09-30-2016, 08:33 PM
The girl tilts her head at me, her amber eyes studying me, roving my body and noting the similarities and the differences. I like the way she squares her shoulders and stares, bold and brave even though she’s tiny and alone. “It’s nice to meet you, Raeg’n. And I like your hair too, and your coat. Kind of like mine, but brighter, and our eyes are close too.” I tilt my head too for a moment, wondering what her mother looks like, and how she comes to be all alone so little. So very like me.
But what are the odds her mom’s red and gold and utterly indifferent to another newborn? I shrug off the feeling as just a whole lot of empathy for a girl in a far too familiar situation, and I smile at the girl who could easily be my sister. What a weird thought. Hey, I wonder if my mother had any kids before me. Anyone could be my blood and I’d never know it, how utterly bizarre. But I tuck the thought away for later, because now’s a time for me and Raeg’n to get to know each other.
“Not exactly,” I answer when she asks if I live in the forest. “Though I suppose as good as. My family lives in Tephra, which is this really pretty forest not too far from here actually. I just can’t be there. Not because of them, they’re quite lovely. Especially my daddy, he’s maybe my favorite person in the whole world. Found me when I was younger than you are even, if not by much, adopted me, and took me home to live with him back before the whole world changed and all. But well, our goddess isn’t exactly all sunshine and rainbows, and we clashed a bit, and she banned me from entering my family’s homeland. So. Here I wander.”
I shrug, playing it off as not a big deal even if it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, living without my daddy around all the time. But he has a whole land to take care of and protect, and lots of other kids, and his wife, and everyone depending on him to be there for them. One little girl with feet cursed to wander can only weigh so hard against all of that. I’d never ask him to give them all up just to keep me company when I’m the one who got myself into this. “What about you?”
But what are the odds her mom’s red and gold and utterly indifferent to another newborn? I shrug off the feeling as just a whole lot of empathy for a girl in a far too familiar situation, and I smile at the girl who could easily be my sister. What a weird thought. Hey, I wonder if my mother had any kids before me. Anyone could be my blood and I’d never know it, how utterly bizarre. But I tuck the thought away for later, because now’s a time for me and Raeg’n to get to know each other.
“Not exactly,” I answer when she asks if I live in the forest. “Though I suppose as good as. My family lives in Tephra, which is this really pretty forest not too far from here actually. I just can’t be there. Not because of them, they’re quite lovely. Especially my daddy, he’s maybe my favorite person in the whole world. Found me when I was younger than you are even, if not by much, adopted me, and took me home to live with him back before the whole world changed and all. But well, our goddess isn’t exactly all sunshine and rainbows, and we clashed a bit, and she banned me from entering my family’s homeland. So. Here I wander.”
I shrug, playing it off as not a big deal even if it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, living without my daddy around all the time. But he has a whole land to take care of and protect, and lots of other kids, and his wife, and everyone depending on him to be there for them. One little girl with feet cursed to wander can only weigh so hard against all of that. I’d never ask him to give them all up just to keep me company when I’m the one who got myself into this. “What about you?”