Night of the 30th of Spring, 519AV
The gentle rocking of the boat which had assisted her sleep the first few nights was officially over. Still, with the large waves swooning beneath the palaver, Lani eventually found herself to sleep. All season she had been plagued with terrible dreams of Lhavit, of her mother. Briefly interspersed with happy memories of Madeira or of Quett. But tonight, Lani’s subconscious brain offered her something peaceful, as if to sooth the wretched waves that took her to sleep.The candlelight beside her bed was dim in the evening night. She could hear the bustling streets of Alvadas below, and knew that their little cottage had likely moved them to be near the bazaar. Still, little Lani was just past the age of four and happy to be distracted by anything she could see. So instead of tucking herself into bed as she had been told to do, the half-blood found herself on her tiptoes by the window, hooking her chin on the sill and watching the streets below.
People walked, perfectly normal, across a coursing river that took place of a street, going wherever the night led them. No one seemed unstable in their footing or worried about getting wet, as the illusion seemed to be merely sight. She could faintly hear the string instruments of two musicians that were happily taking camp on the corner of the river street and a dune-riddled patch of desert which interjected it. Little Leavou could see the lithe frame of a dancer weaving through the crowd, and had the four year old not been watching as closely as she could, she would not have seen those silky hands dipping into pockets that weren’t their own.
Had she been any older or had grown out of the self-absorbed stage of childhood, she would have grown concern over the obvious thievery that she could only witness as an onlooker. Instead little Leavou was entranced by the stealth and finesse of the thief’s dance. Without the opportunity to watch much longer, Leavou was spooked by her mother’s sudden presence in the doorway of their shared room and the stern voice that followed.
”Excuse me if I am wrong, but it does not appear that you are sleeping?” The tall Konti focused her iridescent gaze on the small child, and Lani shrunk back from the window. ”Have I forgotten the concept?”R’yse asked in her intricate adult tone. And while the four year old was not entirely sure what her mother was saying, she could hear the disappointment in her voice. Unfortuantley, disappointment didn’t bother Leavou much. The child giggled and ran to her bed, pouncing on the small cot and swinging the blanket over her head.
”Sleeping!” She called out in her mother’s tongue, as if it would cover the obvious mischief she had been up to. The child could feel something lumpy underneath her back and pulled out her little stuffed animal, it was a strange trunked thing, which buttons for eyes and ribbons sewn into its legs. Although it resembled no animal, nor any natural color, it was not out of place in Alvadas. It was a creation that was born of someone’s imagination and put into reality for the joy of children, and it was Leavou’s favorite and only stuffed animal. She pulled the thing close to her chest and waited beneath the blankets, perking her ears to listen if R’yse trusted her to fall asleep, or if she was coming to tuck her in. The child didn’t hear footsteps, and so she carefully pulled the blanket down from her face, and was met with the silvery scaled face of the Konti hovering above her.
Leavou screamed.
Almost as suddenly as the girl shrieked in surprise, R’yse was laughing. A hearty joy at her daughter’s expense, but the laugh was infectious and the little child found herself giggling too, although her heart still raced from the spike of fear. R’yse soft hands were pulling at the covers, adjusting them over Leavou’s shoulders while she calmed down from her moment of hilarity.
”Okay, Leavou. Are you going to sleep this time?” R’yse asked, brushing scraggly black hair from Leavou’s face. Little black eyes blinked at her mother, and a mischievous smile lit up her face while she nodded. ”Or would you prefer I shuttered the windows so that Leth could not shine upon you?” R’yse teased, and Leavou frowned. R’yse knew that the child loved looking at the moon, even when she was trying to listen and sleep. It was likely a tease, but the four year old took it seriously, fearing the removal of the moon.
”I don’t wanna sleep yet.” She pouted, squeezing her stuffy tighter to her chest and protruding her bottom lip as far as it would go to emphasize her point. R’yse grinned.
”Whose frown is that? I think I know.
Its owner is quite happy though.
Full of joy and a little hope,
Even though she pouts and mopes.” The familiar lyrics of her mother’s playful bedtime lullaby fell from R’yse lips, and Leavou stopped frowning, anticipating the rest of the song.
”I give her little nose a tap,” R’yse gently brushed the tip of Leavou’s nose with her finger. ”And place a kiss on her cap.
The only other sound's that break,
Of distant waves and birds awake.
The girl is little, beautiful, and sweet,
But she has promises to keep,” Lani knew the following words, because the four year old’s logic had issue with the continuity. Not that she understood the repetitiveness and symbol of a song, but rather that cake was mentioned, and she didn’t get any. ”After cake—“
”Cake!” She squeaked, saying it at the same time as her mother did, which set a fresh grin on R’yse’s face, but did not interrupt her song.
” —she must go to sleep.
And sweet dreams will come to her cheap.
Soon she will rise from her bed,
With thoughts of playing in her head.
She will eat her jam with lots of bread,
Ready for the day ahead. ” R’yse finished her song, and brushed her finger’s through Leavou’s hair a few times more, then leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead. The child watched her mother with reverence, too young to realize the song had worked to adjust the four year old’s focus and calm her excitement. This allowed for the tiredness that Leavou had been purposefully staving off to seep back in, stealing a small yawn from the child.
”Good night, Leavou.” R’yse finished off, tucking the covers a little closer around Leavou’s shoulder’s/
”Nighty Mum.” Leavou muttered, feeling more like she was supposed to sleep now. R’yse nodded to her, and stood up from leaning beside her cot, glancing at the candle beside her bed. It was small and did not throw too much light in the room, but the four year old still feared the shadows in the pitch black, and so always requested it on.
”Would you like me to blow out the candle?”
”No!” Leavou gasped, and then recalled her manners. ”No thank you. Nighty Mum!” She assured the Konti, turning on her side to face the door better, watching the brighter light from the candles in the main part of the cottage squeeze shut behind the door. Finally, Lani felt as if she was actually drifting off to sleep.
☾
Whose frown is that? I think I know.
Its owner is quite happy though.
Full of joy and a little hope,
Even though she pouts and mopes.
I give her little nose a tap,
And place a kiss on her cap.
The only other sound's that break,
Of distant waves and birds awake.
The girl is little, beautiful, and sweet,
But she has promises to keep,
After cake, she must go to sleep.
And sweet dreams will come to her cheap.
Soon she will rise from her bed,
With thoughts of playing in her head.
She will eat her jam with lots of bread,
Ready for the day ahead.
Whose frown is that? I think I know.
Its owner is quite happy though.
Full of joy and a little hope,
Even though she pouts and mopes.
I give her little nose a tap,
And place a kiss on her cap.
The only other sound's that break,
Of distant waves and birds awake.
The girl is little, beautiful, and sweet,
But she has promises to keep,
After cake, she must go to sleep.
And sweet dreams will come to her cheap.
Soon she will rise from her bed,
With thoughts of playing in her head.
She will eat her jam with lots of bread,
Ready for the day ahead.
