[Prolixity]

Sharp Points was nervous. This was not, of course, a new situation. Nor was the situation he found himself in entirely new, but it still made him nervous. Being a father was a large and important thing, and while he had not messed it up last time to the best of his knowledge, there was always the possibility. He felt like if he was going to ask a favor of a mare or stag, he should bring something that indicated his appreciation; he located a branch of frozen sweet winter berries and plucked it carefully. That would do, he thought. He had no idea where he should go looking, but he went looking anyway.

[Minsuil]

It was winter in the swamp, which meant, largely, that there was more rain. Burning Bush had felt the chill of the Totoma homelands in her dreams but that was only a dream. She'd seen the buck hemming and hawing in her dream too, as if the MotherFather were nudging her to awaken from a long dream and do something of use again. And as if to drive that message home they'd left her with an itchy nose. She thought she might stand here all regal and mysterious until the buck gathered his wits, but the moments passed.

"Well," she called out, are you going to wait until the doe's whelped before finding your tongue?

@Prolixity

[Prolixity]

She was magnificent, and the only reason Sharp Points wasn't gaping was that he had a branch in his mouth. Of course, he'd managed not to speak for too long, and he jumped when she rebuked him. "S-sorry! I'm, um. I was hoping to ask for a blessing. I brought you berries, as a kind of a thank you for listening," he said around the branch, his words a little muffled. He stepped closer and held the branch out, feeling suddenly inadequate. Should he have brought something nicer?

@Minsuil

[Minsuil]

A glance at the offering revealed them to be winterberries still on the branch. Nothing extravagant but it was enough for the mare today. The tartness might chase her nose-itch away. At any rate, Burning Bush knew instinctively that she would not be able to rest until this task was completed.

She loomed over him and pressed her nose to his forehead. When she drew back she offered him these cryptic words: "A blessing is easily given, but foals are not easily kept. Think carefully on what you wish to be to those children."

@Prolixity

[Prolixity]

"Thank you," Sharp Points said, humbly and sincerely. I want to be their father, was the first thing that came to mind, but ... what did that even mean? It could mean anything, really. It could even mean nothing more than what his own father had done, which was simply siring him and then leaving, and he didn't want to do that. He wanted ... to feed the children, to help them, to teach them what he could. To be a more solid creature than he had been up till now. "I want to help them grow  o be who they will be," he said finally, and looked up to the mare, hoping that she understood, that she approved.

@Minsuil