Kevin's Watch

"Um. I was being hidey."

"And then I was petting her hair. I like petting her hair." I pet myself on the tummy, but it's not as good.

"And I was hungry. And she smelled like food. And then everything went all red. And then she was awake again."

"But I can't find her anywhere. I know she's here, though."

"She wasn't gonna get up, before. She wanted to die. She was just waiting for morning. But she says I helped her faster." I smile. "I was a good girl."

"She spoke to you before she died?"

"No. It was after."

The Jewess smiles. "She is a part of you now, and I am glad she is happy you helped her." But then her face turns stern. "Try to remember what our lady, the Lady Seska, said about feeding from our allies, though. Especially when they are not awake to give permission.

"Tell me, have there been any others of the sires you have fed from?" thinking of the mysterious "disappearance" of her own sire...

"Um. I fed from Dimitralady. Does that count?"

Maybe I should go feed from others, then.

"I'm not hungry, now. I don't need to feed no more."

I hop off the bed. I go downstairs to Seskalady.

"Theopha... um... Theo... Theofunnylady is all fixed now. I made her better."

Watching the child head downstairs, the Jewess gets up and follows after. Addressing her lady, she asks, "Are you willing to take the time to return to Zomba with me before heading to Tótkomlós? I understand the desire to hurry home, but I must retrieve Zoja before I return."

Looking at the carriage which brought them to the Inn, she wonders how she would return to Zomba should the rest of the party decide to go off without her.

"If Bojan and Pierre think the roads are safe enough and shall not delay us overly much I am okay with this."

"My doggies are there!"

I run over to Seskalady. "We gotta get my doggies."

"I miss my doggies."

I get on four legs, and run around Seskalady. I'm still a girl, but I have a tail and big floppy ears like a doggy. And I even have a doggy nose now.

"Bark bark!" I say.

Bojan confirms that there should be no problems on the roads between here and there.

"But what do we tell Danu about his Lord?"

I run out the door, then turn into a birdy so I can go visit my doggies.

In birdy talk, I say "bark bark".

"I shall tell him of what happened. What he decides is up to him."

"I shall wait until another time to present my claims. For now, we go a-viking together."

Gesturing towards the carriage. "Let us load up and start on our way then. We can discuss what needs shall be requested and how we can serve my lady in return as we travel, then sleep the day away."

Grinning to herself as if at a private joke, she continues. "Sabine will most likely grow impatient waiting for us, seeing as she can travel as the crow flies..."

[I wasn't waiting.]

I land by the doggies. They're all sleeping under Mr. Danu's wagon.

I turn into a doggy, so I can flump with them.

But, this doesn't feel right. I'm not a doggy. They're all doggies, but I'm their person.

I should be a person?

I turn into a person, just to see.

Awww. But even as a person, I'm a doggy.

I sit on the steps of the wagon. I'm all sad, now.

Sabine wrote:[I wasn't waiting.]

[That was understood. Alína's point was you would beat us there and grow weary waiting for us to catch up to you.]

[We must hurry, lest the Sad Puppygirl be sadder yet. And who knows what she'll get into if bored.]
Head to the kitchen.

[Is there some sort of fine metal goblet or chalice? Maybe hidden in a back cupboard for high class clientele? If no, take a solid wood bowl.]

Head to the carriage, and get in.

Hum a Gypsy tune, drawing figures in the air with my fingers, smiling slightly.

The carriage awaiting, Seska leaves the inn.

Clamber quickly into the carriage, eager to be about this business.

Following after her lady, the Jewess climbs in to the carriage.

As she settles, she calls out the window, "uh-Hu!" in the hopes she will at least see some response.

What happens causes her eyes to widen in surprise. As the carriage pulls away from the Inn, she sees Dara flying towards the carriage in the distance. As she prepares to lean back, satisfied that her familiar is still following, if not yet reassured she is still who she ever was, another owl joins Dara in flight. Then another. And yet another...

Soon, a large parliament of owls is flying over and around the carriage. Alína feels a difference in the air and as she reaches out toward Dara to ask what is going on, her mind blanks.

To those in the carriage with her, they suddenly see the healer sit upright stiffly, her eyes glazed over and her mouth working as if she was getting used to using it for the first time after an injury had kept her from speaking for awhile. A faint glow radiates out from her person, pulsating rhythmically, as if to the beat of her heart; while a more intense heat seems to come from under her tightly wrapped tichel. Well, not heat, exactly. But a redder glow than the rest.

Apparently gaining control of the healer's speech, a strange voice issues forth from Alína, speaking words she will later need to be retold to know what was said...

"The father sleeps, he walks with G-d.
The ruler son sleeps, food for those who come after, buried in dreams and nightmares.
The priest son sleeps, sacrificed in his temple, buried in the past.
The soldier son sleeps, fallen victim to his wars, buried in his enemies.
The scholar son is awake, rebuilding the father's empire on the shoulders of fallen giants.

"Over the water, under the earth, there is a place that cannot be found.
Over the earth, under the water, there is no place at all.
On streets of water, within and without, above and below, there is a place where two titans battle.
Only the hated blood of kinship can wake the brothers.

"The silent woman will sing.
Death shall walk the earth.
The father's journey can finally end."

Falling silent, the glow around Alína bursts brighter than before, then diminishes as if it had never been. However, the reddish glow under her tichel remains, until the healer's body collapses and her eyes close in a moment of unconsciousness. As Alína collapses, the parliament of owls scatter, and the carriage continues on its way, no longer impeded.

How can I be a person, if I'm a doggy? Seskalady said I was her doggy, but... I think I'm supposed to be a person.

I'm supposed to be a Lady.

Sabinelady? Lady Sabine!

Maybe when I grow up, I can be a Lady like Seskalady.

I remember something. It's an old story, of the fae. The Sidhe sometimes would steal a human child, and replace them with fairy children.

How come I know about the fae?

Theophania must have told me, maybe? It feels like her story.

If I'm a changeling, I can glamour myself to look like a beautiful Sidhe Lady. [Obfuscate 3] I think I look like Theophania, but she was a Sidhe too. So that makes sense.