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Rhiannon swung her legs on the chair in the shoe shop, watching as her mother walked around, picking up different styles and turning them over, looking at prices and colours. She yawned, her mouth opening wide, and Sayuri tutted as she passed the chairs again.
'Hand over mouth when you do that, young lady.' Rhiannon poked her tongue out at her mother's retreating back. She was bored, bored, bored! of trailing round the centre, this shopping trip was becoming never ending and she longed to go home and play with Wolf and Pup. Maybe even climb a tree if she could get her mother to let her change out of this dress. She picked at the ribboning and pouted. Wonder what girly shoes her mother would pick out for her this time? Something with bows no doubt. She sat up as Sayuri returned, holding something behind her back. Rhiannon's eyes widened as she showed her what it was - trainers! She had wanted a pair for ages and ages and ages - was her mother just playing a trick on her?
'Try them on,' Sayuri urged. Rhiannon kicked off her patent leather shoes and grabbed the trainers. They were white with lilac stripings and joy! When she put her feet down lights in the heel flashed!
'I can have these?' she said, hopping around and watching the lights in the shop mirror. Sayuri chuckled, nodding.
'You sure can. A treat - but you have to do one thing.'
Rhiannon posed in front of the mirror. What? There was a catch. She made a face.
'Its nothing bad - you just have to try and be friends with Cyrus. And remember,' she said, bending down so that her face was level with Rhiannons. She looked into it at Rhiannon.
'Boys can be silly!' Rhiannon giggled, hugging her mother and skipping around the shop whilst her mother paid for the trainers. She wanted to wear them home, so her old shoes went into the trainer box. On their way home, they stopped in Sumra's Bakery, and Sayuri bought two chocolate muffins with sprinkles. She hoped that Cyrus would like them - and if Rhiannon gave them to him maybe the damage from their last meeting would be put right.

20th November 2004

Well the last time Rhiannon met Cyrus certainly went better. She was so funny about giving him the muffins that I am sure she would have thrown them at him and ran if I hadnt have warned her that doing that would only result in squished muffins. I'm not sure if her little gift helped at all - only time will tell. After all its not as if they can be forced to like each other!

I hope that Lenore, Eirnae and Damien are okay. I dont recall seeing them in the clinic for the longest of times. Maybe I should drop a note by or something...Sati may know how to deliver it - if think they live in a magically concealed house - or so Sati told me....hang on a second - Rhiannon has come to show me something.



Sayuri put down her pen and closed the journal, turning as Rhiannon came up to her smiling. She opened her hand and in it nestled another one of her milk teeth.
'Oh it finally fell out did it honey? Okay well put it under your pillow and the Tooth Fairy will be sure to take it whilst you are asleep.'
Rhiannon ran off yelling:
'Tooth for the Tooth Faaaaaaireeeee!'


Yup she did. Another of her teeth have fallen out. Its the second of her upper milk canines. Not sure whether to give her money or something else. I know she would like money - she has a little piggy-bank and she loves putting it in and hearing it clink against her other saved pennies.

25th November 2004

Sayuri was still in the chair in Rhiannon's room, her head leaning over onto her shoulder as she slept. Her eyes fluttered as she slept. Rhiannon slunk out of bed - she wasnt sure why her mother had chosen to sleep in her room but she was hungry and so she pattered quietly into her parents room, clambering on the bed and bouncing on it.
'Daddy! Daddy! wakey wakey!' she called.

David slowly woke up, cracking one eye, smiling a little. "Hello there Rhiannon. Why you bounching on my bed this morning? And where's your mommy?" He sits up, shirtless as he usually slept, streaching a little.

'Mummy sleeeeping in my room,' she said giggling.
'She all,' and she pretended to be asleep, tilting her head to the side and making snorey noises. Then she opened her eyes a bit to see if David was laughing.

David chuckled a little, and stood up, lifting Rhiannon, onto his shoulder "Lets let mommy sleep, kay? How about I cook us some dinner, huh?"

'You mean brekkfist!' she giggled, plaiting the ends of David's hair.

David chuckles, heading down to the kitchen, setting Rhiannon on the counter top "How does bacon and eggs sound?"

Rhiannon made a face;
'Yucky eggies,' she said, watching him with quick eyes.
'But I want bacon!' she coiled a strand of her hair around a finger, tugging on it a little.

David chuckles a little, and gets out a pan, starting to fry up some bacon, starting some toast in the toaster. "So how did you sleep last night? Getting near the full moon, isn't it?"

'I dont know - is it?' she asked, the sounding very un-childlike for a moment; evasive really.
'I hear the moon singing.' she suddenly said, her eyes flashing.
'It calls my name. Does it call you, Daddy?'

David takes a sharp breath. "You say you hear it sing? You hear it call your name? How sweetie? What does it say?" He finishes up with the bacon, putting it on two plates, putting some toast on either plate, setting out some jam and butter. He sits down, looking a little serious.

'I dont know.' came the answer. The scent of bacon was sending her nose atwitching.
'Its like,' she searched for the words with what knowledge she had at her age.
'Like a friend calling me. I want to be with it. And the sound it makes is like when Mummy sings to me. Like being at home.'

David nods a little, eating a piece of bacon, lost in thought. "As for your question, the moon does speak to me, sing to me. It has ever since I was a little older then you."

Rhiannon ignored the toast and ate the bacon heartily. She licked her fingers, looking at him;
'Why does it sing to us? Does it sing for Mommy too?'

"It doesn't sing to mommy, and as for why it sings to us...." David stopped, thinking. He hadn't expected this moment to come so soon, and a thousand different answers ran through his head. Including all the warnings about the hunters, and those that woud fear her just for what se was.

She looked up from where she had been making two toast slices attack each other - jam all over her fingers now.
'What Daddy? Why does the moon sing too you and, and me and not Mummy?'

David smiles a little. "Cause I, and you, share a special connection to the moon. We arn't exactly like other people. You know how daddy can look diffrent sometimes? Like a big wolfman?"

Rhiannon nodded - that was cool! No one elses daddy could do that - well she didnt think so anyway.
'Yeah - you like a biiiig teddy bear,' she giggled.

Chuckling a little, David continues. "Well, normal people, humans, can't do that. I'm what's called a Werecreature. A werewolf to be exact. It means that I can change my shape between that of a human, a wolf, and somewhere inbetween. Werecreatures come in all types, like foxes, wolves, birds, cats. And all of them share a connection to the moon. We all react to the moon, especially when its full. It can make us act wierd. Since you are my daughter." He taps her on the nose. "That means that you are most likely a werewolf, or will be when you get older. Thats why the moon sings to you, and calls your name."

'Oh,' she said, wrinkling her nose. That was alot of words! And she only got half of it.
'So - we are different?'

David nods a little. "I"ll explain it better when your older sweetie. For now, diffrent is close enough I guess." He smiles, clearing off the table, cleaning up."

Rhiannon wrinkled her nose. What was so weird about being a werewolf:
'But arent werewolves really cool?'

David sighed a little. "Not everyone thinks so. Some people will be afraid of you, or not like you because you are a werewolf." He keeps quiet about the hunters. He didn't want to scare her. He would cover that someday when she was older. "So to anyone that you don't know really well, you don't let them know what you are."

'Oh..' she said, twirling her hair.
'I'll try and 'member Daddy.'

David smiles, kissing Rhiannon on top of her head. "Thats my girl. Now, how about I take you for a flight? Would you like that?"

Rhiannon hiccuped, nodding and smiling;
'Yes! Fly with the birdies!' she flapped her arms, giggling.

David chuckles, and gets Rhiannon into her jacket, stepping outside and shifting to his wereform, lifting her in his arms and taking off, flying over the forest, trying to put his worries out of his mind.

Rhiannon squealed as they took off, her hair whipping around her face and she leaned as far over David's arms as she could, watching the scenery flash by below.

Sayuri entered the kitchen just after they left, rubbing at her sore neck from sleeping in the chair. She walked around blearily, making herself a strong pot of coffee and cleaning up after her husband and daughter. Once the kitchen was cleaned up, it was onto the laundry, and as she worked she thought over Rhiannon's slow change. She was truly becoming at least partly a werewolf and she wondered what that would mean and what it would bring in the future.

12th December 2004

Sayuri moved around the house, walking back and forth from the boxes of decorations. Tinsel, garlands, wreaths were draped on wall and ceiling, over doorways and centrepieces were put on tables. She listened as she stopped, a wreath in her hands for the front door. She could hear Rhiannon laughing, and the wolves barking as they played out in the snow. Out to the front she went, with wreath, tag and hammer in hand. A few knocks into the wood, tack was in and the wreath was hung. She adjusted it, and then went back inside. Hurrying into the kitchen, she donned oven mitts, opening the door and pulling out the christmas cookies she was baking. They werent done yet, so the tray went back inside.
Taking off the oven mitts, Sayuri went back into the living room. She found the stocking that Kaioto had given Rhiannon, and tacked it above the fireplace to join the one that David and she had bought their little girl.
She then spent time putting up the Christmas tree. Twinkly lights went on first, then all the different decorations. Sayuri had asked if Rhiannon wanted to help, but that morning there had been a fresh fall of snow, and so she was tempted out by that, saying she wanted to build a snow wolf. Sayuri stood back a while later, admiring her work;




There was a clatter, and Sayuri turned to find Rhiannon running in, leaving damp snow patches where she walked. She ran up to the tree and oohed at it, peering underneath to see if there were any presents there yet.
'Nothing there yet sweetie,' Sayuri laughed, helping her out of her duck rubber boots and outside clothes.
'Go into the kitchen and work on your nativity set, and you can have a cookie when they are baked and iced.' Rhiannon ran happily off, Wolf and Pup at her heels, and Sayuri put her boots and clothes away.

14th January 2004

Sayuri had put it off as long as she possibly could, but matters werent helped by Ashianna's, (the Hogwarts student they had fostered, and who was living with them during the holidays) caustic remarks, and the fact that Rhiannon felt obligated to ask every day now where it was that babies came from. She had seemed to realise it was a subject her mother didnt want to readily bring up, and so asked at every opportune moment.
Sayuri wasnt sure what it was that was holding her back; she knew that as a responsible parent that this was something she would need to speak with her daughter about it; and again once she became older about sexual intercourse and safety. She guessed it was probably because the simple act of asking meant that Rhiannon wasnt her baby anymore, and would probably be her little girl for only a little more time. In short Rhiannon was growing up. She picked up the book she had bought - it was a book about the human body especially for children, and had a chapter on reproduction - with pictures. She called Rhiannon into the living room, and got her to sit down;
'What is it Mum?' she asked, fiddling with her hair. Sayuri realised it had gotten long of late and made a mental note to get it cut.
'Well - you asked me a question remember?'
Rhiannon nodded.
'Well, ' Sayuri said.
'Babies come from women - like Mummy. You were once inside me.'
Rhiannon's face wrinkled up.
'But I'm big! How did I fit?'
Sayuri chuckled despite herself;
'Well you were once very little - in fact you came from an egg.'
Rhiannon's scratched her head.
'Like a chicken?' she asked, sounding confused.
'Well kind of but human eggs are much smaller and they live inside Mummies all the time. They are in the fallopian tubes,' and she opened the book, and showed her the cross section diagram of a female reproductive system.
'This is inside you?' Rhiannon asked. Sayuri nodded.
'This bit here,' she pointed.
'Is called the womb - its a special safe place where a baby grows.' she was relieved to see that Rhiannon seemed to be understanding so far.
'But how does the baby get in there?' she asked.
'Does a doctor put it in there - do you have a zip on your tummy?'
Sayuri shook her head;
'Mummies have eggs - and Daddies have a special...seed that makes the egg turn into a baby. The Daddy puts the seed in the Mummy, and the egg grows in the womb.'
Rhiannon swung her legs on the chair, thinking things out.
'So Daddy put me in there.' she asked, pointing to Sayuri's stomach.
'Yes. Mummy and Daddy love each other very much - and when you are in love you can make babies.' Sayuri said. It was a simplistic way of explaining it all she thought, but Rhiannon was too young for 'mechanics'.
'Okay!' Rhiannon said, bouncing off the chair and running off to find her wolves. Sayuri wondered how much she had really taken in - but well she had told her, and that was another curiosity satisfied.