IP: 64.130.124.125
Posted on November 24, 2014 at 02:43:11 AM by Hush
html by dante for smooshie. | |
| Her breaths came quickly, despite all her attempts to calm them. If she could just relax, she could think straight, and if she could think straight, maybe she could make it home. Everything was happening too quickly. She couldn’t latch on to a single thought. Even her mind was treacherous. They came in waves – blurry pictures flashing in her mind’s eye, dizzying and confusing. The only thing she was otherwise aware of was the nausea. Though she had thoroughly emptied it before, her stomach still roiled, and she could sometimes feel her throat spasm in a dry gag.
She saw a face, vaguely nostalgic but not immediately familiar, with voids where eyes should be. Most of what she saw was color: a deep, russet brown, not unlike her own cinnamon tones. She knew it for her father, only for an instant, but he was gone before she could really think about it, replaced with violets and creams under the cozy shadow of a dirt roof. This she knew immediately. It was Sen, their babies, their life together. The life she’d been neglecting in favor of…what? But suddenly that was gone, too, and the smell of Taviora was strong in her nostrils, Reian’s voice wavering in her ears. None of the other phantoms had spoken, and she waited for admonishment, or scorn, but her daughter’s voice was gentle and reassuring. “I will take care of you.” When Hush opened her eyes the world was swimming, but she could see Reian behind the wall of water, as real as anything could be. “Reian,” she mumbled, her voice raw from panting and retching. Her daughter was working on something at her feet. Then the something was on her leg before she could protest, before she could explain what had happened, and the initial contact made her eyes close against the pain, against the new wave of nausea. After some moments, the screaming in her leg had dulled to a persistent throb, and she slowly rolled over onto her stomach, focusing on her daughter with watery eyes. Seeing Reian standing there gave her the will to move, and movement was paramount in getting home. “Can you stand?” It was an important question and she didn’t hesitate in her answer. “Yes,” she said with her gravelly voice, though she honestly wasn’t sure she could. But she would try. She would always find strength for her children. She would always try for them. From her stomach, it was surprisingly easy to rise onto her three good legs, but putting weight on her wounded leg was more challenging. The first few tentative steps made her wince and clench her jaw to keep from whimpering or crying out, but the movement seemed to stretch it out; that, or she adjusted to the discomfort. “Yes,” she said again, more firmly, with a weak smile across her face. “Let’s go home.” For some time she was determined to move of her own volition, on her own strength, but there was little enough of that and the going was slow. Finally, she did lean against Reian, and discovered that her daughter was just taller than she was. The girl felt strong against her, too. Hush didn’t feel well at all otherwise, but something about that idea made her smile again. “You are very much Sen’s daughter,” she said quietly as they worked their way through the forest. “I’m glad of that.” She didn’t say anything more about it, but she believed it would be better for all the children to be more like their father, and less like her. | |
| hush. Gavriel, Delya, Kellin Reian, Mireille, Namira, Calyx | they sing in clever tongues oh, how my knees go weak to be the one; |
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