01-23-2010, 08:37 AM
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Yeah that happens to me sometimes. I always think that those who control-check the counts is going to think I messed up and forgot to count or something :p It's strange though. Sorry about the length here, I've gotten so used to long posts because of SoSuWriMo >< Word Count: 739 - SoSuWriMo The girl described her mother happily, and Dawali smiled at her as she did so. It was good to know that there were good parents in the world. He thought for a moment of all those pups who came wandering on their own, abandoned by the only life line they had in the world. And he wondered at all the fathers of the pups of AniWaya — it seemed the tribe attracted either females who wanted pups but not mates, unlucky females, or females in love with males that were simply missing anything similar to a paternal instinct, or even a sense of responsibility for their actions. Either way, all of the litters that had ever been born into the tribe had been fatherless. The females seemed to think that it was okay, or at least to some degree, but this was something the Chief just couldn't understand. He could understand the pleasures of the body (he was no eunuch!), but not that someone would go ahead and do these things without considering the consequences, or at least be prepared to face them, just like that. Sure, it happened in his own culture, too, but then at least they had the decency to bring the children up together. Not like this, with all these puppies who had no father. Luckily, Dawali was always ready to play father for them, but truth was that no pretend father could compete with a real one, one that shared your den and loved and cared for your mother. It seemed that this Cambria had such a life, a complete family, and one that she was greatly fond of. It made him glad to see that such things did occur, even in these lands. "She sounds lovely, like her daughter." Like his own daughters, in fact. Both of them. He winked at Cambria with a little smile. They spoke of spring, and the more he thought about it the more he realized how much he disliked winter. Well, not disliked, perhaps — that was a strong word. He just had a strong preference for the warmer parts of the year. The winter was beautiful with its calm blanket of ice, its snow-capped trees and muffled silence. But the spring was the reflection of birth itself, when new life sprung from every corner, every little crack, in all kinds and forms that not even the sharpest of imaginations would have thought possible. Perhaps it was only because it came after the winter, when all was silent and unmoving and dead, that spring had such an effect on him, but this he knew; he never felt as alive as he did when the scents of spring reached his nose. It was like a kick in itself, and he remembered that he was only 6 years old — only. But now, he felt like an old toad that would soon need a walking stick or something, aching all over. He chuckled at the girl as she expressed her love for flowers and butterflies, and stated that he was not old. Perhaps not in her eyes, but truth was that there weren't all that many of his age that he knew. Everyone he knew were 4 years or younger — quite the difference, both in mentality and time. "Hehe, maybe I am not young, Cambria. But I certainly am at least five times your age!" He wasn't sure about that one, but even if she was a little bit over a year he would be right. He found it hard to tell sometimes, and given Cambria's mature goals she could be older than he thought she was. She had never seen horses before, but she didn't seem scared of the idea, just curious. "They're pretty big, bigger than me. Like a deer, maybe, a large male one, but without horns. They're not dangerous, but some think they can be scary because they're so big." That was the best explanation he could give without showing them to her. "Think you want to come along and see them? They won't be able to reach you, so don't worry about that." If she wanted to, she could pat one. He remembered Noir's extreme joy over being with one and petting one, and when she found that she had one waiting for her. Why these females were so eager to be around the animals, he didn't know, but he thought it was pretty charming and cute either way. |