Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 33:
It’s an hour before sunset, and I’m looking out at my backyard. The pillars are all poured for the cabin and porch. The beam ties are all leveled and placed in the top of the curing concrete. Some of the boys even have a pile of rocks and larger stones set aside at the treeline, for what will become the bottom 3 feet of foundation ‘skirting’. I just need to figure out where I want the crawlspace access to be located.
Taha wraps his arms around my waist from behind, so I lean back into him as I say, “It looks really good. A lot was accomplished today, for both the cabin and inside. Dad and Leah have everything inside ready for Thomas and Andy to do the plumbing and electrical. I’ll have them start in the morning if they don’t have any other jobs in the works. Seeing what’s already done, I’m hoping to have the inside done tomorrow. At least we can set all the beds up in the lofts that way. It’ll be crowded for a few days until we finish the cabin, but they’ll have beds to sleep in. Greg said the first few tribes will be showing up tomorrow before lunch.”
My mate hums into my neck, then whispers, “Breathe, Little Coyote. Close your eyes for a second, and just listen. Listen to nature. Listen to your Dad laughing. Listen to the soothing sound of our hearts. Just take a second to clear your mind and recenter yourself.”
I let out a slow breath, then do as Taha asks. My mind and nerves both calm considerably, so after a few minutes, I open my eyes while turning partially to catch his gaze. “Thanks. I needed that, I guess.”
He turns me in his arms, then cups my face as he places several soft, sweet kisses on my lips. When he speaks, it’s to say softly, “Your mind and body both have been going full speed since you first woke today, Sweetheart. We have accomplished a great deal today, so for tonight, just stop and celebrate those tasks being complete. The only thing other than relaxing that is acceptable tonight, is showing both Thomas and Andy the new bathroom space and the basement layout. Will you agree to that for me, please? No worrying about tomorrow; no making plans to fix 10 different things that haven’t even gone wrong yet. Some of the pack from the other side of the reservation will be here tonight. Relax and take the time to get to know them.”
I hold his hands to my face and smile, “Yes, my mighty wolf. I will agree to those terms. I’m supposed to be joining the girls, kicking my feet up and drinking virgin pina coladas.”
He chuckles, “Then you’ll also be meeting the other imprints. Watch out for Avory. He’s Nova’s imprint… and he’ll have you in tears laughing before you know it. They’re taking things slowly because Avory’s parents are still in the ‘trying to accept’ phase of him coming out. Oh, and Kimbal’s imprint Sinopa hasn’t ventured too far from home lately. Her morning sickness has only gotten worse since the start of her 2nd trimester.”
I nod, then remember the tea recipe on the opposite page from this morning’s calm night tea. It was a healthy pregnancy tea, so I make a note to read up on that page to see if it will help Sinopa.
Of course, Taha sees me thinking, so he asks with a chuckle, “What are you up to now, Miss Swan?”
I shrug with a smile, then say, “I want to read up on the tea I saw this morning… just to see if it might help Sinopa. Gran Hurit had a healthy pregnancy tea blend. I’ll have to find out what’s in it, then talk to either Sinopa or Kimbal.”
Taha gives me a slow kiss, then whispers against my lips, “We have just under an hour before everyone congregates back here. Would you like some help? We can have a batch made up easily in that amount of time.”
I nod, grinning as I say, “I’ll take every moment I can get with you.”
I see Greg out of the corner of my eye, so I pat Taha’s shoulder, then call out to Greg. When he jogs over, I ask, “Will you give me Kimbal’s number, please? I have a few questions for him.”
He gives me a curious look, but nods and scrolls through the contacts in his phone. Instead of just calling out the number to me, he hits the call button and puts it on speakerphone.
I grin at Greg, then hear Sinopa answer Kimbal’s phone. “Greg, is there an emergency? We’re on our way to that address you said was Bella’s.”
I chuckle, “Hi, Sinopa. This is Bella. Greg let me use his phone. There’s no emergency that I know of, I just had a couple of questions for you.”
She hums a bit, then says, “Sure, shoot.”
I nod, then get down to business, “Taha told me you were having a rough time with morning sickness. My Gran Hurit had several tea recipes, and one was for a healthy pregnancy. My questions are these… have you had any medical complications so far? Are you allergic to anything? Do you even drink tea? Finally, are you taking any medications other than your prenatal vitamin?”
She hums, “I absolutely love tea. Even if I didn’t, everyone knows your great-grandmother’s recipes are gold. I’ve not had any complications, and the only thing I’ve ever had an allergic reaction to was my contacts. As for medications, I take my prenatal, vitamin D, and I was just prescribed this nausea medication to take as needed. No other medications. Do you think tea will help? I don’t really want to take the nausea pills if I don’t have to.”
I nod, “I’m going to go inside after we hang up to make sure. I want to make sure I was right about the properties of the herbs. If I was, I’ll make you up a batch to take home with you. I’ll even have a cup waiting for you, if you want.”
She sighs, saying, “Thanks, Bella. They should really name this ‘all the damn time sickness.’ I can’t seem to get away from it, and it’s starting to show with my weight checks. I’ve lost a total of 5 pounds since I first found out I was pregnant.”
I promise her that we’ll try to remedy that, then tell her I’ll see her soon. When I press the end button, Greg surprises me by pulling me into a fierce hug. When he lets me go, he says in explanation, “Not a medicine woman my ass. You, Little Coyote, are becoming quite the healer. I heard what you did for Devon’s family.”
I shrug, then say, “Oh, by the way. Please let Andy know I have the tea blend and dream pillows made up for Mae. If I can get him those before Mae settles in for tonight, maybe they can get her routine started.”
He nods, gives me another hug, then thanks me as he pulls out his phone again.
Once inside, Taha and I head straight for the medicine room. I flip through the pages of this morning’s healing journal until I find the recipe I’m looking for. I read aloud, “Says ingredients… spearmint, nettle, chamomile, red raspberry leaf, echinacea, ginger root, and wild yam root.”
I can feel Taha moving around me as I speak, grabbing the ingredients from the shelves for me. When he stills, I say, “Nettle is rich in minerals. Chamomile, spearmint, and ginger combat morning sickness. Red raspberry leaves are high in iron and are said to be the midwife’s best friend. It lists a bunch of things here it helps with, both prenatal and postnatal. Wild yam helps in the prevention of miscarriage, pregnancy cramps, and nausea. Then Echinacea helps build a strong immune system and prevents infection. Honestly, if this works as advertised, she should be in prime shape for a relatively easy labor and delivery. I want her to read this description.”
Taha picks up the basket full of ingredients, then follows me back up to the kitchen. I quickly find my rhythm once all my ingredients are laid out, so I’m surprised when I hear a knock on the front door, and a man’s voice calling out, “Bella? It’s Kimbal and Sinopa.”
I smile and look at Taha, calling, “Come right through. We’re in the kitchen.”
Kimbal, tall and built, looks like a mountain compared to his small mate, Sinopa. After only a second, I see her eyes drift closed, and she takes a long deep breath in through her nose. I wait, then smile as I see a little color coming back into her cheeks and hear her sigh in what sounds like pure relief.
Taha immediately turns on the tap, filling the tea kettle, then starts the stove and sets the kettle on to heat.
I point to the stool opposite of where I’m working, so Kimbal guides her into it. “Welcome. Have a seat and relax for a few minutes while I prepare this for you. I want you to read what Gran Hurit wrote about this recipe.”
I turn the open journal to Sinopa, then point to the page before mixing the ingredients in the bowl by hand. She hums quietly a few times, then looks up at her mate. Kimbal finishes reading, then squats down so he’s the same height as Sinopa. “You said yourself on the way here that Hurit’s recipes are gold. Even though no one’s been able to have them in ages, they’re still raved about all over the reservation. You’re also the calmest now that you’ve been the whole pregnancy. I haven’t seen you hold your breath or cover your mouth once since we walked in.”
Sinopa nods with a small smile, saying softly, “It’s soothing… the melding scents.”
I fill a tea ball infuser with a measured amount of the blend, then drop it in the teacup Taha places on the counter. He fills the cup for her, so I say, “Let that steep for a few minutes. Let the steam drift up to you. If breathing the scent in for that time doesn’t make you sick, and you feel ready, you can sip on it slowly.”
I start scooping the mix into the canister by hand, saying, “There is enough in this tin for about 50 cups of tea. I’ll write the amount per cup on a label for you. Remember that you should keep to 3-4 cups per day, to keep the nausea down and promote the properties of the herbs. If you need to, since it’s summer, have a hot cup in the morning and at night, then steep and refrigerate a large batch for a midday glass of iced tea. I would think you could safely store 3 days worth at a time… around 48 ounces or so, if you have a 16 oz glass of iced tea each day.”
When I gently lift the ball from the teacup, I let it drain for a second, then lay it on the plate. Sinopa inhales deeply and gives me a small smile. After a second, she nods, “Even if all this does is keep the nausea down, I’ll be happy. If it helps with all the other stuff, that’s just icing on the cake.”
She takes a small sip, then another before she hums, “It’s slightly sweet… not too strong… I like it!”
By the time she’s finished her cup of tea, I can see the tension leaving both Sinopa and Kimbal. Kimbal nods silently to me, so I give him a small smile in return. Then he snaps his fingers and says, “I completely forgot. I have the drywall with me.”
I laugh, “That was you with the construction company? I was just told it was a newer coyote. Looks like my pattern is holding, then.”
He nods, “Yep. That’s me. What pattern?”
I smile up at Taha, then explain to Kimbal, “In return for the materials and different trades doing jobs for pow wow preparation, I’ve been helping them herbally. Dream pillows and calming tea for Mae, burn salve for Thomas’ wife, and now tea for Sinopa.”
Kimbal nods before looking at his smiling mate. Without looking away, he states surely, “I’d pay 10x that amount in drywall for her to have these last 15 minutes of calm.”
It’s an hour before sunset, and I’m looking out at my backyard. The pillars are all poured for the cabin and porch. The beam ties are all leveled and placed in the top of the curing concrete. Some of the boys even have a pile of rocks and larger stones set aside at the treeline, for what will become the bottom 3 feet of foundation ‘skirting’. I just need to figure out where I want the crawlspace access to be located.
Taha wraps his arms around my waist from behind, so I lean back into him as I say, “It looks really good. A lot was accomplished today, for both the cabin and inside. Dad and Leah have everything inside ready for Thomas and Andy to do the plumbing and electrical. I’ll have them start in the morning if they don’t have any other jobs in the works. Seeing what’s already done, I’m hoping to have the inside done tomorrow. At least we can set all the beds up in the lofts that way. It’ll be crowded for a few days until we finish the cabin, but they’ll have beds to sleep in. Greg said the first few tribes will be showing up tomorrow before lunch.”
My mate hums into my neck, then whispers, “Breathe, Little Coyote. Close your eyes for a second, and just listen. Listen to nature. Listen to your Dad laughing. Listen to the soothing sound of our hearts. Just take a second to clear your mind and recenter yourself.”
I let out a slow breath, then do as Taha asks. My mind and nerves both calm considerably, so after a few minutes, I open my eyes while turning partially to catch his gaze. “Thanks. I needed that, I guess.”
He turns me in his arms, then cups my face as he places several soft, sweet kisses on my lips. When he speaks, it’s to say softly, “Your mind and body both have been going full speed since you first woke today, Sweetheart. We have accomplished a great deal today, so for tonight, just stop and celebrate those tasks being complete. The only thing other than relaxing that is acceptable tonight, is showing both Thomas and Andy the new bathroom space and the basement layout. Will you agree to that for me, please? No worrying about tomorrow; no making plans to fix 10 different things that haven’t even gone wrong yet. Some of the pack from the other side of the reservation will be here tonight. Relax and take the time to get to know them.”
I hold his hands to my face and smile, “Yes, my mighty wolf. I will agree to those terms. I’m supposed to be joining the girls, kicking my feet up and drinking virgin pina coladas.”
He chuckles, “Then you’ll also be meeting the other imprints. Watch out for Avory. He’s Nova’s imprint… and he’ll have you in tears laughing before you know it. They’re taking things slowly because Avory’s parents are still in the ‘trying to accept’ phase of him coming out. Oh, and Kimbal’s imprint Sinopa hasn’t ventured too far from home lately. Her morning sickness has only gotten worse since the start of her 2nd trimester.”
I nod, then remember the tea recipe on the opposite page from this morning’s calm night tea. It was a healthy pregnancy tea, so I make a note to read up on that page to see if it will help Sinopa.
Of course, Taha sees me thinking, so he asks with a chuckle, “What are you up to now, Miss Swan?”
I shrug with a smile, then say, “I want to read up on the tea I saw this morning… just to see if it might help Sinopa. Gran Hurit had a healthy pregnancy tea blend. I’ll have to find out what’s in it, then talk to either Sinopa or Kimbal.”
Taha gives me a slow kiss, then whispers against my lips, “We have just under an hour before everyone congregates back here. Would you like some help? We can have a batch made up easily in that amount of time.”
I nod, grinning as I say, “I’ll take every moment I can get with you.”
I see Greg out of the corner of my eye, so I pat Taha’s shoulder, then call out to Greg. When he jogs over, I ask, “Will you give me Kimbal’s number, please? I have a few questions for him.”
He gives me a curious look, but nods and scrolls through the contacts in his phone. Instead of just calling out the number to me, he hits the call button and puts it on speakerphone.
I grin at Greg, then hear Sinopa answer Kimbal’s phone. “Greg, is there an emergency? We’re on our way to that address you said was Bella’s.”
I chuckle, “Hi, Sinopa. This is Bella. Greg let me use his phone. There’s no emergency that I know of, I just had a couple of questions for you.”
She hums a bit, then says, “Sure, shoot.”
I nod, then get down to business, “Taha told me you were having a rough time with morning sickness. My Gran Hurit had several tea recipes, and one was for a healthy pregnancy. My questions are these… have you had any medical complications so far? Are you allergic to anything? Do you even drink tea? Finally, are you taking any medications other than your prenatal vitamin?”
She hums, “I absolutely love tea. Even if I didn’t, everyone knows your great-grandmother’s recipes are gold. I’ve not had any complications, and the only thing I’ve ever had an allergic reaction to was my contacts. As for medications, I take my prenatal, vitamin D, and I was just prescribed this nausea medication to take as needed. No other medications. Do you think tea will help? I don’t really want to take the nausea pills if I don’t have to.”
I nod, “I’m going to go inside after we hang up to make sure. I want to make sure I was right about the properties of the herbs. If I was, I’ll make you up a batch to take home with you. I’ll even have a cup waiting for you, if you want.”
She sighs, saying, “Thanks, Bella. They should really name this ‘all the damn time sickness.’ I can’t seem to get away from it, and it’s starting to show with my weight checks. I’ve lost a total of 5 pounds since I first found out I was pregnant.”
I promise her that we’ll try to remedy that, then tell her I’ll see her soon. When I press the end button, Greg surprises me by pulling me into a fierce hug. When he lets me go, he says in explanation, “Not a medicine woman my ass. You, Little Coyote, are becoming quite the healer. I heard what you did for Devon’s family.”
I shrug, then say, “Oh, by the way. Please let Andy know I have the tea blend and dream pillows made up for Mae. If I can get him those before Mae settles in for tonight, maybe they can get her routine started.”
He nods, gives me another hug, then thanks me as he pulls out his phone again.
Once inside, Taha and I head straight for the medicine room. I flip through the pages of this morning’s healing journal until I find the recipe I’m looking for. I read aloud, “Says ingredients… spearmint, nettle, chamomile, red raspberry leaf, echinacea, ginger root, and wild yam root.”
I can feel Taha moving around me as I speak, grabbing the ingredients from the shelves for me. When he stills, I say, “Nettle is rich in minerals. Chamomile, spearmint, and ginger combat morning sickness. Red raspberry leaves are high in iron and are said to be the midwife’s best friend. It lists a bunch of things here it helps with, both prenatal and postnatal. Wild yam helps in the prevention of miscarriage, pregnancy cramps, and nausea. Then Echinacea helps build a strong immune system and prevents infection. Honestly, if this works as advertised, she should be in prime shape for a relatively easy labor and delivery. I want her to read this description.”
Taha picks up the basket full of ingredients, then follows me back up to the kitchen. I quickly find my rhythm once all my ingredients are laid out, so I’m surprised when I hear a knock on the front door, and a man’s voice calling out, “Bella? It’s Kimbal and Sinopa.”
I smile and look at Taha, calling, “Come right through. We’re in the kitchen.”
Kimbal, tall and built, looks like a mountain compared to his small mate, Sinopa. After only a second, I see her eyes drift closed, and she takes a long deep breath in through her nose. I wait, then smile as I see a little color coming back into her cheeks and hear her sigh in what sounds like pure relief.
Taha immediately turns on the tap, filling the tea kettle, then starts the stove and sets the kettle on to heat.
I point to the stool opposite of where I’m working, so Kimbal guides her into it. “Welcome. Have a seat and relax for a few minutes while I prepare this for you. I want you to read what Gran Hurit wrote about this recipe.”
I turn the open journal to Sinopa, then point to the page before mixing the ingredients in the bowl by hand. She hums quietly a few times, then looks up at her mate. Kimbal finishes reading, then squats down so he’s the same height as Sinopa. “You said yourself on the way here that Hurit’s recipes are gold. Even though no one’s been able to have them in ages, they’re still raved about all over the reservation. You’re also the calmest now that you’ve been the whole pregnancy. I haven’t seen you hold your breath or cover your mouth once since we walked in.”
Sinopa nods with a small smile, saying softly, “It’s soothing… the melding scents.”
I fill a tea ball infuser with a measured amount of the blend, then drop it in the teacup Taha places on the counter. He fills the cup for her, so I say, “Let that steep for a few minutes. Let the steam drift up to you. If breathing the scent in for that time doesn’t make you sick, and you feel ready, you can sip on it slowly.”
I start scooping the mix into the canister by hand, saying, “There is enough in this tin for about 50 cups of tea. I’ll write the amount per cup on a label for you. Remember that you should keep to 3-4 cups per day, to keep the nausea down and promote the properties of the herbs. If you need to, since it’s summer, have a hot cup in the morning and at night, then steep and refrigerate a large batch for a midday glass of iced tea. I would think you could safely store 3 days worth at a time… around 48 ounces or so, if you have a 16 oz glass of iced tea each day.”
When I gently lift the ball from the teacup, I let it drain for a second, then lay it on the plate. Sinopa inhales deeply and gives me a small smile. After a second, she nods, “Even if all this does is keep the nausea down, I’ll be happy. If it helps with all the other stuff, that’s just icing on the cake.”
She takes a small sip, then another before she hums, “It’s slightly sweet… not too strong… I like it!”
By the time she’s finished her cup of tea, I can see the tension leaving both Sinopa and Kimbal. Kimbal nods silently to me, so I give him a small smile in return. Then he snaps his fingers and says, “I completely forgot. I have the drywall with me.”
I laugh, “That was you with the construction company? I was just told it was a newer coyote. Looks like my pattern is holding, then.”
He nods, “Yep. That’s me. What pattern?”
I smile up at Taha, then explain to Kimbal, “In return for the materials and different trades doing jobs for pow wow preparation, I’ve been helping them herbally. Dream pillows and calming tea for Mae, burn salve for Thomas’ wife, and now tea for Sinopa.”
Kimbal nods before looking at his smiling mate. Without looking away, he states surely, “I’d pay 10x that amount in drywall for her to have these last 15 minutes of calm.”