She stumbled and she fell, all the while managing to maneuver her body to fall on the side at the last second. Hardy, hale and buff she was not; frailty and unease clung closely. Her body's temperature wildly fluctuated and she never could get comfortable. She was no use hunting and instead had to do by the swamp's graces of root vegetables and fallen fruit. Nausea reigned supreme and yeah, that was her vomit and her bile lining the hellbornes.Her body would not cooperate while her mind was aracing to tell Sage the good news. Yes, her triumphant glee would not be contained. Pregnancy tried to keep her down and the looks of passing by kin exuded pity at her stubbornness. And it was there that Fiend found her.
He watched her first, sweat lining her body in a sleek outline. She heaved ever so slightly. She had the body of a young doe but one that was being belabored by breathing. But the eyes offered a glimpse into the roaring fire that fueled the kimeti. He shifted to his more affable form and ran after her with Goosebumps his owlcat not far behind. Together they dove between her slowly walking legs and nipped at the already tired heels. They kept this game up until she noticed and strongly reacted to Goosebmps swatting her plump rump. There might have been a bite with that swat but Fiend doubted she would have felt it through her curves.
Finally she is jolted from her reverie to find two ghostly forms staring back. Not blinking, just watching. An invisible curl of the lip lets her know they mean no harm. Shaking her head at her court, she returned to her path. She had a journey. Once again, they intervened and blocked her progress. Red Heron stomped. She already sent so many away and now she sought her brother, Sage to her Red. Sweat fell to the ground and she groaned. Inside, a miasma of pain spasmed hard. She woke to nightfall, quiet and warm. Twin bodies nestled up to her, both petite. Soft, furry and feathery. From behind, a feathery head plopped down to rest on her head.
"Shhhhh, sleep" the voice says. "Dawn will come soon." The head, a heavy weight, she begrudgingly complied. The owlcat whimpered and kicked in its sleep. Fiend didn't sleep, but instead watched and mused at how similar in coloring they were. Pink and purple but green to his turquoise. She was clueless like Look-See and lousy of direction, too. Her sense of self aware was ludicrously shoddy at best. It was clear to anyone she was straining with her journey.
Morning came with a fierceness that punched Red Heron in the butt. Bleary eyed, she woke to unsurprisingly find the owlcat the suspect.
"You talk in your sleep." Where the eaglehound now stood a very tall kimeti. A Stag. That she could see through partially. Frightening in how the bones slid over each other. Frozen, she could not move or respond. How did all those bones squish into a tiny eaglehound? And that hair? She envied any kin with hair. And look at that tail. They were similar colors, were they related?
Fiend hid his grimace and turned a blind eye to her obvious horror of him. He closed his mouth and forced a smile. "You are looking for your twin. I've seen him recently. " His smile deepened knowingly. "You're going the opposite way." Fiend turned and Goosebump followed. Suddenly she rushed up to him, nipped him in the shoulder and would have done the same to the wiley owlcat if she could move faster. "That's for all the biting yesterday! And thank you. I hope my kin have gorgeous hair like yours." Impishly she ran away.
Suddenly, he remembered. In face of her reaction he forgot to bless the doe. In a clear voice he bellowed on, "Your clutch and your brother's both will. They will be strong and resourceful."
