Kestrel watched her as Dayflower seemed to process her surroundings. He did his best to curb the sympathy that wanted to take his features, particularly as he noticed her seem to come to terms with her current sense of time. He couldn’t imagine living as she did, processing the world as her mind did, and hoped he could provide some anchorage or some way of helping her navigate through life as best she could with what life had dealt her.
Where did you go? Her little voice asked, and he smiled down into her big, lovely colored eyes.
Well, since she’d asked, Kestrel supposed it wouldn’t hurt to tell her the truth and see if it might intrigue her to leave the Dunes. If they both made Atlantis seem like a fun place to go back to, maybe their mother wouldn’t want to keep arguing and assuming his father would come around soon. Though, of course, the Dunes were all Dayflower had yet to know and Kestrel wasn’t certain she would want to leave something familiar just yet. It was with a shot to see.
“I went to Atlantis,” he explained, “to see our sister, Daffodil, in the Harbor.” Dayflower hadn’t met Daffodil yet, of course, but Kestrel had told her about her. Or he’d told her that she had an older sister who lived on Atlantis and was sweet, just like she was, and who loved to play games and explore. He knew Daffodil would adore Dayflower and hoped they could meet. It was important to him that the family - his family, he thought possessively and protectively – remained close.
“I also went to the Ridge,” he continued, “because I’d like to see if mother might let us move there.” He said this almost a little bit carefully, warm, dark brown eyes studious as they looked over her little face for signs of apprehension or disdain at the idea, if there were to be any.
“I know she thinks father is coming back-” well, technically Frey was not Dayflower’s father, but it was easier for Kestrel to just let her think so. Talya couldn’t tell him one thing about who had sired Dayflower. She’d disappeared last fall for a few days, sent him into a worrying fit, and then came back smiling and happy as she always did. A few months later her sides began to bulge outward, and Kestrel had known. He’d tried to question her, but their mother just said she had played games with a new friend, and that was all he’d gotten out of it. “-but I think we should go live in the Ridge for a little while, maybe just until dad comes back home.” Kestrel smiled and hoped he wouldn’t show any of the doubt for Frey’s return that he harbored across his face.
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