"Do you always appear as a wolf?" Memories asked.
They were sitting side by side at the edge of a narrow stream, the water crystalline and bright, sun reflecting from its surface and casting sharp prickles of yellow over the grass of the field. Beside them, creatures moved, all of them Fierce Warrior's - some more gentle than others, some more quiet than others, and some asleep in the grass, bellies slowly rising and falling. There was one shuppy chasing another, their tails whipping through the grass. A pair of wolves sat side by side, their shoulders touching, heads bent towards one another so that the tips of their noses touched. A translucent turtle drifted in lazy circles around them, every so often giving a wide, uncaring yawn before falling back asleep.
The kimeti himself - grand, imposing, and yet with a softness around his eyes that made Memories feel at ease, rather than intimidated - was curled up with his legs bent beneath him, his eyes taking in his surroundings with mild interest. He turned to look at her and smiled, head tilted a little.
"No, not always," he said, and his tail gave a little flick. "That's actually somewhat new. Mostly, I'm an eaglehound, but sometimes I can be other things. It's all a matter of practice and...dedication, I think. It takes a bit of getting used to."
This last bit sounded almost apologetic, as if he had anything to apologize for. Memories gave him a scrutinizing look and then said, "You have a lot of children, right?"
This time he looked a little pained, almost guilty; his face creased in a kind of wince. "Yes, that's right," said Fierce. "Quite a lot. They're all grown, now, doing their own thing. Some are more inclined towards family than others. Some I haven't seen in...quite some time."
Something like a shadow passed over his face. Memories watched him, then said, before he could delve too deeply into anything bad, "Do you think I'll be a good mother?"
Fierce's regular smile was back again, gentle and kind. "I believe so. You've become a friend long before you needed any kind of assistance or guidance from me, after all. And you were quite nice when you caught me eating those berries you'd stashed away for later."
There was laughter in his voice. Memories grinned and said, "You can do better than that."
"All right, all right." Fierce eyed her, still smiling. "Your children will be blessed with the wonders of imagination, of delight, of happiness, of knowing when and where to find joy. They'll understand the magic in the swamp, and that there are all sorts of things to be had here, all sorts of incredible, wonderful things, and they'll learn it all from you both."
Memories felt heart heart give a little skip. "That's nice," she said, in as casual a voice as possible, and this time Fierce laughed allowed, the sound ringing across the water's surface.
"Isn't it?" he said. "I quite thought so."
They were sitting side by side at the edge of a narrow stream, the water crystalline and bright, sun reflecting from its surface and casting sharp prickles of yellow over the grass of the field. Beside them, creatures moved, all of them Fierce Warrior's - some more gentle than others, some more quiet than others, and some asleep in the grass, bellies slowly rising and falling. There was one shuppy chasing another, their tails whipping through the grass. A pair of wolves sat side by side, their shoulders touching, heads bent towards one another so that the tips of their noses touched. A translucent turtle drifted in lazy circles around them, every so often giving a wide, uncaring yawn before falling back asleep.
The kimeti himself - grand, imposing, and yet with a softness around his eyes that made Memories feel at ease, rather than intimidated - was curled up with his legs bent beneath him, his eyes taking in his surroundings with mild interest. He turned to look at her and smiled, head tilted a little.
"No, not always," he said, and his tail gave a little flick. "That's actually somewhat new. Mostly, I'm an eaglehound, but sometimes I can be other things. It's all a matter of practice and...dedication, I think. It takes a bit of getting used to."
This last bit sounded almost apologetic, as if he had anything to apologize for. Memories gave him a scrutinizing look and then said, "You have a lot of children, right?"
This time he looked a little pained, almost guilty; his face creased in a kind of wince. "Yes, that's right," said Fierce. "Quite a lot. They're all grown, now, doing their own thing. Some are more inclined towards family than others. Some I haven't seen in...quite some time."
Something like a shadow passed over his face. Memories watched him, then said, before he could delve too deeply into anything bad, "Do you think I'll be a good mother?"
Fierce's regular smile was back again, gentle and kind. "I believe so. You've become a friend long before you needed any kind of assistance or guidance from me, after all. And you were quite nice when you caught me eating those berries you'd stashed away for later."
There was laughter in his voice. Memories grinned and said, "You can do better than that."
"All right, all right." Fierce eyed her, still smiling. "Your children will be blessed with the wonders of imagination, of delight, of happiness, of knowing when and where to find joy. They'll understand the magic in the swamp, and that there are all sorts of things to be had here, all sorts of incredible, wonderful things, and they'll learn it all from you both."
Memories felt heart heart give a little skip. "That's nice," she said, in as casual a voice as possible, and this time Fierce laughed allowed, the sound ringing across the water's surface.
"Isn't it?" he said. "I quite thought so."