[html] Blaise, back-dated
There was a great sadness within her. The eldest Dreamer nodded at the words of her autumn hued son. He had not wished to say the words, that was obvious, but she had taught him to speak the truth. Or had it been that Anu hadn't wanted to hear them? A thin hand was placed on Oak's strong shoulder. He mirrored her sadness, and asked her if she wished for him to bring her to them. Anu wavered. The young pup had said that she had been ill, and though it was the word of a innocent mind Anu had to take it seriously. She declined the offer and instead asked him to bury the remains, for scavengers has already placed their hand on her, beneath the nearest tree where she had fallen. And to mark it.
The red boy agreed and left her with the much harder task. The old mother went to the garden, the plain habit that would keep her warm draped over her Optime form. She settled in a place where she could often be found, and let out a call that would have attracted any pup in the manor and further. There was only one that she knew would be lingering, exploring the new lands her mother had led her to. Then she waited, the silence leaving her to ponder the words that she would speak once Blaise found her in the frosted garden.
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[html] Blaise awoke disoriented. Not only was she laying in a massive room beside a fireplace, but also her belly felt fuller than it had ever been. She was blissful with the comfort of a long rest. Confusion fought with happiness as the events of the day before arranged themselves in her mind. Those events were so strange that she could barely believe them. But this room, her softly rounded belly, were both real. As she regained consciousness and better understood what had happened yesterday, she became more certain and more afraid.
Blaise left her soft bed and drank some water from the dish left to her the night before. The nagging feeling of something being very wrong was unbearable. Her mother remained absent and no one was here to take her searching for her. Where was Anu? The older wolf had promised that, today, they would find her mother. Tears shimmered in her apple eyes as the child went to the entryway of the room in which she had slept, peering all around at the empty house. Seeing nothing, she raced the lower floor of the manor, several times tripping over paws unused to sleek, level ground.
She arrived at the front door and went out into the cold. The morning was bleak, dull frosted earth rising into spindly pines in the distance and an empty white sky above. As the ashen child made her way around the perimeter of the manor, her nose twitched insistently. Finally, it found Anu's scent, which she followed to a lovely little garden with silvered dormant plants. The elegant gray woman was settled calmly in its midst. As before, simply seeing the lady soothed Blaise, all frustration and confusion fleeing on the soft wintry breeze. Miss Anu? the girl peeped, laying back her ears and crawling to the woman's feet. [/html]
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To her dismay those words would not come to her. The perfect sentences would not simply form within her mind. It was almost unbearable, and was on the fringes of tormenting the eldest Dreamer. Anu had always known what to say, such things came to her easily... Was she so changed by her capture and time in the AniWayan prison that she could no longer comfort others? That possibility gave the woman more worry then actually speaking with the small pup about her mother. Self-aware, Anu recognized the fluttering of unease and anxiety and took a deep breath to calm herself. She inhaled the fear, and with her breath outward she pushed it from her body and thus her thoughts. The next inhale was calm, confidence and assertiveness. It was a tiresome activity but in the end she would prosper from it.
Eyes were not even open when she heard the pup. Blue eyes cracked and lids lifted slowly. She looked to see the young silver girl walked towards her in normal clumsy pup-ish fashion. Anu smiled, the fear gone and her normal collectivity returned. A hand beckoned her close, to sit beside or against her. To feel the soft material of the cloth she wore, and to know the comfort and support that Anu could give. Come Blaise. Anu inhaled, ease filled her... But in her eyes spoke the sorrow that lingered in her heart. The old woman could not hide it even though she tried.
Your mother.. She loved you very much. And she was a good soul, to bring you here. Her voice was as soft as was natural for Anu, but there was little she could do to keep it steady. Anu looked at the young girl, wondering if she would understand what she was about to tell her.
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Blaise swallowed a lump in her throat as she peered up at the woman. Her lips at first smiled at the sight of the maternal figure, but now they wilted into a soft frown, for there was something sad about Anu's expression. Her pretty eyes were closed, and when they opened, they did so slowly, as if something was hurting her. Blaise felt the iron around her heart tighten as she looked at the elder wolfess. Countless times, her mother had worn a similar face of sadness that Blaise could never understand. It always burned her terribly, and the burn was not much better as she now saw the strange sadness in Anu.
But the expression left Anu so swiftly that Blaise blinked, wondering if it had even been there. The girl smiled warmly back and barely suppressed a cry of delight when she was invited closer. She did not realize how much she missed closeness until she was beside the woman, resting her pale cheek against the soft clothing.
Large infant eyes gazed at the woman, expectant. The gray lady had beckoned her for a reason, and Blaise was sure it had something to do with her mother. But when Anu began to speak of her mother, the tone and strength of her voice did not seem to go with the words she spoke. Why this sadness? She was saying beautiful things about her mother, yet she sounded so unhappy. The child became confused, scowling as she looked from Anu's face to the space before her, trying to figure out what the matron meant. Blaise did not try for long because she had no luck at all making sense of it, and once again her sharp little muzzle was drawn up so she could look at the older female. Yeah, she love me! the girl began, cheerful. I happy here. She very good mommy. The last word was strained and suddenly she felt horribly afraid . Everything was so wonderful, but why wasn't her mother here? She... She coming soon? Blaise asked meekly, her voice barely above a whisper and her shoulders trembling gently. [/html]
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For the briefest of moments, hardly lingering on a second beat of her heart Anu felt that she would rather lie to the young wolf then speak the harmful truth. The she-wolf knew it was wrong, and so it was banished as quickly as it came. Anu felt a shame come to her for even thinking of it, a preacher of the honor in the truth. Just the thought of lying almost suffocated her from speaking another word. If anything, the pup deserved the truth and to know that her mother had been so brave that she had traveled far and through such suffering just to bring her loved one to the borders of a safe haven.
A young wolf knew of death just as any creature did. They killed to survive and they died when they could not, though the life around them tended to perish far more quickly and often. The food they ate, the birds and insects, the foliage and plants. Death was a shadowed that followed them, and at times such as this it towered over them. It was impossible to keep it at arm’s length now.
Anu shook her head lightly, her look of comfort and support returning. No Blaise. Your mother will not be joining us here. She inhaled, chest hurting at the truth that came with the following exhale. She was very sick, you knew that yes? Anu paused, allowing the memory to return to the puppy. Blue eyes blinked, heating with the threat of tears. Before we could find her and help, she passed away. Her illness was too much, and she died. Anu then fell to silence, suddenly ready for the girl’s reaction.
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An icy breeze swept past them, chilling her deeply. When it was over, Anu's warmth became stronger than before, and somehow the child was eased to stillness. She breathed as the woman spoke the truth, her green eyes misting. She had seen death many times before, but it had seemed impossible that death would touch her so closely.
Blaise sunk down to the hard earth, and at the same time moved closer to the gray female. From her short, labored breath came strained whimpers as she thought of the moments she had spent with her mother, the love she had given her. She feared the answer Anu had given. But strangely, hearing it spoken like this brought her more relief than pain. With no explanation, the emptiness she had felt since the day her mother left had been unbearable, but now that she no longer had anything to dread, some of the hurt was gone.
The small girl remembered how much it had pained her to see the glaze over her dam's once-bright eyes, her weakened voice and fragile footsteps. Her mother hadn't abandoned her. She hadn't left because she stopped loving her. Her mother had been very, very sick and she had been suffering.
Sh-she... not hurt anymore? the girl asked in a desperate voice, finally catching her breath enough to speak. It was the last question she needed to ask. [/html]
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The pup's words were brief, her reaction one that leaned towards the elder Dreamer. Anu felt her chin fall slightly, her eyes shutting gently. Anu placed a hand on the young one's neck, soft and weightless. There was nothing harder then loosing one that was held so dearly, placed so closely to the heart. Life was too harsh, the wolfess believed. Life was unfair, and Anu would be one of the first to admit it. The scar the laced along her neck and under her jaw would speak of the lack of fairness.
But she felt a peace, thoughts of the simply spoken pup and her unspoken understanding of the situation bringing her worries to rest. She knew that this was not the end of Blaise's turmoil, and the silver tinged woman shook her head. No, young one. She is at rest. Her voice riding her soft exhale, relief filtering into her shoulders.
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