mall-caps;letter-spacing:4px;">THE SPARK OF DAWNShe watched as he tried to rationalize the purpose of her gift, and though she wondered internally if he would ever figure it out, he did eventually riddle out the creation and slip it about his neck with the utmost care. Wonder of his opinion came to her, but she didn't voice the inquiries that built inside of her mind. Fiery eyes focused upon the faded hand of the D'Angelo, watching as he touched the features, as his ears twitched atop his head. What did he hear that she couldn't?
It didn't matter. As he started to speak, her curiosity was tamed, only to be replaced with other wonders. Her snake, the large and carefully-done scarification across her back that represented female spirit within Eterne, it was an animal born to his Night deity. Slender fingers reached up to touch where the fur was missing at her shoulder. Eagle, snake, spider. Two things she had never truly thought of and one that she had put all of her faith into. It surprised her.
Left to her wonder, he told her to wait, and disappeared into the barn only to emerge shortly after with a woven basket in his hands. As it was presented, she took it from him, staring at the top as what it was was revealed -- a present from the Thistle King. "Ay gift?" How queer, to receive another present for doing nothing. BUt it was a present indeed and so she opened it carefully, and peered into the bottom, and there she found something that so touched her heart that a little, gleeful crooning noise escaped her angular jaws.
Without fear, she reached into the depths of the basket to retrieve the subtly striped living snake, a baby for its size, but beautiful regardless. Without fear, she allowed it to wrap itself around her hand and strike her with tiny, sharp fangs that burned. It was brought close to her face, to be studied carefully, a living trophy that was prized for its symbolism. Her silence was solid for several moments that seemed long to her before she turned her eyes back upon the dark Arbiter. "In Eterne, we cahll this coatl; the serpahnt, it ess ay symbol for power. For women. Thaht ess what Eterne ess -- ay plaise built ahround women."
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