Seasons of Change (Gossamer)

[Dhanya]

Timestamp: 43rd of Summer, 510
Purpose: Meeting a higher power.

"Now little babies, the next step is very important..."

Three tawny heads nodded quickly in response.

"If you want to attract a sand kitten, you have to act like one. The first step is licking your own elbow. Now, I'd show you but then the kitten would be mine and I don't want to go stealing your pet, so you have to do it yourself. There's a trick to it." Dhanya said, tipping her scarf away from her eyes so she could see the children better.

The youngest was the first to crack, twisting his arm up and towards his mouth so he could try to attract a sand cat. His more skeptical, older brothers held back for a moment, before deciding that they did not want to risk their little brother earning all the glory of the day. They were human children, all of the same family and thoroughly bored of travelling. Since she'd slipped and banged herself up on the plateau, Dhanya had been laid up. When they weren't travelling she spent most of her time keeping her ankle bound and elevated, entertaining the younger travellers because she couldn't run away from them.

"It's not wor-ing!" The eldest said, a tall boy of about ten years with brown eyes and an old wariness to him. His given name was Jun, followed by Hast and little Daon.

"Takes practice, my love, good things come to those who work hard." This was a lie. "You sit in the shade and give it some thought, don't wear yourselved out though. Busy day of travelling tomorrow."

All the many hours she was spending in the saddle were doing her ankle no good at all, though by her own estimation it was better than it had been the day she'd buggered it up. At least dancing had given her a reasonable tolerance for pain, though she rued the fact she wouldn't be able to practise until it fully healed.

"Ok boys, you keep at it, come back to me when the sun is setting and I'll sing you some songs, alright?"

Jun tugged at Daon's shoulder, leading him away with a look of misgiving that was tempered by his desire for a pet. Dhanya smiled and waved as they walked away, singing under her breath and relishing the fact that she'd bought herself some time alone and taught them a joke. She knew they'd repeat it, she'd fallen for it herself. They'd all have a good laugh, once they forgave her. No one else sang as well as she did in their caravan, it wasn't going to take much once they twigged.

"I am going to make such a great mum one day." She sighed.

Talking to herself was never a good sign, Pon wasn't even nearby so she could hardly pretend to be speaking to him.

"Elly wrapped her nineteen years in a coat from '41... Had the looks that'd make a grown man sigh..." Dhanya sang, trying to fill the boredom in with something else, painting over the flat landscape with her song.

[Gossamer]

The sun wheeled overhead, marking the passage of time that no one truly cared about in this savage land. It just denoted how long until night - the bitter cold it brought. Not long now, just three or four hours, if one judged correctly. Ravens were excellent judges of time. Dinner time. Breakfast time. Snack time. Yes, they knew exactly what time it was when it was. The raven backwinged, drawn by the sound of Pygmy's voice singing. Well, it truthfully wasn't much of a song, but the Raven was lonely and craving some companionship. That was the way of things. Life was hard in the Burning Lands and the little woman beneath would probably be a victim sooner than later... but did it really matter? Companionship was companionship, so the bird circled once more then landed avoiding all the other people. It crow-hopped once or twice bringing itself closer, then cawed to gain the singers attention.

"Snack snack snack snack snack snack snack snack..." its voice rang out, needy and demanding. "Snack snack snack snack snack snack...." Sure, it was just the normal caw of a raven, but the twist it put on its begging was almost amusing. Not that it expected any extra food. There never was any. The bird survived eking out a living from the corpses of killers - those that could actually hunt. Humans could. Perhaps this singer could as well. Coyotes and Golden Wolves had been scarce in the last few weeks. The Raven wasn't sure why. But it was hungry and unless someone killed something soon, it'd have to move north to better climates and less heat.

It didn't much like that thought. Heat was good. I loved the way sunlight shimmered off its feathers creating an illusion of color where none existed. But it was a vain bird by nature anyhow. Lazy and vain. "Snack snack snack snack snack snack snack snack...." it cried again.

[Dhanya]

"You learn to live off losers, for they make the mistakes twice. You're living in high society but you're street wise... Just to survive, oooh, just to survive..." Dhanya crooned to herself, before she was cut off by the crow.

It was a plucky little thing, coming up so close. Sort of reminded her of herself, only more feathery. A wave of sympathy managed to surprise her. She'd come begging to strangers before and she was also vain and lazy by nature, or at least preference.

"Him that works eats you know..." She said, already reaching into her pocket. "But I know how it is, I got some jerky and some seeds... D'you eat seeds?"

Truthfully she had no idea what ravens ate.

"I hate the jerky, I don't eat meat, guess I could chew some up for you anyway." She took a bite, chewing for as little as she could. She'd never liked the taste of meat. "You should move to a city, easy pickings around there."

She pulled the softened piece of meat out of her mouth and put it on the ground, as far away as she could reach.

"I hope you don't mind swapping spit, it's like a long-distance kiss anyway, I don't think you're as good at chewing as I am, quietly." She was talking to a bird. "Are you Kelvic by any chance? Always nice to meet one of the people, if you are."

[Gossamer]

The Raven struck gold. Not only was the singer a hunter, but she was also a motherly figure. Chewing food was something adults did for chicks, and the raven should have been vaguely offended she thought it a chick, but the jerky was just too delicious to argue. It would have ate it hard, and even the seeds too though seeds weren't its favorite. It liked scraps of meat, fresh water, and the occasional fruit. It even liked wine and ale, though finding that discarded was all but impossible in this day and age. Still, the little woman had a very generous heart and the Raven, like all wild things, took advantage of it.

It snatched at the meat, bouncing up to Dhanya just as neatly as if it were on two springs. Then wolfed it down, chittered in its throat, and then cawed openly. Soon it was perched on her knee pecking lightly at anything shiny it found on her person. A button, a piece of jewelry, even a weapon if she had one. Ravens loved shiny things, and it didn't seem to mind being so close to her. It wasn't as if it was stupid. It just seemed to know Dhanya wasn't going to hurt it.

The bird tilted its head, open and beat its wings, and perched up on top of her shoulder. It toyed with her hair, delighting in it, and then whispered in her ear.

"The meat is good. I like seeds but I'd rather eat bloody things. But I'm like you... too lazy to kill them myself. I'd much rather let others do the work and then pick at the scraps. Oh the scraps! I love the juicy little tidbits of marrow and the soft succulent portions of a fallen animals eyes. There is no sweeter nectar. I bet your craving some unusual things yourself - things besides grass - with that belly full of babes you have. Two I think... if I'm not mistaken. You'll be wider than you are tall outside of half a season." The crow said helpfully with a little chuckle that seemed to indicate it thought things were funny.

"It doesn't matter though. You are going to be causing plenty of mischief anyhow, aren't you? Just the seeds are sprouting right now, whirling in that little mind of yours.... but I can tell, oh yes I can... that you are going to be a thorn in a whole lot of people's sides sooner than later. And those babies, ahhh, they will just feed the fire, little kelvic. Because they'll pour their magic into your blood and make you do things a sweet little kelvic never would do." The crow said, then paced across the back of her neck to her other shoulder. It cawed a moment, then settled with a fluff, tucking its wings away.

"I love tricks. I love giving people I think have been wronged the edge. Would you like an edge, little goat? Would you?" It said, delight infusing its voice. Neither male nor female, neither young nor old, Dhanya would have a hard time getting a handle on either its sex or its age.

[Dhanya]

Dhanya's lips thinned, leaving them close to disappearing and only getting closer with every word the bird said. He could talk, she'd never heard of a kelvic that could talk, her mother never could... She wondered if they just hadn't known how and it was some sort of secret knowledge. Was he a mage, was this some sort of morphing? Then it occured to her that she might not be speaking to a human at all or any other kind of person she had ever met.

Their entire conversation quickly sent her queasy, she'd never heard someone speak so highly of marrow and eyes as foodstuff. It made her want to cover her own, she liked her eyes. Her stomach fell when he mentioned children.

No, surely not.

No.

She scooped her hands gently around his small body, so he was in front of her face directly. He could see her horror blooming quickly because she knew she was in the presence of something that was either much greater than she was or much smarter, both if she was particularly unlucky. She didn't want to be pregnant and she knew just whose children they would be if she was.

If she thought of her future, now, in the face of everything the crow was telling her, it looked like hell. There was only one answer she could give it.

"Yes, I would... I really would." She said, her voice light and lost. "Who are you? I can't be pregnant, I'd... I'd know. Surely I'd..."

She'd never had an edge before and it seemed she was going to need one. There was too much to take and she could tell she was in the presence of something otherly. She didn't want to make it angry.

She wanted to know how it knew these things, things she didn't want to believe. It couldn't be true, as far as she knew, it was just the desert heat slowing her cycle. It was natural, surely.

What could she possibly do to be a thorn in someone else's side other than be annoying? That was all she was good at.

[Gossamer]

The crow seemed unafraid clutched gently in her hands. It stared into her eyes thoughtfully, tilting its head while its dark eyes sparkled with mischief. While she stared back she realized suddenly that the crow was all colors - so many that it simply appeared black with the mixture. They swirled and eddied across its feathers not unlike the luminous patterns reflected in the night sky. It hopped once so it was perched uptop of her hands rather than held in them, and offered her its name.

"I am Ionu. And I know what your pathway is going to lead you towards. Freedom. You harbor anger towards your people and the way they are being treated. Your people are that which were never meant to exist. I knew Marcus Kelvic, you see. His mother was the Goddess Yshul and his Grandmother is Morwen. Morwen knows more about your people that anyone living today - Yshul could have but she was always busy with other things. Both are friends of a sort to me... and I help their children when I can. You do not know it but because Marcus birthed you, that makes you distantly related to both - great and great great grand children. All the kelvics, that is. If you have your way, Dhanya, you'll lead a rebellion. And its important for you to have these children and to know what it is to be a broodmare for man. No one will let you keep them - especially not their father - since they will not even grow to adulthood before your lifespan is up. That is, unless you can steal time... and for that you'll need Yshul's help or someone equally powerful. Me perhaps." The crow said, cawing softly.

Then, in a moment of startling speed, the crow dipped its head and plunged its beak into the webbing on Dhanya's right hand. It etched a symbol - a vildani (staff with a spiral ending in a star) - into her flesh with its beak - flesh that suddenly bled the color of azure which filled up the wound and caused it to burn.

"I ask no task of you for this mark. For this gift. Instead, I take pleasure in knowing what you will become. I will grant others, if I see what blooms in you grows and bears fruit. Because I think you need help and I think your cause is worthy. No mortal, no matter how divine his bloodline is, should dabble in life and play God like Marcus did. A whole race suffers slavery from here until eternity for it. I do not condone such a thing. And what he has done, you too can undo. If you live long enough and grow smart enough overcoming your very nature to make it happen." The crow said, hopping from her now bleeding hand to her shoulder. It fussed with her hair a bit and then cawed loudly, taking wing to circle around her and land a few feet away. It stole another tidbit of jerky when it did so, nibbling as if it had a right to it.

[Dhanya]

There had never been a moment as terrifying, gratifying and significant in Dhanya's short life. Though she had just met the trickster, she resolved that she would love them until the end of her days because they offered something she had never been given before; their faith. She listened, repeating the words and sealing them away as if they were a song for her to sing. Ionu knew what she was, to the very birth of her it seemed, and yet they did not offer to solve her problems for her or tie her down to worship. The Crow was helping her to reach for what she wanted, on her own strength. They thought she could achieve what she had considered to be unaccomplishable dreams.

She cried out as Ionu's beak scratched her flesh, clutching her wrist with her left hand to keep herself from jerking. It burned and bled an unnatural colour but she could not turn her eyes away. She felt unworthy and yet, determined that she would prove her worthiness. Even though she would doubt herself in the future, doubt her role in her children's futures... She would always remember the sting of her first gnosis and Ionu's words of stealing time. She would remember again and again. What she had now was not the end of it.

Ionu believed, so she would believe. She would have her children and then she would find Morwen. She would speak to Yshul. She would be free and her family would be free. Her people would not die underfoot.

She breathed deeply, sniffling once as the Crow played with her hair, then hopped away. Her heartbeat was roaring in her ears and she could feel something greater than her own djed thrumming within herself, within reach. She felt powerful.

Which was fairly novel.

"Thank you, Great Ionu." She said, dipping her head and raising it again, so she could continue to look upon the deity. "I'll do you proud, I promise. I promise I will."

She was going to be the biggest thorn that Mizahar had ever had in its side. Ionu believed in she could do it, so she was going to. Just as soon as she was gone from the desert and had her children. Then she would begin.

She was going to start in Riverfall.