Timestamp: First of Spring, 512
Where: Wind Reach
Who: Aidara, Closed
It was a beautiful day, which was a rare thing for spring; even rarer for the wild ride of a year it had been. After the worst winter the city had seen in years, the bright sunshine, strong even in the early morning, was beginning the process that would heat the rocks that made up Wind Reach until everything was cozy and warm.
A cliche sort of happiness bubbled around in Addy's chest as she watched Sira and their daughter from a distance; an all-is-right-with-the-world type of joy that releases enough happy endorphins to make you absolutely stupid with bliss. The birds sang peppy melodies from betwixt newly bloomed leaves that danced and jigged in the wind. The grass was green(ish), the bees were buzzing (though a little too close for comfort) and Addy had even sat down in a small, dry patch of sand-like dirt at the waters edge. And it didn't even matter.
Life with Natalie had started out rough. The birth of their daughter had been a mixture of emotions, most of which Addy had been detached from at the time; the healer inside of her dominated the process to ensure both Sira and the babies survival. The wonder, shock, and joy had come later, her emotions inversely proportional to her lovers immediate joy that had slowly dwindled to an exhausted sort of detachment. An understandable reaction to the rather traumatic event that is birth.
But now here they were, frolicking in the sunshine without a care in the world. These observations floated idly through Addy's mind as her fingers found a wisp of hair and began to twist the dark strands into a plait, bright gaze following the little Kestrel that was her daughter as she dipped and swerved through the air. It was hard to tell exactly what the little Kelvic girl was doing, especially from her position on the lakes shore, but she nonetheless watched with rapt attention. Sira, however, seemed to know exactly what was going on, leaving Addy with the easy job: Cheerleader.
Taking subtle cues from Sira, the litte woman would bound to her feet and jump around, clapping her hands and cheering her daughters name. The praise had a visible effect on the child who, after what Sira had informed her later was a particularly hard maneuver for someone with her skill level, zoomed towards her tiny red-headed mother, landing at her feet and puffing out her feathers as she did her best attempt at a strut.
"Oh, you still girl! Good Job, Natalie! Mommy is proud!"
The cooing continued for a several more chimes, much to Natalies delight. The child was clearly spoiled, flattered beyond comprehension and still having yet to show any symptoms that she was worse for wear from it. Some of their fellow Inartan's had frowned upon the way Sira and Addy coddled their child, but they just couldn't comprehend that the little girl who darted around everyones feet, looking to be around six years old, was barely more than a toddler age-wise. Blessed with her Mother's Kalvic heritage, Natalie would grow faster than anyone could have imagined.
Shooing her daughter away and back into the sky, Addy reclined back onto her elbows and took a few moments to herself, forgoing the cheerleader facade. Sira was teaching their child important life lessons, things the little girl would need to know in order to properly traverse the skies. Wrapped in a guise of fun and games, Natalie had no idea the physical and mental training she was being put through; it had been all Sira's idea, while Addy herself had struggled for days after Natalie had revealed herself to be Kelvic, trying to decide the best wait to teach her.
A warm, soft and familiar weight threw itself onto her chest, knocking her down onto her back and into the dirt.
"Natalie!" Her voice was a gentle chide as she tried to grab hold of the squirming little girl and sit up, "You know I don't like dirt!" The response was a devilish little giggle and a clod of the stuff squished against her right cheek.
"Oh! I'm gonna get you!" A wild shriek as the girl tumbled from Addy's lap, scrambling for her feet in order to dash away from her mothers idle threat. Green hues flickered to where Sira stood above them, a playful frown tugging the corners of her lips.
"You put her up to that, didn't yo-" The sentence was never completed, green eyes wide as Addy took in the look on Sira's face; a distint sort of panic lingered beneath the surface emotion of a controlled, blank expression. Rising slowly as to not alert Natalie that there might be something wrong, Addy reached out to place a gentle hand on Sira's arm.
"We need to go. Now." The crisp command in the woman's voice snapped Addy's spine straight. As Endal and Rider, it was Aidara who gave the commands, not the other way around. It was a good thing, then, that their relationship was completely unusual in more ways than just that. Sira could give a command, and Addy would listen, Endal or not.
"Natalie, to me." Holding out her hand, voice low and firm, it was only a matter of seconds before the light pressure of a tiny hand found it's way in to Addy's comparatively large one. In one well practiced motion, the child was scooped and balanced upon one hip.
"Momma?" Came the soft whisper.
"Shhhhh, Sweetiepie, it's okay." A hand reached to soothingly smooth the vibrantly red curls that covered the little girls head. "We're just going to go home early." Something churned at the very bottom of Addy's gut, leaving a sour taste in her mouth. Something was... wrong. Just... wrong.
Sira? Pause. Wait. Sira, is everything okay?
The silence seemed to drag on forever.
Take Natalie and go home. Immediately, Aidara! The command was crisp and taut with barely controlled fear.
Petch.
"We're going to play inside for a bit, Sweetheart. Okay?"
