"Tell me about her," said Fierce.
There was silence for a moment, the only sounds that of the breeze rippling through the trees around them, a gentle rustle. Told's hair ghosted around her face, long, red-orange strands batting at her eyes and she tossed her head to move them away, the curls cascading down her neck in unruly waves.
"Pretty," she said finally, shifting restlessly from one hoof to the other. Somewhere close by, a cricket chirped. "Fun. Bright. She has this amazing rainbow hair, it's shorter than mine but it's all sleek and shiny."
She had been flirty, that doe. Not in an overt way, but easing into it: quick glances from behind the trunk of a towering tree, lowered lashes whenever she had stopped nearby, finding an excuse to linger whenever they had run into each other. Told had been flattered, to say the least, and then, beyond the immediate sense of confidence it had given her to know someone was interested in her, she had felt an even stronger sense of curiosity back towards the doe. Then it was Told who had been the one to linger, the one to look, the one to find time to talk whenever she could.
Long nights spent together, just sitting side by side on a hill, talking about nothing and everything.
Mornings waking up with Beauty by her side, both of them curled together, the scent of dew in their noses and the taste of crisp, cool morning air in their lungs.
Afternoons swimming in the streams, droplets splashing on their faces, chasing one another until their legs were tired and they were out of breath and collapsed, laughing, on the side of a hill, grass tickling their hooves and the sun warm on their fur.
"Is that all?" Fierce asked, his voice kind. He stood a short distance away, idly plucking the petals from a flower with his teeth. The flower had been dying, anyway; he was only helping it along farther.
"Of course not," said Told. "But that's all for now."
Fierce smiled. He said, slowly chewing on the petal, "Don't worry. Your children will be blessed with happiness and the understanding that their mothers are two very lovely kin who will cherish and adore them."
Told's face flushed. She turned away, but didn't leave, her heart in her throat. "You're just saying that because you have to."
There was a laugh in Fierce's voice as he said, "I'm saying it because it's true. Be kinder to yourself."
She wasn't sure how to do that. But she stayed, anyway, and let herself believe in the blessing because it made her feel better.
There was silence for a moment, the only sounds that of the breeze rippling through the trees around them, a gentle rustle. Told's hair ghosted around her face, long, red-orange strands batting at her eyes and she tossed her head to move them away, the curls cascading down her neck in unruly waves.
"Pretty," she said finally, shifting restlessly from one hoof to the other. Somewhere close by, a cricket chirped. "Fun. Bright. She has this amazing rainbow hair, it's shorter than mine but it's all sleek and shiny."
She had been flirty, that doe. Not in an overt way, but easing into it: quick glances from behind the trunk of a towering tree, lowered lashes whenever she had stopped nearby, finding an excuse to linger whenever they had run into each other. Told had been flattered, to say the least, and then, beyond the immediate sense of confidence it had given her to know someone was interested in her, she had felt an even stronger sense of curiosity back towards the doe. Then it was Told who had been the one to linger, the one to look, the one to find time to talk whenever she could.
Long nights spent together, just sitting side by side on a hill, talking about nothing and everything.
Mornings waking up with Beauty by her side, both of them curled together, the scent of dew in their noses and the taste of crisp, cool morning air in their lungs.
Afternoons swimming in the streams, droplets splashing on their faces, chasing one another until their legs were tired and they were out of breath and collapsed, laughing, on the side of a hill, grass tickling their hooves and the sun warm on their fur.
"Is that all?" Fierce asked, his voice kind. He stood a short distance away, idly plucking the petals from a flower with his teeth. The flower had been dying, anyway; he was only helping it along farther.
"Of course not," said Told. "But that's all for now."
Fierce smiled. He said, slowly chewing on the petal, "Don't worry. Your children will be blessed with happiness and the understanding that their mothers are two very lovely kin who will cherish and adore them."
Told's face flushed. She turned away, but didn't leave, her heart in her throat. "You're just saying that because you have to."
There was a laugh in Fierce's voice as he said, "I'm saying it because it's true. Be kinder to yourself."
She wasn't sure how to do that. But she stayed, anyway, and let herself believe in the blessing because it made her feel better.