01-10-2012, 02:18 AM
[html]Read only, Set December 24th, late evening. WC: 1388
The snow hued scholar laid in the bed down the hall from his mother and her midnight pelted mate. Three days ago, he had fought with Sky, and they both had said hurtful things. He had walked away, needing to get away from there, needing to be freed from the constricting reminders of Tameri’s death. He had fled to the pack his mother lived in, Crimson Dreams. He’d spent more time hiding in the house he’d largely grown up in, preferring feeling the ghosts of his once happy family than seeing again and again the visible reminders of his daughter’s death, and Liam’s exile. Even now he tossed and turned, picturing Sky in the arms of this mysterious Sanja, remembering the look on Shawchert’s face as he placed the blame for Liam’s future crimes on Tal’s head. And remembering Tameri, and her last pained screams. His eyes closed, he could see the blood, Tameri’s leg falling from Liam’s hand as callously as if she’d been nothing more than a rabbit. And the blood- He woke with a jerk to see a familiar form in white standing at the edge of the bed.
Deuce had watched her son tossing and turning, murmuring and whimpering. So many names came from his lips in his tortured sleep. Sky. Liam. Tameri. Sanja. The last made her frown. She’d heard the other names from him, but not the last. She was reaching out to shake him when he suddenly jerked awake, his eyes wild. She sat on the edge of the bed as he drew his knees up to his chest, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's been a few days, now, Tal. Why don't you and I talk?" Her voice was comforting and maternal as she squeezed his shoulder gently. She studied his face as he looked up at her.
Tal licked his lips as he looked at his mother. He hesitated for only a moment, then began talking. His words were hesitant at first, then grew stronger. "I guess I didn't really tell you all of why I came here, did I, mom? See, a few days ago, Sky and I got into a fight. It was a really bad fight... It was over Tameri, and how to take care of her. Just before his birthday, Liam murdered Tameri, my adopted daughter. I buried her, or what was left of her, at least. And then Sky unburied her skull. She painted it blue and put it on her porch... I needed to bury it again and give Tammy a proper burial ritual. And Sky wanted to leave it there. We'd never talked about our beliefs before, so I wasn't prepared for this to happen." As Deuce nodded, he went on. "Momma, she was screaming horrible things at me. About Rhiannon not being real. And... I told her about you, about you and Soran. She told me I believed in nothing. And then she got this look on her face, and she covered her belly and backed away from me. Like she thought I would hurt her or our pups.... Like she thought I was just like Lucifer."
Deuce sat next to her son, hugging him to her. Life was so much simpler when he was a pup. When mom's kisses made the wounds and bruises of life fade away. She sighed softly as Tal buried his nose into her fur, listening helplessly to his soft whimpers. His words about Lucifer made her flinch. She hadn't been expecting that name to come from him. And then more words came pouring from him.
"She thought I was just like him, momma. Like I'd hurt her, like I'd hurt them. He did horrible things to me, momma. Lucifer raped me momma, and threatened to kill Liam if I didn't let him do it to me, if I didn't let him pierce my ear to make me his property. I couldn't be around her after she accused me of that. I'd never hurt my own children. I couldn't even let Liam be killed after what he did. I mean, I swore I'd kill him if he came around D'Arte ever again, but I couldn't bear to see him killed then. And Sky... she acts like I'm the one who hurt Tameri, like I'm the one who killed her. The only wolf I ever hurt was Shaw, and it was in a fight. An actual fist fight. And that was a lucky blow, momma. I didn't mean to hurt him, and I patched him up right away and made sure he was okay." He whined softly, pressing his whole face into her fur.
Deuce's heart both broke and hardened as she listened to his words. It broke for her son, for his mate. And it hardened against Liam, and froze solid for Lucifer. She rested her head on his, stroking his perpetually messy mane gently. "Tal, I'm so sorry he hurt you like that. I'm sorry life has been so hard on you..." She didn't know what to say for her son, didn't know how to make life easier on him, how to make his hurts go away. She wouldn't say that he should have let his pack kill Liam, but then, she wouldn't have been able to see one of her sons killed for something they did, either. She wordlessly kissed the top of his head. After a moment, she had to ask him, "Tal...who's Sanja?"
Tal flinched at the name. "I don't know, Momma. That's the scary thing. We swore we wouldn't have an unfaithful mateship. And then she was screaming at me about how Sanja was the only one who protected her or her family, or something like that. I'm scared Momma. I'm scared she's cheating on me. I remember how devastated you were when you and dad ended your mateship, and I don't wanna go through with that. But I don't know who Sanja is, just that he's male. And I'm scared. I love her, and I don't want to lose her, Momma." His voice broke, and he whined softly. "What did I do wrong Momma?"
Deuce swallowed, holding her snowy son close, stroking his mane and murmuring soft things to him. His last question she didn't have an answer for. Well.... she did. But he wouldn't like it. "Tal. You need to go back to her. You need to go home to your mate, your pregnant mate, and you need to talk to her. You two need to talk. That... that is something Lucifer and I failed at as a couple. We were so busy being miserable that we never talked about why we were miserable. As for Sanja, ask her about him. Perhaps he's a family friend."
Tal shook his head. "I don't want to go back, mom. She hates me. I just know she does. And I love her so much that it's killing me." He looked at his mom through bloodshot eyes as she shook her head slowly.
"Tal, if you love her, make sure she knows it." She kissed his forehead gently, smoothing his unruly mane. "She's a good girl. I know you two will work things out." She kissed him again, then hugged him gently. She looked at him as she walked out the door. He was sitting cross legged on the bed, staring out the window, a pillow clutched to his chest. Her heart broke for him, but she couldn't fix everything. If things didn't work out for him, she would do whatever she needed to do for him. She would do the same for Noah or Jazper, or any of her children whether adopted or blood related. Deuce slowly pulled the door shut behind her.
Tal stared out the window sightlessly at the snow falling. It was Christmas eve. He'd been planning something special for the kids, for Sky. He was going to go cut down a tree, then bring it home and have Liam and Tameri decorate it while Sky watched and directed the efforts. He'd been working on gifts slowly, little things for each of them. A song for Sky. A story for Tameri. A special pendant for his son. Tameri was dead, and Liam banished. And he and Sky were sleeping in different beds, in different houses, in different packs.[/html]
The snow hued scholar laid in the bed down the hall from his mother and her midnight pelted mate. Three days ago, he had fought with Sky, and they both had said hurtful things. He had walked away, needing to get away from there, needing to be freed from the constricting reminders of Tameri’s death. He had fled to the pack his mother lived in, Crimson Dreams. He’d spent more time hiding in the house he’d largely grown up in, preferring feeling the ghosts of his once happy family than seeing again and again the visible reminders of his daughter’s death, and Liam’s exile. Even now he tossed and turned, picturing Sky in the arms of this mysterious Sanja, remembering the look on Shawchert’s face as he placed the blame for Liam’s future crimes on Tal’s head. And remembering Tameri, and her last pained screams. His eyes closed, he could see the blood, Tameri’s leg falling from Liam’s hand as callously as if she’d been nothing more than a rabbit. And the blood- He woke with a jerk to see a familiar form in white standing at the edge of the bed.
Deuce had watched her son tossing and turning, murmuring and whimpering. So many names came from his lips in his tortured sleep. Sky. Liam. Tameri. Sanja. The last made her frown. She’d heard the other names from him, but not the last. She was reaching out to shake him when he suddenly jerked awake, his eyes wild. She sat on the edge of the bed as he drew his knees up to his chest, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's been a few days, now, Tal. Why don't you and I talk?" Her voice was comforting and maternal as she squeezed his shoulder gently. She studied his face as he looked up at her.
Tal licked his lips as he looked at his mother. He hesitated for only a moment, then began talking. His words were hesitant at first, then grew stronger. "I guess I didn't really tell you all of why I came here, did I, mom? See, a few days ago, Sky and I got into a fight. It was a really bad fight... It was over Tameri, and how to take care of her. Just before his birthday, Liam murdered Tameri, my adopted daughter. I buried her, or what was left of her, at least. And then Sky unburied her skull. She painted it blue and put it on her porch... I needed to bury it again and give Tammy a proper burial ritual. And Sky wanted to leave it there. We'd never talked about our beliefs before, so I wasn't prepared for this to happen." As Deuce nodded, he went on. "Momma, she was screaming horrible things at me. About Rhiannon not being real. And... I told her about you, about you and Soran. She told me I believed in nothing. And then she got this look on her face, and she covered her belly and backed away from me. Like she thought I would hurt her or our pups.... Like she thought I was just like Lucifer."
Deuce sat next to her son, hugging him to her. Life was so much simpler when he was a pup. When mom's kisses made the wounds and bruises of life fade away. She sighed softly as Tal buried his nose into her fur, listening helplessly to his soft whimpers. His words about Lucifer made her flinch. She hadn't been expecting that name to come from him. And then more words came pouring from him.
"She thought I was just like him, momma. Like I'd hurt her, like I'd hurt them. He did horrible things to me, momma. Lucifer raped me momma, and threatened to kill Liam if I didn't let him do it to me, if I didn't let him pierce my ear to make me his property. I couldn't be around her after she accused me of that. I'd never hurt my own children. I couldn't even let Liam be killed after what he did. I mean, I swore I'd kill him if he came around D'Arte ever again, but I couldn't bear to see him killed then. And Sky... she acts like I'm the one who hurt Tameri, like I'm the one who killed her. The only wolf I ever hurt was Shaw, and it was in a fight. An actual fist fight. And that was a lucky blow, momma. I didn't mean to hurt him, and I patched him up right away and made sure he was okay." He whined softly, pressing his whole face into her fur.
Deuce's heart both broke and hardened as she listened to his words. It broke for her son, for his mate. And it hardened against Liam, and froze solid for Lucifer. She rested her head on his, stroking his perpetually messy mane gently. "Tal, I'm so sorry he hurt you like that. I'm sorry life has been so hard on you..." She didn't know what to say for her son, didn't know how to make life easier on him, how to make his hurts go away. She wouldn't say that he should have let his pack kill Liam, but then, she wouldn't have been able to see one of her sons killed for something they did, either. She wordlessly kissed the top of his head. After a moment, she had to ask him, "Tal...who's Sanja?"
Tal flinched at the name. "I don't know, Momma. That's the scary thing. We swore we wouldn't have an unfaithful mateship. And then she was screaming at me about how Sanja was the only one who protected her or her family, or something like that. I'm scared Momma. I'm scared she's cheating on me. I remember how devastated you were when you and dad ended your mateship, and I don't wanna go through with that. But I don't know who Sanja is, just that he's male. And I'm scared. I love her, and I don't want to lose her, Momma." His voice broke, and he whined softly. "What did I do wrong Momma?"
Deuce swallowed, holding her snowy son close, stroking his mane and murmuring soft things to him. His last question she didn't have an answer for. Well.... she did. But he wouldn't like it. "Tal. You need to go back to her. You need to go home to your mate, your pregnant mate, and you need to talk to her. You two need to talk. That... that is something Lucifer and I failed at as a couple. We were so busy being miserable that we never talked about why we were miserable. As for Sanja, ask her about him. Perhaps he's a family friend."
Tal shook his head. "I don't want to go back, mom. She hates me. I just know she does. And I love her so much that it's killing me." He looked at his mom through bloodshot eyes as she shook her head slowly.
"Tal, if you love her, make sure she knows it." She kissed his forehead gently, smoothing his unruly mane. "She's a good girl. I know you two will work things out." She kissed him again, then hugged him gently. She looked at him as she walked out the door. He was sitting cross legged on the bed, staring out the window, a pillow clutched to his chest. Her heart broke for him, but she couldn't fix everything. If things didn't work out for him, she would do whatever she needed to do for him. She would do the same for Noah or Jazper, or any of her children whether adopted or blood related. Deuce slowly pulled the door shut behind her.
Tal stared out the window sightlessly at the snow falling. It was Christmas eve. He'd been planning something special for the kids, for Sky. He was going to go cut down a tree, then bring it home and have Liam and Tameri decorate it while Sky watched and directed the efforts. He'd been working on gifts slowly, little things for each of them. A song for Sky. A story for Tameri. A special pendant for his son. Tameri was dead, and Liam banished. And he and Sky were sleeping in different beds, in different houses, in different packs.[/html]