I'm Faye."

"It's nice to meet you," said Meredith. She sounded genuinely cheerful, "How are you feeling?"

"Alright I guess," Said Faye. She looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling shy.

"Where's my sister?" Asked Maya. She was glaring at Meredith.

Meredith's eyes whipped to Maya, clearly startled, "Oh! Right. Glenn did give me a message for you," Said, Meredith. She began speaking slowly and carefully, reciting and trying hard to get it right, "He told me to tell you that Abby is doing fine, but needs her rest, and she wanted to sleep in his tent for a while. He'll make sure she gets back once she's awake."

Maya stared back at her, "You're lying."

Meredith blinked, "I'm just delivering the message," She said, trying to sound reasonable.

"My sister wouldn't stay away from me unless she was forced to," said Maya

Meredith shrugged uncomfortably, "Maybe she just wanted to cuddle. Sometimes first timers get clingy after."

Meredith's response just made Maya angrier, "You people are sick."

Meredith looked away from Maya. She almost looked like she was going to cry.

Faye felt hot fury spike in her chest, "Goddammit Maya, that's enough. She's just here to help me and she didn't do this to us."

Meredith gave her grateful look then turned back to Maya reluctantly, "I'm sorry you're upset. I know this is hard. I've never been captured in a raid myself, but I have friends in the sept who were captured by Glenn. I know it can be difficult to adjust."

"Difficult to adjust?" Said Maya, outraged and disbelieving.

But before Maya could say anything else Meredith turned back toward Faye. She was clearly trying to avoid any more confrontation, "Do you mind if I check on the babies?"

"Check on them?" Asked Faye.

"Yes, it's a simple little spell. It'll let me know how they're doing and if they're growing alright."

Faye put a hand to her rounded belly, a surge of protectiveness rising in her.

Meredith saw the concern etched on her face and held her hands out reassuringly, "It's just to be careful. If there's anything wrong I can almost guarantee I can fix it. The sept hasn't lost a woman during childbirth in a generation."

"That's impossible," said Maya.

Faye had to agree. She hadn't lost anyone close to her to childbirth, but she knew at least two women from the farms surrounding their town who had died. It was a spectre that hung over every marriage.

"Not if you use magic," said Meredith, "Humans are better than us a lot of stuff. Building, smithing, blowing things up. But one thing we know is making babies. I never got why humans just use magic to kill people and build weapons. I mean we do that too, at least the savay do, but we also use magic for much more practical things. Now, may I?" Asked Meredith. She gave Faye a smile and looked expectant.

"A- alright," Said Faye.

"Great, why don't you get comfy?"

Faye hesitated, then laid back on the cushions. The heavy weight on her front made her awkward, but after a moment she settled in. Her stomach pressed her into the pillows.

Meredith had walked over to her while she was lying down. When Faye had settled Meredith knelt beside her, "Alright," said Meredith, "do you mind lifting up your shirt? It helps if I can touch your skin."

Maya had come over to watch silently. Faye felt self conscious under her gaze, but after a minute she lifted her blouse.

"Oh my god," whispered Maya.

Faye stared down at her stomach. She hadn't really looked at herself since she had last finished growing. The blouse they had given her was loose to give her room to grow into it, and it had obscured what was going on beneath. She looked like she was almost full term. Her belly stuck out well past her large breasts and drooped over the waist of her skirt. Her breasts, barely contained by their bindings, actually rested on her stomach now. Her skin was taut and round and practically glowed with the life within.

Meredith didn't seem surprised at all. In fact she gave another of her big smiles at the sight, "Oh wow, look at you! You're really coming along."

Meredith put a hand on her stomach, rubbing it gently. Faye jumped at the feeling of her hand running over the taut skin of her belly. It was comforting and very intimate. Something in Merideth's caresses conveyed admiration and joy at what Faye was doing, and Faye felt a fierce surge of pride.

"And so big already," continued Meredith, "that's a fiver if I've ever seen one."

Faye blinked in confusion for a second, then gasped, "Five!?"

"It's just a guess," said Meredith, "But I've seen a lot of pregnancies so I know what I'm talking about. Alright, let's see how the little puppers are doing."

Meredith's hand stopped moving and pressed lightly on Faye's stomach. Then Meredith closed her eyes and hummed. It was low and deep. Somehow the sound was bigger and more complex than a single voice could be; there were hints of echoes and reverberations that were at the edge of song. Faye felt a vibration move through her. It was accompanied by a soothing coolness that contrasted sharply with the warmth she felt when the babies grew. It was over in less than a minute. The humming faded and Meredith opened her eyes. She flashed that wide smile again.

"Everything looks great. Five healthy whelps. They're growing just like they're supposed to. And you're perfect. The model of motherhood."

Faye started to cry.

"Awww sweetie," Meredith gathered her in a hug.

Faye squeezed her back. Meredith was soft and warm and hugging her was very comforting.

"I'm sorry," Faye murmured into her shoulder. She could feel tears wetting Meredith's blouse.

"No. It's fine," said Meredith, "this happens all the time."

"I'm not even sad. I... Just..."

"Overwhelmed?" Asked Meredith.

"Yeah," Said Faye. Her voice was high pitched from crying.

Meredith released the hug, pulled away, and offered her a hanky. Faye took it gratefully, wiping her eyes.

"I know how it is," Said Meredith, "I was so nervous my first time I thought I was going to pop them out early from pure stress."

Faye barked a laugh, and it helped calm her.

"But it all went smoothly for me," continued Meredith, "and I'm going to make sure it goes smoothly for you, okay?"

"Okay," said Faye, she took a deep breath, "Okay, it's just... five? Five is so many."

"Yeah that's a lot for a first timer. Normally it's three or four. And humans only have two at a time, right?"

"No! Just one!"

Meredith's eyes widened, "One at a...oh wow I didn't realize. How are there so many of you?"

Then Meredith laid a hand on Faye's stomach again, this time to comfort her. Even in her distress Faye enjoyed the gentle feeling of Meredith touching her there.

"Regardless, don't worry," Said Meredith, "You've got me backing you up and I'm going to make sure it all goes without a hitch."

"A-alright," the feeling of her hand in her belly and the soothing tone of her voice took away most of Faye's anxiety.

Meredith straightened back up, "And having five the first time will be good for your standing in the sept. It's a mark of pride for us to have so many at once. Contributing to the sept and all that. That's important for you, as... as a new member of the family."

Faye didn't know how she felt about being called a new member of the sept, so she changed the subject, "Can you... can you tell how many are girls?"

Meredith's smile faded, "I'm sorry, sweetie. They're whelps. They're all orcs."

"Oh I know. I mean they're Glenn's so they must be, but are there any girl orcs, like you?

Meredith blinked, "Did no one explain this to you?"

"Explain what?"

Meredith closed her eyes and sighed, "Oh gods. Why...?"

"Is there something wrong," Faye's voice was instantly high pitched. Panic raged out of nowhere, slicing through her body.

"No no no! Nothing is wrong," Said Meredith, "Everything is going just like it's supposed to. Just...look... okay... How do I explain. Orc isn't... I'm not an orc. I mean it's not the name of our race. Orc is a sex."

Faye blinked in confusion, "I don't understand."

"Okay our people are called vay. That's the name of our race. Like how you say 'the race of man' or whatever. And female vay are also called vay. Like how you call males men and your race is also men. God the language differences make this a mess."

"But you're speaking our language," Said Faye.

Meredith waved her hand, "Oh not really. Glenn gives the women who are going to talk to humans these amulets so we can understand each other."

Meredith pulled out a silver amulet cast in the same spiral patterns they were painted in the tents.

"They work fine but they can't really handle talking about this kind of stuff," continued Meredith, stuffing the amulet back in her blouse.

"Oh. I... I think I get what you mean though," Said Faye.

"Okay good, So Glenn is a savay. That's the word for males among the vay. They get the prefix because among the vay, the vay, I mean the women, do all the writing. And we also have a sex humans don't have. The orcs."

"You mean the big ape things?"

Meredith's mouth twisted like she had bitten into a lemon, "That's not very flattering description, but yes. And orcs don't have a sex. I mean like a vagina or a penis or anything."

"And that's what's growing in me? Five of those... those things?" She felt panic stealing over her again.

Meredith gave her an irritated look for the first time, "They're really very sweet," She laughed, "They're so goofy. They're our big dummies. You'll understand when you have yours. They're really cute when they're just pups. "

Faye had covered her mouth with her hands and tried to keep her breathing under control. The warm satisfied glow of her motherhood was fading. She still felt great, the life in her stomach was still sending out waves of joy and relaxation, but her mind couldn't wrap around the alienness of what Meredith was describing. For once the babies in her didn't feel like hers.

Then Maya's voice rang out, "So that's what you took us for? So your king can force us to make monsters for him?"

Meredith gave Maya a glare, "Glenn isn't a king and they're not monsters! And Glenn doesn't force anyone. He doesn't do that."

"Faye said he used a spell. He was controlling her mind."

"Oh you mean the Scent? It doesn't

make

you do anything. It just kind of..." Meredith pushed a stray curl back from her face and smiled at a fond memory, "...loosens you up. And it's not magic. It's just a natural thing savay do."

"It doesn't matter," said Maya, "You took us from our homes and are forcing us to have fucking monster babies that you're going to use to kill more people and force more women. Its horrific."

Meredith ran a hand through her hair, looking frazzled, "I don't know I don't know! I'm not a philosopher or a politician," Meredith's voice was low and frantic, "Glenn came up with this plan and brought it to the circle and, I don't know, it seemed alright to me.

Look, among the vay, girl children are rare. So the savay spend most of their time raiding each other's septs to steal their vay. Orcs killing orcs so the savay can get more vay, so they can have more orcs..."

Meredith dashed away a tear, "Its stupid. It's waste of time and orcs, but getting taken in a raid like you did and joining a new sept...it's just the way things are for vay. It's not some horrible thing. It's just a part of life. Every vay is afraid it will happen to them, but we also know if it does we'll be respected and treated well in our new sept. That we can make a life for ourselves in our new home."

"A new life in some monster's... harem," Said Maya, "Forced to... god it's disgusting."

Meredith's voice rose to a near shout, "I told you it's not like that! I'm not in anyone's harem! No vay would ever tolerate that."

She took a breath and continued in a calmer tone, "You can say no. The tradition is when you get captured you have to bear your new sept three litters and then you're a full member. Then you can vote in the circle and practice your Craft, start a farm or a ranch. You don't have to whelp for your new savay, but then all you get to do is clean with the orcs, move boxes, shell peas. You can't own land or cattle or have orcs of your own. So yes, there's pressure but there's no... holding anyone down or anything like that."

"It's practically the same thing!"

Meredith folded her arms across her chest. Her eyes were wet, "Oh like humans are any different. Aren't human women forbidden to own land or practice a Craft? All they do is cook and clean for their husbands and raise his children. And women can't say no to their husbands, can they?"

"That's not true!" Said Maya, "I'm a scribe. Faye is a baker."

"It's mostly true," Said Faye, "You, me, Abby, and Jennifer the seamstress were the only women in town who had professions of their own. And women aren't allowed to say no to their husbands. It's against the law. Remember how often Laura walked around with a black eye all the time for saying no to that ugly slob she married?"

Maya grave her a glare.

"What? It's true!"

"And don't you have special churches where you lock up women who don't have children?" Asked Meredith.

"What? No!"

"That's what I heard," Said Meredith.

"I think she means convents," said Faye

"Those are women who have dedicated themselves to the gods!" Said Maya.

"Uh huh. I'm sure it's all their idea." Said Meredith, "And don't your soldiers actually force the women they capture in raids? Hold them down and... hurt them and... gods," Meredith shuddered and hugged herself, "Vay tell each other stories about getting captured by humans to scare each other. It's one of our greatest fears. If you had been captured by human soldiers, that would have happened to you!"

Maya was silent at that. They had all heard stories of what men did when they went to war.

Finally Maya spoke, "It still doesn't make any of this right."

Meredith dashed away a tear, "No I guess it doesn't. None of it is. Vay or human. I thank the gods every night I've never been taken in a raid. I've had friends taken and I've seen them at the great gatherings and they were fine. They had lives where they ended up but I could tell they weren't as happy in the septs they were taken to. They would have been happier here, with us. And I hate it when Glenn goes on raids, killing poor innocent orcs and taking vay from their homes, even if I love the new vay he brings back with him."

Meredith cleared her throat before continuing and stood up straight, "But this is a good sept," her voice was full of pride, "I left my father's sept and came here with my sept sisters when I came of age and it was the best thing to ever happen to me. A vay can make a place for herself here. The elder vay are kind and they'll support you when you're just starting your Craft or your farm. And Glenn is sweet for a savay. He takes his due but he..." she smiled through the tears, "...he tries to make us all happy. This could be a good sept for you too if you'd only let it. It's hard for me to believe this all seems as strange and horrible to you as... well as humans seem to me. I hope...I hope you can come to see this as home."

For once, Maya didn't have anything to say.

Meredith wiped her tears again and looked thoughtful, "Look, I'll talk to the circle and ask to take over checking up on you for everything. I didn't know how hard this was for you. I'll do my best to make it easier."

Faye nodded eagerly, "Yes! Thank you. The woman who came before was awful."

Meredith's eyes narrowed, "Tall lady? Bright eyes with a glare that can peel paint?"

Faye nodded.

"Doreen. She's a huge bitch. And she hates what Glenn is doing. She's one of the big voices in the anti human segment of the circle. The ones that don't want captured humans to become full members of the sept. She'd rather have you all be... in a harem."

Meredith shook her head, "God she's awful. Glenn had the great idea if she just interacted with some of the newcomers she'd change her mind," Meredith smiled, "Glenn's pretty smart but he can be naive."

Meredith growled. "No wonder you're so scared. Doreen must have made us seem like monsters. I'll make sure you don't have to deal with her anymore."

"Thank you!" Said Faye.

Faye looked at Maya and saw none of this was making her feel any better. Maya still had her arms folded and was staring at Meredith with open hostility.

Meredith saw it and flinched, "Alright," she let out a frustrated breath, "Gods I'd love to stay and talk longer but with all the new vay and whelps I have a million things to do. Is there anything else you need?"

Faye though for a minute, "Do you have any books? It's pretty boring here."