[ b ] Written in the Stars (Sky Teller & Hush)

[rexcorvus]

He was not particularly good at understanding the inner workings of how the Motherfather determined who was and who was not going to be a parent - but at the very least, Sky Teller grasped the concept that to be chosen was a great honor and it was an indication that he was perhaps going in the right direction with his life.

Maybe. He certainly hoped so, at least. He knew perfectly well that being a father did not automatically mean that he was somehow filled with an incredible amount of knowledge and wisdom (the opposite, most likely) and that it was something to work towards, but maybe this would give him a bit of guidance that he hadn't had before.

Which was why he was wandering along a nearby river, watching the rushing water, wondering if there was someone around that could maybe help him.

[Owlsomniac]

It's not very often that Hush gets visitors near her part of the river. After all, she chose the location to be just a bit off the beaten path... Yet there's no denying that familiar pull of warmth within that tells her someone nearby is in need.

They're coming her way, so she doesn't bother to stop what she's doing, and wades out into the shallow river again - laying the last few long sticks in the flow to catch some fish for dinner. She looks up just as the buck rounds the corner, and smiles at him, hopping out of the water with a few quick steps, a small dark shadow following her.

It's apparent the shadow is in fact a mongoose, though ghostly in appearance, which mostly seems to mimic her movements, but now and then its ears twitch independently, or it tilts its head as though listening to something else. Its eyes have the same deep red glow as the mare's, and their markings are identical.

"Hello there," she says, her voice soft and husky, as though it's not often she speaks.

"What brings you to these parts, today?"

[rexcorvus]

He hears the splash of a hoof in water, followed by the steady, quiet traipsing of someone (or maybe something) drawing nearer and Sky Teller lifts his head, eyes narrowing ever so slightly in anticipation. He's not quite sure what to expect; after all, he's never met a legendary, one of the enlightened ones that he's heard so many tales about, and he's not exactly certain whether or not he should be bracing himself for something daunting.

But what rounds the corner is a dark, red-eyed creature with rounded ears and a thick tail that looks soft enough to rest his head upon. Something bobs at the zikwa's ankles, fading in and out of view before it resolves itself into what appears to be a mongoose. Sky Teller eyes it, tracing the matching eyes, the bright look on its face.

The voice that wafts towards him is soft, unthreatening, at least from first listen. Sky Teller tilts his head and draws his gaze back to the zikwa, lifting from the mongoose.

"I'm expecting," he says, and then corrects, "well, not me. My...partner," he says, eventually, because he's not quite sure how to describe the other buck. "We both are. I understand that you and your kind...help with that."

[Owlsomniac]

She smiles kindly at his slight awkwardness. It's charming, and sweet. It always is, when the newly expectant parents turn up. Especially when they're first time parents.

"I can," she says, easily, and cocks her head at him as she curls her long, fluffy, tail over her back to dry where it won't collect too much dirt.

"What is it you hope for, for your new family?"

[rexcorvus]

The zikwa is made of shadow, it's bright eyes alert and keen. Sky Teller still feels a little uncertain, but he can't sense any danger from her; she seems to be watching him with a kindness he's not sure he deserves from a stranger, except that she's one of the special sorts of strangers. He can feel himself relaxing, bit by bit, in her quiet presence.

He's a little jealous of that tail.

"Safety," says Sky Teller, after a moment's consideration. "And...well, strength, I suppose. I've never been a father before. Is it hard, do you know? Are you a parent?"

[Owlsomniac]

Hush smiles once more and steps closer to get a better look at him. Though her eyes are not covered like that of many of her kind, her sight, like most zikwas, still is not the best - especially during the day.

His questions fill her with a sense of amusement and sympathy, both, because she very much remembers what it was like to be a first time parent and not know anything of it.

"I am a mother," she says, with deep affection toward her children. "I have two - a boy and a girl. Being a parent is a choice, of course... Not all of our kind choose it, because it is the harder path. Perhaps one of the hardest paths you will ever walk. Yet, it is so rewarding to watch them grow, to play some small part in the shaping of their lives, to witness them grow and blossom and become. Nothing, in my life, has ever been so rewarding, nor so difficult. The fact you are here, now, is a testament to what you are willing to do for them already. I have no doubt whatsoever that your children will be safe with you to look out for them, as you already are."

Her eyes glow a little brighter, then, as she seems to stand straighter, lifting her head as her ears flick forward - all her attention focused on him, and her words, though spoken in the same soft, husky, voice of before, have a new weight to them when she says, "May your children know the safety and peace of a loving parent, and grow to be as thoughtful and kind as their father."

Then, she smiles, and swishes her tail - the moment broken, "You're welcome to visit me here anytime you wish. I am not always home, but I do not mind lending an ear to those who need. Especially if you bring your little ones to visit," her eyes gleam with a playfulness at that last bit, and then she nods and begins to turn away, to resume her fishing.

[rexcorvus]

He listens quietly, feeling a sense of warm reassurance wash over him at the sound of her voice. She's not exactly the kindest looking, or perhaps she's just made of shadow; at the same time, he can't help but feel that she's not the sort to do anything to harm him. He's never experienced one of her kind before, and the anxiety that has plagued him from the start has ebbed away now, replaced instead by something gentler, more soothing.

He thinks of his mate, and his future children, and something in his heart skips a beat.

"Thank you," he says to the doe, ducking his head. It's partly out of respect, partly out of shyness. "I appreciate your words. And your blessing. And the -invitation, as well."

Sky Teller straightens and offers her a small smile. "I feel much better now, I think."