Ice Ice Babies Read Online Free Page A

Hemalo’s cave just in time to see Hemalo stalking out, spear in hand and fur cloak over his shoulders. He gives me a courteous nod but doesn’t stop. The privacy screen is open, though, so I knock on the stone wall - a mental ‘leftover’ from human life even though the sound is practically inaudible - and step inside.
    “I told you to go away,” Asha snaps, not looking in my direction as she pulls her furs higher. She’s lying in her blankets, her back to me. “Go hunt and leave me be.”
    “It’s me,” I say timidly. “Is this a bad time?”
    She turns and sits up, startled. Her gaze flicks to the entrance of her cave, then to me and my babies. “Why are you here?”
    Well, it’s not the friendliest greeting but I can’t blame her. I smile brightly. “I thought I would come by and see if you wanted to help me sort tea leaves.”
    She pushes her inky black hair back and narrows her eyes at me, as if she can’t quite figure me out. “Sort…tea?”
    “Yes. I have a pile of dried leaves and no clue with what to do with them.” That part’s true at least. I’m not much for domestic stuff. Every time there’s a tea-leaf picking, I just grab handfuls of the stuff and go back to my normal chores. Could be why my tea normally tastes like, well, lawn clippings.
    Her gaze flicks from my face down to the babies. “Your kit has a dirty loincloth.” She touches her ridged nose. “I can smell it.”
    “I noticed that too. It’s a smell that lingers so I should probably head back to my cave unless you want to scent yours up with some baby doody.”
    A hint of a smile touches her face. “You can change her here. I do not mind.”
    I have a sneaking suspicion it’s so she can leave the dirty diaper on her mate’s side of the bed or something. I can’t help but notice that there’s two sleeping pallets in the cave. Obviously Hemalo and Asha aren’t sharing anything more than a room. “That’s okay. We can go back to my cave and I can put the babies in their baskets there.”
    For a moment I think she’s going to decline, but then she shrugs and gets to her feet. “If you can find no one else to help you…”
    She thinks she’s my last resort? Aw. That’s kinda sad. I beam her a smile. “Actually I came to you because Maylak says you have a good eye for this sort of thing. You’re so sweet to help me, truly.”
    Her smile broadens and there’s a bit of spring in her step as she slips on her boots and then follows me out of her cave back to mine. I keep up a steady stream of small talk as we walk back, because I know that the others are going to be watching us together, curious. Let them be curious. I’ve decided Asha needs including and damn it, I’m going to include her.
    We get back to my cave and I sigh at the sight of it. My furs are everywhere and the babies’ things seem to be scattered everywhere. “I’m sorry about the mess.”
    “Do not worry,” she says, leaning over to pick up a discarded blanket. “You have your hands full with two kits. Even one is a challenge.”
    “I’d say it’s too much, but the truth is, I wouldn’t change a thing,” I admit. “I love them both so much.” I carefully pull the twins free from the baby sling on my chest and then set them in their beds. Elsa needs changing, and I pull off her little tunic and diaper as quickly as I can, because Anna’s starting to screech at being put down.
    To my surprise, Asha picks up Anna and tucks the baby against her shoulder. There’s a look of fierce joy and longing that crosses her face, and she closes her eyes, just holding my baby against her. There’s an aching lump in my throat at the sight. Poor Asha. For all that she can be unpleasant, she’s also unhappy.
    “Thank you,” I tell her softly. “Sometimes I don’t have enough hands.”
    She chuckles and opens her eyes, her big blue hands cradling Anna with the utmost care. “You may borrow mine at any time.”
    “You joke, but I might take you up