Chapter 25: Winter 878 AD

Gabrain had sent messages to tell Scott that he wanted to return to Inveraray for the St Andrew's day celebration.

As a surprise, Scott ordered his builders to build a new house for Gabrain's use, already missing his young friend badly. He designed this house to be bigger than his own and to include the whole range of improvements that he had introduced so far. He spent a lot of his time with the craftsmen during the construction, suggesting refinements to his original designs and sharing the work with them. It was a mighty task to try and get the structure finished in time but everyone was throwing themselves into it with a will.

The building was finished and ready only a few days before Gabrain returned with Esta and young Scott. He was delighted with his new accommodation, as was Esta and they settled in quickly.

The day of the holiday arrived but the attention of Scott and his wives was distracted by the fact that the little elf went into labour. Gabrain told Scott to stay with Eilean and leave the celebrations up to him to lead.

Fiona was attending Eilean and Hella was assisting. Th weather outside was unkind for St Andrew's day, strong winds and driving rain and the labour was the longest Scott had been party to yet. Eilean suffered contractions for most of the day and, night had fallen before Fiona said that she thought it was at last time.

Scott was in his customary position, beside his pregnant wife, holding her hand and trying to support her through the pain. He could see that his little elf was exhausted from her daylong ordeal and he was praying it would come to an end soon.

"I can see the baby's head Eilean, push with the contractions my love, push, it's nearly over." Fiona encouraged.

Scott moved to the foot of the bed, between Eilean's open thighs. He could see the top of the baby's head and it reminded him of the birth of little Tina, his first child. Tears burst from his eyes as his memories of Kirsty and Tina welled up within him and he found himself blubbing and struggling to breathe.

Eilean squealed as another contraction hit her and Scott could see her try to concentrate on pushing down on the baby. He noticed three little fingers beside the baby's head and as Eilean pushed, more of the head emerged and along with it a hand and arm. He looked on amazed as it almost looked like the baby had extended an arm with which to pull itself out to help its mother, the arm raised like superman in flight. Another push by Eilean and the baby's neck and one shoulder appeared.

Scott tried to blink away the tears and compose himself, but the emotion was huge, like a massive ball expanding inside his chest. He stretched out his hands to catch the child, holding it as he had little Tina some years before, pulling gently to help the birth. The little arm extended and he felt the fingers of the baby's hand grip his forearm tightly.

Scott's assistance, and the apparent determination of the baby to deliver itself, helped speed up the final moments. Scott felt the full weight of the infant drop into his hands and he looked down at it, marvelling anew at the wonder of nature. Perfectly formed little fingers and toes, fingernails, matted hair on its head, its chest expanding as it breathed in its first tastes of air.

Fiona struggled to try and prise the baby from him as he stared into its little face. He could swear the eyes were open and staring back at him, a twinkle evident there. Once more the emotion washed over him and he felt so protective of this little bundle, perhaps Tina's death weighing heavily on his conscience.

He shrugged Fiona off and walked round the bed to hand the tot over to the washed-out Eilean. She couldn't even raise her head but natural instincts made her take the baby and bring it directly to her breast where it began to feed hungrily immediately.

"It's a boy my little elf, a boy. I was so positive we would have a daughter, was sure. I have not thought of a boy's name."

"Crinan, Scott. He should be called Crinan. Always I have loved Dunadd's little port, the place and the name. Please, let him be called Crinan."

Even these few words completely exhausted Eilean and she dropped off to sleep, Crinan still feeding happily at her breast. Scott could hear the sounds of 'Amazing Grace' on the pipes coming in through the balcony. He had taught the pipers this only a few weeks before and now it seemed very appropriate.

Fiona and Hella shooed Scott from the room, keen to finish off the work of delivering the baby. He staggered almost from the house, into the wild night, and made his way to the hall-house. The weather had subdued the celebrations somewhat but there were still people drinking and singing. Pipes were playing. He told Gabrain that Eilean had given birth to a boy and managed to get his hands on a drink.

The birth had really affected him and he felt the need to find somewhere to be alone for a little while, but everywhere seemed to have some kind of revelry going on. He had a thought and returned to the house to grab his original rucksack. It weighed far heavier than it had before because it was now his hiding place for the Gold coins and silver ingots he was slowly amassing.

He grabbed a jug of wine and a beaker and left the house, making his way behind it to find a spot under a couple of large trees and quickly pitching his tent to get out of the rain and wind.

He poured himself some wine and sat thinking. The wonder of childbirth was incredible and it was still with him, the warm glow of thinking that you had played a part in producing a new life, a little human an amazing 'high'. As well as bringing tears to his eyes once more the birth of little Crinan had done one other thing; it had made up his mind about the issue of gunpowder. He had decided that he had to do everything he could to defend those around him and if that meant developing gunpowder then so be it, it had to be.

At mental peace on this issue at last, he allowed himself to simply enjoy the pleasure of creating a new baby with his little elf. He drank more wine and listened to the weather howl outside. Thunder crashed and lightning flashed, illuminating the inside of the tent. Draining the wine from the beaker, he crawled into his original sleeping bag and lay down. He could hear the storm coming closer and tried to focus on it as he dropped off to sleep. The loud crack and bright light that lit up the tent passed him by as he snored gently.