It hadn’t been long at all that he’d returned home from his own trip to the forest, though clearly in a much different part. He was resting on the ground, watching with a lazy smile his newest gem as she twinkled under rays of sunlight dappling through the canopy, when he heard Jinju’s call. He was at attention instantly, sharp eyes snapping to her direction with a jerk of his head and a stinging unease piercing his veins. Jinju never called for him this way unless something was happening. Often, they’d rather just seek each other out quietly.
He rose to his feet, reaching to blow a cold breath on the glittering jewels of ice embedded in his little Polaris. She seemed to enjoy them, which pleased him greatly and warmed his belly as though he could drink in the glowing light on the other side of her eyes. He brushed his muzzle across her shining cheek, a silent request in his eyes, Come, and turned to find Jinju.
The whispering chime at his side as he walked soothed his tension just the slightest, as did her firm little touches wherever she could reach him. He knew if he looked, he would find worried and curious little eyes looking to him for comfort and reassurance. So he didn’t look, didn’t show her that he lacked comfort to offer just then. No matter what, he would keep her safe, though.
When he caught sight of Jinju, he spoke as he continued forward, his brows creased in concern. ”Jinju, is everyth--”
He stopped instantly as his gaze dropped heavily to the girl at her side. His face blanked and he stared at her. Spotted like him. Gray like her. Purple like him. Hardy like her. His heart seized and raced, pain and confusion flashing in his eyes beneath a growing frown of puzzled hurt. It wasn’t possible. She hadn’t been pregnant. Not unless she --No, but why would she hide it with her magic? What reason would she have? Unless it was someone else’s, another man’s. No, surely not.
He spared a hard glance at Jinju. Had she known of this? Surely, she would have told him. Did she know what he had tried to keep her from learning? And had she known her mother was pregnant? But there in her eyes was the regret for not having a chance to warn him of this, the confusion matching his that this was even possible, that Reagan had been pregnant when they last saw her. That he had a child. A child that was the mirror of her mother in features, sprinkled with the likeness of him. A child that was very much, impossibly, his. The undeniable truth was there in ice-blue eyes that were exactly his but not as they stared back at him.
There were no words he could grasp long enough to speak as he straightened, once again staring down at her. Confused, hurt. At a loss. It was impossible. But clearly it wasn't. Look how old she was already now, somewhere between a number of months and a year old. He'd missed her birth. Missed her early childhood. Reagan had never said she was pregnant. Had never come to tell him of their child. Was not here with her now, either. All the things he must have missed in her life already. First steps, first words, first smiles and laughs. First falls, first tears he could never go back and wipe away for her.
His pain was slowly growing to a deep anger, his teeth clenched tight. How could she keep this from him? He turned to Jinju again, his voice sharp but not towards her. "She still keeps hidden from you?" But he tried to shake it off, bury the rising emotions, tried to soften as he turned back to the girl, his daughter. "What's your name," he asked as gently as he could with a chest riddled with holes, pains both new and old surfacing.
He rose to his feet, reaching to blow a cold breath on the glittering jewels of ice embedded in his little Polaris. She seemed to enjoy them, which pleased him greatly and warmed his belly as though he could drink in the glowing light on the other side of her eyes. He brushed his muzzle across her shining cheek, a silent request in his eyes, Come, and turned to find Jinju.
The whispering chime at his side as he walked soothed his tension just the slightest, as did her firm little touches wherever she could reach him. He knew if he looked, he would find worried and curious little eyes looking to him for comfort and reassurance. So he didn’t look, didn’t show her that he lacked comfort to offer just then. No matter what, he would keep her safe, though.
When he caught sight of Jinju, he spoke as he continued forward, his brows creased in concern. ”Jinju, is everyth--”
He stopped instantly as his gaze dropped heavily to the girl at her side. His face blanked and he stared at her. Spotted like him. Gray like her. Purple like him. Hardy like her. His heart seized and raced, pain and confusion flashing in his eyes beneath a growing frown of puzzled hurt. It wasn’t possible. She hadn’t been pregnant. Not unless she --No, but why would she hide it with her magic? What reason would she have? Unless it was someone else’s, another man’s. No, surely not.
He spared a hard glance at Jinju. Had she known of this? Surely, she would have told him. Did she know what he had tried to keep her from learning? And had she known her mother was pregnant? But there in her eyes was the regret for not having a chance to warn him of this, the confusion matching his that this was even possible, that Reagan had been pregnant when they last saw her. That he had a child. A child that was the mirror of her mother in features, sprinkled with the likeness of him. A child that was very much, impossibly, his. The undeniable truth was there in ice-blue eyes that were exactly his but not as they stared back at him.
There were no words he could grasp long enough to speak as he straightened, once again staring down at her. Confused, hurt. At a loss. It was impossible. But clearly it wasn't. Look how old she was already now, somewhere between a number of months and a year old. He'd missed her birth. Missed her early childhood. Reagan had never said she was pregnant. Had never come to tell him of their child. Was not here with her now, either. All the things he must have missed in her life already. First steps, first words, first smiles and laughs. First falls, first tears he could never go back and wipe away for her.
His pain was slowly growing to a deep anger, his teeth clenched tight. How could she keep this from him? He turned to Jinju again, his voice sharp but not towards her. "She still keeps hidden from you?" But he tried to shake it off, bury the rising emotions, tried to soften as he turned back to the girl, his daughter. "What's your name," he asked as gently as he could with a chest riddled with holes, pains both new and old surfacing.
