Mother Like No Other

She watched as her son thought, noting the way his ears tipped back. Not an easy topic? No, as soon as he began speaking she felt her ears fall back of their own accord. No, not an easy topic at all. How was she supposed to answer this? He was old enough to understand everything, and by all the teaching she and her mother had given them, he ought to be able to. If it weren’t for that butterfly. Surreal suspected that Regulus may not have paid as close attention to that lesson as he had to the butterfly. Surreal remembered clearly how she had looked away briefly as she was speaking, and looked back to see Regulus frantically pawing at his own tongue, trying to remove the butterfly wings.

It was Regulus’ soft words in the end that finally decided her. She would try to explain to her son what was going on. Maybe, as an observer rather than a player in this mess, he could provide some insight. So, she gathered her thoughts and began slowly, "Do col ceathrar Amalia mian leanaí i mbliana. Ach a maité, Fiachra, ní féidir a thabhairt di an bronntanas. Fiachra a aimsiú fear léi genes. Tá do athair deartháir leath Fiachra, mar sin tá Athena Armada do aintín ..." Here she paused, going over what she had just said. Gods, this world really was small, wasn’t it? She hadn’t thought about it when Falk was telling her, but Athena was as much a part of this family as Amalia was. That made it even more confusing to her, but she pushed on, marshalling her emotions.

"Athena mian le duine de na h deartháireacha a thabhairt Amalia bruscair i mbliana. Agus bhí ar siúl sí isteach i do athair cúpla lá ó shin agus brúite an cheist." She paused again, trying to slow her heart rate, took a deep breath and studied her son to see if he was understanding anything of what she was saying. Finally, she went on, finishing in as calm a voice as she could. "D'athair a dúirt go mbeadh sé ag iarraidh orm. Agus rinne sé. Agus anois Luíonn sé ar mo ghualainn. Má bhí na aon wolves eile, mo mhac, ní bheadh ​​d'athair a bheith ag fanacht linn. She blew out a sigh, rolling her eyes to the sky, watching a skylark climbing high into the sky, out of sight with it’s melodic calls fading into the distance. "Ach tá Amalia agus Athena teaghlaigh. Agus níl a fhios agam cad atá le déanamh. Tá mo chroí á ceirteacha tarraingthe ar dhá bhealach. Is breá liom do athair le gach rud i dom, agus tú leanaí chomh maith. Ach tá siad mo theaghlach, chomh maith, agus ba mhaith liom iad a bheith sásta."

Surreal lowered herself to her belly on the boulder, gazing out into the Plains, toward the den, hidden away in its wooded hill. "Ba mhaith liom ach gach duine a bheith sásta."

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think