Wicked Game

Walk | Talk | Think

Her eyes fluttered open at the soft contact to her nose. Her right, cloudy eye was unseeing while the left slowly cleared to bring her husband into focus, standing beside her and quietly urging her to wake. Her brow furrowed, her head lifting from the paw she had it resting on, but even as she took in a deep breath, preparing to question him, he shushed her quiet. A swift glance told her why. The children slept soundly next to them, oblivious to their rousing parents. He did not want to wake them yet.

He explained himself in a simple, informative phrase, and Tahlia blinked slowly. Snow? Already? Was it really winter now? Had so much time passed, and so quickly? Slightly stunned, Tahlia rose slowly and followed Bane past Kailos and Lior to the front of the den, fitting herself through the opening he had just created to step out into the crisp, chilly morning. Her own breath fogged as it left her muzzle in a sigh, her gaze cast upward. Indeed, it did snow. It covered the ground in a thin blanket of white, covered the branches of the trees, and still fell from the sky. The sight of it was lovely - the first snowfall of the season - and though she was still admittedly sleepy she smiled, pleased to be witness to it.

An ear turned, caught the question, and nodding her head she answered, "It is." Bane stepped close and she turned her softly smiling expression on him, receiving a gentle poke against her hip to encourage her to follow. She did, stepping through the cleared path that he made for her and feeling silently grateful for his consideration. It might even have been an unconscious gesture but it showed her how much he truly cared. The way was easy for it, and wandering along in his wake as he shoveled the snow away from her path she listened as he mentioned his mother. Her ears perked, her attention fixing upon him before her, and her curiosity stirred. Had he ever mentioned his mother before now? She could not say that he had, nor that he had mentioned being born so early in the season.

But it was the last phrase that struck home, stealing her smile, her contented happiness, that placed ice within her middle. Ten years ago. Ten years! So long he had lived already, reaching an age not many could boast of. But how much longer? He still had much of the young warrior he was in him yet, enough to keep her fooled into thinking they had forever to themselves. How much longer, truthfully, would he be of this world, be with her, their family? It chilled her worse than the snow, and in that moment she was glad he was preoccupied with pushing through the snow, his back to her and his attention ahead. He could not see the fright that revelation had put in her.

Likely he expected some sort of remark from her, maybe even just a little something to know that she had been listening, and Tahlia drew in a deep, quiet breath as she eased the severity of her expression before he could turn and see it for himself. "It is your birthday then?" she asked at length, hoping her tone sounded cheerful and would not betray the thoughts that had buzzed through her mind. It was his birthday. They needed to celebrate, not mourn over a date and time that had yet to even reach them.