"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
It hadn’t been that bad at first, when the child had still been small, but then the months had progressed … and so had the child. Her tiny, slim belly had ballooned to massive size, making movement both difficult and, at times, painful. And for a mare used to slinking about in the shadows, it’s been a frustrating experience.
So when her time draws near she heads straight to the Deserts, slipping from a shadow in the Valley to a shadow in the Deserts. She hangs out in one of the quieter oases for a few days, waiting for labour to start. Yael (she’d figured out the name of the magician after the fact) does not appear, though she has no doubt the magician is aware of her presence (there are always ways to tell beyond detecting mental presence), and also waiting.
And then finally the time comes.
The labour is surprisingly quick and easy, and within minutes a tiny damp bundle is lying in the sand. Rhynn hoists herself to her feet, overjoyed at how much lighter she already feels. Her belly is still distended of course, but that will go away with time. She steps up to the child, dark eyes narrowed and analytical, and begins to clean off the muck of birth. It’s a girl, a little buckskin girl. And as Rhynn watches, her shadow lying across the child’s tiny body, the part of the girl in shadow begins to fade, and disappear. “Interesting …” Very interesting. Clearly the girl has inherited something from her.
But, in the end, it is of no concern to her. Yael will be the one in charge of raising her.
When the girl has been cleaned off, Rhynn nudges her to her feet. After a few tries, the little filly stumbles over and latches on to feed. Rhynn settles in to wait. She has no doubt that Yael will be along soon.
It was interesting being a ‘stallion’ for a hot second; wham, bam, thank-you-ma’am, and none of the side effects of pregnancy. Is this what her mate feels like? She isn’t drowning in anxiety like she usually is before a birth, just a mild curiosity as to what this odd combination of women and magic will produce.
She is nearby, invisible, but still hovering protectively in case something (Adonai forbid) happen to Rhynn or their baby. Otherwise, she remains silent, and at a distance, until the little girl begins to nurse. Yael materializes and heads their way, with eyes only for the little buckskin that seems oh so tiny (even when compared to her petite size). She smiles at Rhynn, feeling the relief that comes off her, for now her part is complete, and she will have her gift. “She ees lovely. Do you xaf a name for xer, or shall I?” It’s only polite to ask, of course.
Yael slowly extends her nose towards the child, whuffling a soft greeting. “Xello t’ere darleeng…” Warm, cinnamon brown eyes look on her daughter with unabashed adoration. Oh, how her little family is growing into such a large one...
Much as she expected, it doesn’t take long for the magician to appear. Within moments of the little girl latching onto her test, the golden mare materializes out of thin air. Yael smiles at the girl, beaming so much like the proud ‘father’ that she is. At least the child will be cared for here, wanted, with a large family to look after her.
There is, deep inside, the smallest piece of regret. But she quashes it. This was the deal. And she wants her privacy back.
“I thought it, prudent, to let you name the child.” After all, Rhynn is simply the smallest part in the girl’s life. After today, she will be but a very faint memory. The girl detaches and Rhynn reaches back to her to nudge her forward. The tiny filly totters forward on shaky legs, brown eyes peering up at the golden mare in front of her in open curiosity.
The little girl glances between Rhynn and Yael, suddenly confused. “Mama?” Rhynn snorts behind her. That’ll be one for Yael to explain. Let the magician explain the two mommies and magical deal sort of thing, if she ever does. It might be kinder to the child to think she came from Yael’s womb. Rhynn nudges at her again, “go on child,” before glancing back up at Yael. She’s done her part, now it’s time for Yael to do hers.
For all that she may turn into fearsome, fire-breathing beasts, and set other Kingdoms on fire, Yael is not a malicious individual. Everything she does, she does out of love and protection for her home and her family. Did not Straia come to her Kingdom, and kill an innocent mare on her doorstep and threaten Rhy? The majority of the B’kanna doesn’t know that, of course, so her appearance in the sky and subsequent kidnapping of Weaver (who is still here, the little brat) may seem a little… uncalled for. But in the end, this child that stands between herself and Rhynn, and the deal they’ve made will mostly benefit Yael.
What does she care if a tiny little mare runs around with mental invisibility? The woman can never use her talents against the Desert, even if the Valley, or wherever she’s living, decides to break down their sandy doors.
She stretches out her nose to gently touch the buckskin girl, running her velveteen nose over her neck and body, feeling the power that is forming inside her. She whuffles softly, thinking of an appropriate name, and then feels the girl’s remaining hunger. Yael can, of course, produce milk whenever she wishes, so she she activates the glands and hormones, and the sweet ‘food’ smell wafts towards the girl. “Eleeora, t’en, I t’ink. For a girl of shadows and light.” She looks down at the baby again, and opens her wings a bit, creating an inviting space between them and her body. She murmurs sweetly, “Ees ok, leettle vone, I am your mama.”
She glances back up at Rhynn. “Eef you vant, you can come see xer. Two mozers are not so xard to explain t’ese days.” She chuckles. Another one of her children has two mothers, though that situation is entirely different. “Ze power ees yours - just remember t’at you cannot ever use eet against ze Deserts, even eef your Keengdom ees at var vit us. Or you vill lose eet. Yes?”
Rhynn watches as the golden mare reaches out to the girl and a small twinge pulls at the deepest corner of her heart. “Eliora, a pretty name.” It suites her too. Even now Rhynn can tell that when she grows, little Eliora is going to be a pretty little thing.
The girl looks up, smiling, as Yael opens her wings to her, and wobbles forward to cuddle into the little golden hollow. “Mama!” She sniffs the air, detecting the scent of milk, and wuffles about until she finds the source. Her black tail wags happily as she tucks in.
The golden mare looks back at Rhynn and offers, an olive branch of sorts. “Oh …” Rhynn pauses, unsure of what to say. She really hadn’t expected to be allowed to visit the girl. With a deal of this sort, one rather expects to never see the child again, no questions asked. But to be actually allowed to visit …
“I … I think I’d like that. Thank you.” She’s surprised at the admittance. Even though she’s been trying to dampen down every last little bit of affection towards the girl, she can’t help but feel. Damn hormones.
The magician finally fulfills her end of the deal then, and Rhynn sighs with relief as she feels the mental walls settling in. She’s finally free once again. She nods in agreement as Yael repeats her terms - “yes, yes of course” - then turns away. “I guess I’ll take my leave then.” She needs time to think, time to recover. “But I’ll be back.”
