[ b ] A New Awakening (Awakens at Dusk & Fierce Warrior)

[rexcorvus]

In the early hours of the morning, Awakens at Dusk stood at the crest of a hill, her long braid trailing down her back, her bright eyes taking in the land around her. It wasn't much, in all honesty; a bit of tufty grass that made for a nice area to take a nap, a babbling stream that was home to several tiny, darting fish of varying colors. A lone tree stood just to the side of the hill, its branches only beginning to bloom as spring started to make its way through the swamp, buds of leafy green and small clusters of little pink flowers.

Awakens took a deep breath, smelling blossoms and water and a hint of rain. She smiled.

"Everything the light touches," she intoned in a deliberately dramatic voice, "that's all mi - "

"Please stop," said Fierce.

[rexcorvus]

"You're too much like your mother," said Fierce Warrior.

He was wondering, not for the first time, why he had agreed to come - though he supposed he had no real choice in the matter. Awakens had asked for a blessing, and that was what Fierce did, that was the path he had decided to take with his life. He couldn't pick and choose whether the kin was worthy or not, and realistically, he knew that Awakens was worthy. Just a bit of an oddball.

"You asked me here for a reason," he said now, his tone a touch resigned, "Or, well, I heard your call. It was nonspecific if you wanted it to be me or not."

[rexcorvus]

Awakens gave the stag a serene look. Fierce Warrior and Merry Go Round, her mother, were friends, sort of. They were at least acquaintances and Merry hadn't really said anything bad about Fierce. Just that he was a bit strange, a bit of a loner, a bit of a withdrawn sort of kin who was less annoying than most of the blessed ones but perhaps not as vocal. Or maybe that had just been Merry's opinion, Awakens wasn't entirely sure. Either way, he was here, and he was going to help her.

"I just thought it would be nice," she said, flashing him a bright smile, "to get to know you. Well, and to bless my future babies. I met the most wonderful totoma, she had the most beautiful flowing white hair and the brightest eyes and all of these flowers and I just really thought she was quite lovely, and, well.."

Awakens sighed dreamily. "Here we are. Did you know that there's a special type of flower that can make it so two does can have babies? It's quite marvelous. I think I would like to see Rosy again, she was just so wonderful."

[rexcorvus]

"I, er, did know that," said Fierce, because he was thinking of Dusk Wave, and then he was thinking very hard about not thinking of him, and then he found that he was close to blushing, so he cleared his throat and added, "It really is quite an amazing thing, isn't it? It allows for so much for those who want to conceive but perhaps can't."

He shifted a little where he stood on the uneven ground. "At any rate - what is it that you're hoping for? For your children, I mean. Yours and Rosy's. Yours and Rosy's children."

Fierce cleared his throat again, and said, "If there's anything specific, I'm happy to try and sway my thoughts in that direction."

[rexcorvus]

Awakens was so busy waxing poetic about Rosy that for a few moments she didn't even seem to hear that Fierce had asked her a question. When she finally did notice it, she gave a little oop sound and turned in a circle several times, her head swaying this way and that, long legs nearly tangling in the braid. It helped her think, even if Fierce was giving her a slightly startled look.

"Just that they'll be healthy, I think," said Awakens decisively, coming to a stop at last. "I think I would like to make sure they're healthy. Oh, and that they're also really cool. Oh, and also that they love us super much. Oh, and that they take after their super awesome mothers."

She beamed at Fierce.

[rexcorvus]

"Er..."

There was a slight pause. Then Fierce said, with a touch of uncertainty, "All right. I'll give it my best."

There was another pause. Fierce attempted to gather his thoughts, closing his eyes momentarily, simply letting the wind blow over him, a gentle breeze that tousled his hair. Then, when he felt he had grounded himself enough, he said, with his eyes still shut, "May your children feel yours and Rosy's thoughts. May they grow to be strong willed and strong hearted. May they be unafraid to take risks and understanding of the way the world works so that they can survive it without too much trouble. May they know peace when they ask for it."

He opened his eyes. Awakens was staring at him. Then she bounded towards him on her spindly legs, pushed her nose into his cheek in what was clearly meant to be some semblance of a kiss, and then darted away again.

"Thanks!" she shouted over her shoulder as she galloped off, "You're the best! I gotta go tell Rosy!"

Fierce stood there even as she disappeared around the bend, staring after her. Then he wondered what he was still doing there, shook his head, and decided to spend the rest of the day at home.