Morning Storms

Writers: Chelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 24th May 2010

Characters: Parale, Syren
Description: Parale and Syren talk a bit during the morning as it storms outside.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 9, day 12 of Turn 5

It was raining and storming outside and Parale could hear it despite the
stone walls surrounding her, making her safe. To keep the girls' minds
off of things, she had made some hot sweet beverages and there were
some sticky buns set out. They should be waking, she knew.

Syren was the first to come out of the bedroom she and her sister had
shared the night before. "Is Daddy back yet?" she asked, wiping the
sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Not yet, Renling. Come here and sit. There's warm flavored milk and
buns." The fire was going, though it was a small one. The rain was
bringing the temperature down.

The little girl was still half asleep and food was not so tempting. A
warm lap, however, was. Throwing her arms around Parale's waist, she
laid her head against her warm body. "I'm not hungry yet."

"Fine then..what did you dream about?" She ran her hand through Syren's
hair slowly, comforting her and keeping her mind off of the storm.

"I don't remember, but I think there was a firelizard," the girl
mumbled, sinking even further into her.

"Ahh like Fieayz' little golden queen was it?" Parale smiled, watching
her.

"No," she shook her head, trying hard to think back. "I remember
because I was on the path through the rivergrain fields in the valley
behind the Hold, and it was the same color."

"What color is that?" Encouraging the little girl, the foster mother
found herself wondering again what her home might really be like.

"Green, mostly. Except the water is brown. Or sometimes it looks blue
if you look down on it from the mountain. And before they pick it, it's
kind of gold colored. But the flit was green."

"How nice.." Parale wondered if Syren wanted a flit. She was too young
for anything like that. "Do you have any friends at home?"

Syren nodded. "Yeah. We play together sometimes. Shinka has a doll
cot her daddy made for her. I asked Daddy for a doll cot and he said
maybe when we go back I can have one."

"That's nice. I had dolls when I was a girl too." Parale tried to
remember those days, but sometimes it was hard. She had worked so much.

"Venrys has a doll but she doesn't have a cot. She has a tea set."
Syren was very proud of the fact that _she_ might have a doll cot and
her older sister didn't!

"What are you going to do for your Daddy if he makes you a doll cot
then?" She was trying to teach the girls the concept of appreciation.

"I'll give him a hug and a kiss," Syren shrugged, thinking that was fair
payment for a doll cot.

"You don't wanna make him any cookies?" she prodded, looking down
at the little person in her lap.

"I'm a child! I can't use the oven." Her Daddy had made it quite clear
that she shouldn't play with the oven.

"There isn't anyone to help you?" Parale looked confused. Surely someone
had to look after the girls in the daytime.

Syren shook her head. "Daddy can use the oven, but Venrys and I can't."

"Hmm..who watches you while daddy works?" She was becoming more
curious now about their situation.

"We go to Harper classes. Or the nursery with the other kids." Syren's
tone was as if that should be obvious.

"Do you like the nursery there?" She fingered Syren's hair, brading it.

"Yeah. When my friends are there." Sometimes their mothers would come
and get them early. Then it was a little boring.

"Does your Daddy have friends?" Parale tried to keep the very interested
tone out of her voice.

"I don't know," Syren shrugged. "He talks to people a lot."

That meant he wasn't really allowing anyone to get to know his
daughters. "Hmm....do you like it here, Syren?"

Syren thought a minute. "It's ok. I want to play with my friends."
And Shinka's doll cot. "But I like being with you."

"You don't like the children here?" Parale finished the braids and
let go, letting them loose.

"They're ok." She turned back around in the foster mother's lap and
leaned her head against her shoulder. "I miss my room. And my toys.
And it's not the same as home."

Parale wondered what it would have been like if she'd been fostered
as a girl. She imagined it must be hard. "No I guess not. Your Da will
be back when he's done working. You're still not hungry?"

Syren thought about it a moment, but shook her head. Truth be told, she
was a little hungry. But she liked the idea of having Parale all to
herself for a while longer even more. Soon Venrys would be up, and she
would want her share of their foster mother's attention. Somewhere deep
down, the little girl remembered this feeling of being held and cuddled
by a mother. She couldn't bring the memory to the fore, but she knew
she liked the feeling. "Can we just sit here for a bit longer?"

"Sure if that's what you want." Parale listened to the thunder as it
subsided, closing her eyes and thinking about the rain and how it felt
on her face when she stood in it.

"Yeah," the little girl said, tucking her head under the woman's chin.
As she closed her eyes, it wasn't the thunder that she listened to, but
the sound of Parale's heartbeat.

Last updated on the May 28th 2010

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Morning Storms