I
wanted to be the first to introduce Maeve to snow. I guess because it seemed like something special that I wanted to take the credit for. She had been asking about it as we got closer to winter, so I knew I needed to keep an eye out for those first flakes to fall.Today turned out to be that day. Fortunately, we were already out walking together so there hadn't been any rushing around necessary.
When she saw that first snowflake, I think that's when my heart became warmer than it had ever been before. The look on her face had to be the cutest thing I had ever seen. Then watching her as she jumped around was priceless. She made me join in too and soon we were laughing together. I think the last time I genuinely laughed this much was when Antiope and I first became friends (back before it was just all business all the time).
She is sticking out her tongue now trying to catch the snowflakes like I had suggested. I remember being young and doing the same, although I was disappointed that they didn't have any real taste. Maeve doesn't seem to mind, of course. It's just as fun to her as jumping around had been.
The snow is falling softly around us and it's not exactly the kind I was hoping for. It's more wet and isn't accumulating very fast. It'll likely be a while until it covers the entire ground and becomes the right consistency for building. Something else I was hoping to do was build snow animals because I remember it being fun as a kid. Of course I always created the "scary" animals compared to everyone else, but I took pride in my creations.
I know Maeve will probably model one after her hawk or Bram. The wolf is laying down nearby watching us. He's become a good guard animal lately and I've noticed he's become very protective of Maeve (sometimes more so than me). As for Rory, Maeve's bonded… well, it seemed like their bond needed some work. He was far more elusive than Bram had ever been.
Still, I'm glad she's found our games fun and that I ended up being the first to show her snow after all. It's moments like these that make me grateful to be a mom. It feels weird to admit that, but it's true. Al'Zahra and all that shit aside, I still wouldn't trade my daughter for the world.
Of course, I noticed a couple horses approach us and I'm a bit annoyed that our mother-daughter bonding is being interrupted. That is, until I recognize who the taller one is. There's a little one by her side, likely not too much younger than Maeve. The sight is definitely surprising.
"Elena? Long time no see," I say as they approach, my face not exactly hiding my shock. I don't remember Elena being pregnant the last time I saw her, but I guess a lot could change in several months. Maybe this won't entirely ruin my plans with Maeve after all. While I don't know Elena well, our axe throwing session was pretty fun. Plus, my daughter could use more playmates her age.
"Who is this with you?" The girl is a striking contrast to Elena's bright palomino coat and she has a unique crescent moon shaped marking on her shoulder. It actually reminds me of Tenebrae but that just seems too far fetched. The monks are always going on about their spirituality being more important or whatever. This makes me a little suspicious, but I figure I'll wait to see what the woman says before jumping to too many conclusions.
i've lost a part of me ; tell your friends to sharpen their teeth
