It had been a productive season leading up to a wondrous Winter Market. Such were the sheer numbers of participants at her booth that Albatross considered it a roaring success. She mentally counted the seasons. She better make a move on it for this year's festivities. There was plotting to be done and of course fattening up the prizes. But first it was time to bath away the guts that somehow made it into her hair. There were murmurs of the MotherFather making its round and should their paths cross once more, Albatross wanted to be prepared. And with that, she sank further into the water until half of her jaw was submerged. Blissed relief...

It had been a long while since Whispers of Death had had a clutch -- it had been an equally long time since the doe had made the sort of connection needed for a clutch with a kin that roamed the living world. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about expecting. Happiness was present, and curiosity. She was eager to see how the babes would look, and the who they would grow to be.

There was also trepidation. A worry that she might have forgotten how to be a good mother. Had she been a good mother to her first clutch?

Her mind was whirling as she wandered along the edge of the water. Lost in thought.

fluo wrote:

The blob of grey solidified into feathers and horns until a face peered down at her. Except the eyes were the unfocused and Albatross realized the other doe did not know. They didn't realize this watering hole was taken and that there was already a participant bathing. She thought on what to do. She could spit water at them. Splash them perhaps? But it was all pedantic and would invite conversation through heightened emotions- shock, disbelief, outrage, and anger. Albatross did not have time for that! The sooner the interloper left, the sooner Albatross could relax and sink into her quiet mind place.

With lights playing in her eyes from the shining stars, Albatross greeted the doe, "If I had known there was a delivery coming, I'd have asked for berries for my bath."

An unexpected voice cut through the quiet and the dark doe's circling thoughts. She froze, glowing eyes going wide as she searched the dark, before turning down to he water beside her instead. Eyes were looking back up at her, a pale face reflected in the gentle rippling of the water. They looked almost ghostly.

"If I had known someone was bathing here, I'd have picked another path to wander along," she answered back in a doleful voice. "I did not mean to disturb you."

Fluo wrote:

Albatross knew that look all too well.

"Seems like you're looking for something in particular. Or who. Something on your mind?" Albatross started kicking at the waters lazily with her hooves under the water in the equivalent of stalling. But she gave the other doe space to collect their thoughts.

The darker doe smiled ruefully, was she so obvious? "Wondering if I've forgotten how to be a mother. It's been a while." It was a lot to admit, but there was a certain freedom with knowing it was very unlikely she'd cross pathes with the other doe again. How much did it really matter what she said or not?

Whispers moved a little closer to the water, dipped a hoof in to test the temperature curiously.

"What's there to remember? Make sure they're fed and don't go into the waters before they learn how to swim." Albatross kicked away from the shore to broaden her languid swimming in circles.

"But just in case, I bless your growing clutch with excellent instincts for survival and hunting abilities."

Now an octopus furbody, she dove under the waters looking for a new spot to nap.

That sounded so very simple, and yes, Whispers did know those basic. It'd been years, but she distinctly recalled there being a bit more to it that just those few basics.

However, before she had time to question anything, the other doe was talking again. Whisper's eyes widened a touch at the word blessing, and the opened her mouth to ask what the other doe meant, but before she could get more than half a word out the the doe had changed, disappeared beneath the water leaving only ripples lingering in her wake.

A little dumbfounded, Whispers stood there a long moment before shaking her head and continuing on her way.