They had stayed until the Central Fire had began to sink low into the horizon, showering the lands with its' glow of oranges, yellows, pinks and purples. She had sat on her kaiila just watching it for a time, basking in the beauty of it, before turning back towards the wagons.
They were all weary as they unpacked and began to clean the empty crocks and bowls they had taken to have their meal from. The boys went off with Rook to clean the fish, and he had promised to show them how to salt them. The boys save Also. He followed her around like a shadow, only settling when she sat down to feed the girls. He sat beside her humming a tuneless song. She wondered if he ever did that for Ba'atar? He waited patiently until the girls were fed, and nodding off to sleep. She got them up and when to put them down in their wagon for the night, charging a slave to stay nearby in case one of them woke up.
And still, he waited patiently for her until she came out. He had the bundle in his lap that contained his flowers and the soil from around them. Looking up, she could tell by his little face that he was waiting for her to fulfill her promise to find a pot for them. Going through the pots in the supply wagon she found one that was the right size, and by luck, it even had a crack along the side. With pot in hand, she also picked up a couple of broken pots and stepped out and went to sit beside him.
When he asked why she got a "broked" one, she explained to him that the crack would allow the water to seep out and she was pretty sure that was a good thing. Her will all of her Tuchuk, horticultural knowledge. Taking the handle of her quiva, she put the broken pots on the ground and broke them into smaller pieces then put them into he bottom of the chosen pot. A little more soil was dug up to put on top of that, then she helped him to unwrap his flowers and allowed him to set them into the pot and showed him how to pat the soil in gently around the roots, covering them. She then sent him for a bota of water and helped him to dribble a few drops into the pot. Sitting back she grinned at him, and told him that with any luck and the blessing of the Sky they would grow.
There is this thing about Also, he can be so serious, but when he does smile, his face simply lights up and there is nothing more charming or more beautiful, and he graced her with one of those smiles. She told him that when his father got home, he could show him his flowers. The smile vanished and the little dark head shook and he mumbled, asking her not to tell his Daddy. This puzzled her, and even though it might seem like coddling, she pulled him into her lap, brushed the dark hair from his eyes and asked why.
"He will get the face" Her brow lifted. "The face?" Again the dark head bobbed, then lifted and the cherubic little face drew into a scowl, which made her brow lift even higher. "Where did you learn that?" The face relaxes and that soft voice answers her. "From Daddy. That is his Also can't sing face" She almost laughed, but realize that he was dead serious. "Oh Also, I am sure he doesn't mean to scowl so, maybe you misunderstand" There was no misunderstanding the tears that threatened in her sons' eyes, as he lowers his head and speaks barely above a whisper. "He don't like me."
In her life, she has suffered many types of pain, but the pain that went through her heart hearing those words come from her son, was sharper than a quiva. She held him closer. "Oh Also, you are so wrong. Your father loves you very much. He loves all of his children, you included." He was not to be swayed, his head shook again and she could see tears threatening as he stated very simply. "But he don't like me. I can't sing and he grunts and gets the mean face.". Again his little face pulled into the scowl.
She gathers him into her arms and rocks him gently trying to assure him that his father did love him, and she knows in her heart that Ba'atar does love all the children, but maybe Also had it right, he did not like them all that much sometimes. He has put so much store in Also, as his first blood son, being a singer, that maybe he had lost sight of the fact that it might not be the boys path. Although she knew the tears were there, the child never shed them, and she sat there watching as he withdrew into himself, into a place where maybe he felt more comfortable, safer, until he fell asleep.
There were just things that one parent cannot say to their children about the other parent, it just is not done. But as she puts the sleeping boy down in his furs and covered him up, those unspoken words ran through her mind. She loved the man very, very much, in spite of his arrogance and that stubborn way of his, but she has to admit, that at a time like this, she doesn't like him all that much.
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