Circinae

I guess I don’t have much else to do so I end up wandering here. It’s not all that bad - a little quiet but that seems to me a good thing. The less noise around here the less it seems that horses are abandoning their young. Oh, sure, the smells all remain: Stallion, mare, even old smells that I can’t really place. They’re still here, and the memory they left is still here, but the owners are long gone. Makes me wonder what happened to all the little buggers who didn’t have someone coming through to pick up children like wayward puppies. Such a sad thought.

I was one of the lucky ones anyways. Always had mom and dad somewhere nearby to encourage or reprimand. Though my parents could hardly be called a ‘couple’, they worked silently and easily with one another when they happened to be together. I never understood why that was but I’d never felt the need to ask, so I guess I’ll just never know. One of life’s little mysteries. What concerns me more now is that I’ve picked up on a particular smell that doesn’t seem so old.

All it takes is the rounding of a tree and there she is: little angry ball of red fur and nothing but legs. I’m shocked, actually, to see her out here all alone. Shocked more by the fact that I had no idea what to do with her. I’m practically a baby myself. “Are you … you know, abandoned?” I ask hesitantly, because I can’t really think of anything else to say and she’s just standing there, staring, and I’m not about to be that weirdo who steals someone’s kid. Just another thing to add to my already slowly filling plate.

The Wolf of Water

Circinae

The little girl looks at me about the same way everyone does. I’ve grown so accustomed to it that it no longer bothers me. “Wear it like a suit of armor... “ My parents used to tell me, “... and it’ll become your shield.” I can still see the pride of my own father’s eyes every time he saw my green shape wiggle out from some rock ledge or another. It only reminds me of the worry in my mother’s eyes. Two sides of the same coin. “Oh.” I counter, feeling the tension rise between us. Am I supposed to feel any differently? I’ve heard about the gaze some mares experience the first time they see their babes, but this isn’t my get and she seems to be well aware of that also.

“Well …” I begin, glancing around us while the terrible emptiness of this place really comes crashing down around me. I’m seconds away from telling her no - the word is right there on the tip of my tongue, but it just doesn’t seem right. I sigh, turning back to look at her with a more focused stare. She’s certainly a gangly thing, all edges and no curves. The star on her forehead draws attention to her broad eyes, and I take them in as they plead with me. “What are you thinking, Circy?” I ask myself, and then I begin to think about what kind of monster would turn her away.

“Well to be honest with you I have no idea where we’d be headed, or even where we’d end up, but I think that traveling alone is more work than it’s cut out to be.” I consent, making it clear that my mind was settled. “I could use a lookout. What do you say? Will you help?” I ask, eyes intent on her smaller, much more worried face. I don’t want her thinking she’s a burden, and I certainly don’t want her moping all the time, so for now this is the best I can offer.

The Wolf of Water

Circinae

Whatever I said seems to have done the trick. The girl - Raeanne - seems to be perfectly capable of holding her own, regardless of the fact that she’s been dumped like yesterday’s trash here in this miserably quiet place. I shudder to think of how her night would’ve been, had I decided instead to leave. “Hey I’m all for it, this place gives me the creeps.” I tell her, shrugging off the uncomfortable weight of what’s transpired between us. “I will say this though -” I begin, turning about to follow the worn path that would lead us to the open arms of Beqanna and her creatures, “-You don’t have to miss your mom, but you shouldn’t forget her name. Or your dad’s. If it’s one thing I’m sure about, it’s that family ties can open up some strange doors.”

I wonder what sort of doors it would’ve opened for me in the old world. But that world - and that Circinae - are long gone now. This Circinae has a kiddo in tow, one that’s much sharper than I’d given her credit for. “Raeanne, huh?” I question, finding that I approve of the calling. It’s feminine with just a hint of an edge to it. At least we share a lot of vowels in common. “I’m Circinae. You can call me Circy though, if you want.” The path winds on and then we’re close to being back on the cusp of normal society. With each step, I feel a confidence begin to grow about the red filly. Maybe fate had a hand in this after all.

The mountains are directly West, the gathering fields directly North, but none of them seem to appeal to me at the moment. What I needed … no, what we both needed was a change of scenery. “How do you feel about hopping the river near the lake to the Northwest and doing some Kingdom sight-seeing?” I ask, tilting my head slightly as a wayward grin stretches over my lips. “I hear Taiga is nice this time of year.”

The Wolf of Water