Nizhoni's Tale

This chapter represents the end of Nizhoni’s beginning and brings her up to the place where we started her character generation for the game. This chapter is rated PG for adult situations.

Jump to Loss

Nizhoni jerked awake. A strong hand gripped her shoulder, settling her back into the bed.
“Easy there lass,” Angus said. “Everything is ok now.”
“We’re still alive?” Nizhoni asked, realizing even as she said it, how stupid the question was.
“Aye lass! They never even came close, but when we jumped, you leaned over and threw up all over poor Gurkin, and passed right out. I cleaned you up and put you to bed.”
“But if we weren’t hit, why did I get sick?” Nizhoni asked and, then putting her hand on her stomach, looked up at him. “Do you think it could be because I’m pregnant? I heard vixens expecting kits often get sick for no reason.”
“Aye, that’s possible…” he said and was interrupted as she flung her arms around him.
“That’s the best thing I could have hoped for after all this,” Nizhoni said tearfully. “I have some little part of Hunter growing in me.”
“Well then, I’d better have some food sent up for you then. If you’re carrying a little one you need it.”
“Thank you, Angus.”
“It be no problem lass, you’re my favorite Fox, don’t you know.”

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The rest of the week went by uneventfully. The ship arrived at the first system in their jump path, where it rendezvous with the other ships and stopped just long enough to refuel. When they reentered jump, Nizhoni was sick again, but not quite as bad as the first time. Nizhoni took this ‘jump sicknesses’ as a sure sign of her pregnancy.

Three days into the second jump, boredom was beginning to set in. Nizhoni managed to find some pencil and paper and started working on some drawings to kill the time. She had always like drawing. Angus sat down and looked over her shoulder.
“Pretty,” he commented, looking at the random design she was drawing.
“Thank you.”
“Have you considered what you are going to do when we get to Jewel?”
“I don’t know,” Nizhoni said, staring at the sketch pad. “I don’t have any family left. I suppose I’ll apply for refugee status, like the rest.”
“You still have some family. You have me. You’re going to need a home and job with a young one to raise.”
Angus pointed to the design on the sketch pad.
“I have a brother on Jewel. He does custom weapon smithing. A lot of his customers are Aslan. They like fancy designs on their weapons, so he is always looking for an artist with a good eye.”
Nizhoni looked up at the red haired giant.
“Thank you, Angus. You have always been so kind to me.”
“Don’t thank me yet! You still have to convince Fergus but, from the looks of yon drawing, you shouldn’t have any problem getting a job with him.”

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Nizhoni was prepared for the third jump, making sure her stomach was empty beforehand, thus having little to throw up. She joined the company in the dining lounge for a meal shortly after the jump.
“I’m famished,” she said, taking a big helping of greller bird.
“Well eat up, you’re eating for two now,” Angus said, passing some more her way.
“Two?” One of the miners asked.
Looking at Nizhoni for permission, Angus continued, with her nod.
“Aye, it seems while we were gone, her and young Hunter tied the knot. She’s carrying his bairn.”

Shouts of congratulations went around the table, before they all settled down to eating again, and discussing names for the child. After the conversation had settled down and Nizhoni reached a pause in her meal, Dr. Lieanard came up to her.
“Rory…”
“Nizhoni,” the Fox corrected.
“Yes, I’m sorry. Nizhoni, can I talk to you in private?”
Nizhoni agreed and they went off to the observation lounge across the hall.

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Angus stepped out into the hall, just as Nizhoni came rushing past him, clearly upset. He called after her, but she didn’t stop, heading for her cabin.
Dr. Lieanard stepped out into the hall.
“I wished you had mentioned the pregnancy to me earlier,” she said.
“I just assumed ye knew, since ye examined her after the first two jumps. Why? Is there something wrong with the bairn?”
“Angus, there never was a baby. She is not pregnant.”
“Oh my God! But what about the sickness?”
“Jump sickness, that’s all. You had better go talk to her. Let me know if I can help.”
“Aye.”

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Angus entered the cabin unnoticed, as Nizhoni sobs filled the room. She noticed him when he sat next to her on the bed and tried to stem the tears.
“Angus, I’m sorry.” She said.
“Here now lass, you have nothing to be sorry over. Cry it out, if it helps.”
“I know it’s just that I so much wanted it to be Hunter’s child. It was something of him and everyone else. Now they’re all gone! My whole life is gone!” She broke into a new round of sobbing.

“There, there lass,” Angus said as he cuddled her into his arms. “Life is just that way sometimes. We just have to accept it and move on. Ye have a whole new life ahead of you now.”
“I know,” she said and continued sobbing into his shirt.
He just held her tight and rocked her until she fell asleep in his arms.