The two kin that stood in front of Fierce Warrior were somewhat similar in appearance, but vastly different in personalities; a fact that Fierce had come to learn particularly quickly upon his first meeting with them. One of them - Sky Teller - had called for him, wanting to know more, wanting to be blessed for their upcoming clutch. The other, whose name was longer and therefore harder to recall, had argued that they should wait and weigh their options. Then there had been a long and involved discussion about which one of them would be the one to seek out another legendary. This had been followed by more back and forth, something about the cost versus the benefit and all the while Fierce had stood there awkwardly, shuffling from one hoof to the other and wondering what he had gotten himself into.
The second meeting had gone much like the first. No actual blessing was given, because they'd run out of time after Sky Teller and what was his name again? spent at least fifteen minutes bickering about which direction they were going. All three had ended up in a copse of trees at the bottom of a steep hill that had taken the entire time to climb out of.
Now they were on their third meeting, and Fierce was starting to think it was getting a bit hopeless.
"All right!" he said, much louder than he intended. Both bucks stopped amidst their squabble (something about grass and terrain and which way sunflowers pointed) and stared at him with wide eyes.
"All right,' said Fierce again, this time quieter. As ever, he was surrounded on all sides by a menagerie of varying creatures, some larger than others, some much more able to float freely and carelessly, and some (he wasn't naming names, but the shuppies) were screeching and yelling and chasing each other in circles around his hooves.
Fierce kicked one aside and gave the two bucks a smile through gritted teeth.
"Let me just bless you, all right?" he said. "And them we'll figure the rest out. But for the moment, we should focus on the here and now, and that happens to be your family. You want your family to be blessed, don't you? You want them to be happy."
The bucks looked at one another. The one whose name still escaped Fierce said, in a slightly shamed voice, "Yes. Please, that's quite kind of you."
"Sorry," whispered Sky Teller, abashed.
Fierce sighed. Then he said, "I bless that your children will be quick witted and intelligent. That they will have the knowledge to understand what is in front of them and to face things head on. I bless them with sense and goodness and that they will inhabit these good gifts from their fathers."
He stopped. At some point he had closed his eyes, but now he opened them again, looking at the pair expectantly. There was a moment of silence, and then -
"If they have any sense at all, they'll look like me," said Sky Teller.
"Oh, for the love of - "
Fierce walked away.
The second meeting had gone much like the first. No actual blessing was given, because they'd run out of time after Sky Teller and what was his name again? spent at least fifteen minutes bickering about which direction they were going. All three had ended up in a copse of trees at the bottom of a steep hill that had taken the entire time to climb out of.
Now they were on their third meeting, and Fierce was starting to think it was getting a bit hopeless.
"All right!" he said, much louder than he intended. Both bucks stopped amidst their squabble (something about grass and terrain and which way sunflowers pointed) and stared at him with wide eyes.
"All right,' said Fierce again, this time quieter. As ever, he was surrounded on all sides by a menagerie of varying creatures, some larger than others, some much more able to float freely and carelessly, and some (he wasn't naming names, but the shuppies) were screeching and yelling and chasing each other in circles around his hooves.
Fierce kicked one aside and gave the two bucks a smile through gritted teeth.
"Let me just bless you, all right?" he said. "And them we'll figure the rest out. But for the moment, we should focus on the here and now, and that happens to be your family. You want your family to be blessed, don't you? You want them to be happy."
The bucks looked at one another. The one whose name still escaped Fierce said, in a slightly shamed voice, "Yes. Please, that's quite kind of you."
"Sorry," whispered Sky Teller, abashed.
Fierce sighed. Then he said, "I bless that your children will be quick witted and intelligent. That they will have the knowledge to understand what is in front of them and to face things head on. I bless them with sense and goodness and that they will inhabit these good gifts from their fathers."
He stopped. At some point he had closed his eyes, but now he opened them again, looking at the pair expectantly. There was a moment of silence, and then -
"If they have any sense at all, they'll look like me," said Sky Teller.
"Oh, for the love of - "
Fierce walked away.