[B] Children of Sea & Sand (Meets-the-Sea & Seafoam Voices)

[hybridic]

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It was not usually a hard task to find Seafoam Voices, being the only acha in their little tribe, and certainly the only one who had the spirit to sing so beautifully. The rest of the tribe -- her children, mostly, Meets noted with a slight twinge of regret -- were stubborn, determined, goal-driven, power-hungry, or quiet and solitary. She loved them all -- but perhaps she had not been the best mother she could be to them.

Seafoam Voices, however, was going to be a fabulous mother. Watching the little acha dance her way out onto patrol with Shortened Way these past few months, full of that excited delight with life which seemed to infect all acha but doing her best to restrain herself in deference to Shortened Way's own quiet temperament, brought a simple pure joy to Meets-the-Sea's heart. Although she prided herself on being able to see more than meets the eye, she would not have predicted this coupling -- but the acha brought out an inner sweetness in her son that had been long hidden, one that clearly made him happier than he had been in a good while. She had even seen what could almost be described as a smile on the solemn buck's face the other day!

Yes, Seafoam Voices would make an excellent mother, and Shortened Way -- with her influence -- would certainly prove a caring father. And a few young ones would bring new life to the tribe that was sorely needed. Now she simply needed to find Voices and bestow on her a very heartfelt blessing.

[hybridic]

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Swollen with eggs and ready to burst, Seafoam Voices had taken lately to finding the coolest parts of their home in which to take naps during the midday sun. It wasn't as hot during the day as it could be, but it was still rather warm and the added weight she carried doubled the heat. As the sun set she opened her eyes and rolled out from the low hanging ledge she'd fallen asleep under. Legs stretched- One, two, three, four; and she was on her way to find other tribe members. It had been harder and harder to go on patrols with Shortened Way so she liked to fill the void of his company with singing to his family. Those she could find at least.

Her eyes settled on Meets-the-Sea as she rounded a corner and her eyes lit up. No words were necessary as she pranced up to the matriarch of the tribe and gently pressed her nose to the mare's cheek.

[hybridic]

Meets-the-Sea bent her head toward the little doe and nuzzled her cheek, the smile on her face one of her most radiant. "How has our little singer been today? Avoiding the heat, I hope?" The mare spread the fin on her tail wide and waved it back and forth, sending a slight breeze in Seafoam Voices' direction. "Though I suppose even unborn acha are used to these temperatures," she added with a slight tilt of her head.

[LOLLI qAq]

Seafoam laughed delightedly at the sudden breeze and allowed herself a moment to revel in the added coolness. "Oh, we're a surprisingly hardy bunch, but I wasn't prepared for what the added weight would mean for my own ability to withstand the sun. I'm as swollen as a watermelon and three times as lazy!" She let out another bubbling laugh. There was nothing in the known world Seafoam would trade this experience for, and she suspected Meets already knew that.

[hybridic]

Meets chuckled softly, beaming at the happy little ache who had somehow stolen her silent son’s heart - and hers as well, albeit in a different fashion. “Well, be sure to keep yourself in the shade until the evening.” The legendary doe looked out over the rolling dunes, her eyes narrowing against the glare of the sun. “You are going to be a wonderful mother, Seafoam. I hope that Shortened Way will do his part as well.” She sighed, tilting her head toward the sky. “I fear that Slide and I were not the best parents we should have been.”

[LOLLI qAq]

Seafoam listened and nodded along to the advice, their leader would know best- She was brave, wise, and she'd done this before already. Not that the last part would have really meant anything to Seafoam. Meets could have never had children and the young acha would follow her every word without argument ... Until that last sentiment left the mare's lips.

"Oh," she said hesitantly. "I don't think that's true. The two of you were given a very clear purpose. A very important purpose! Your kids know this, and I bet they all have the same rich and wonderful inner lives that Shortened Way does. Otherwise they wouldn't enjoy art the way that I think they do."

She booped her nose gently against the mare's cheek with a warm smile. "Shortened Way will be an excellent father. Caring, protective, and a provider. Just like his parents."

[hybridic]

Meets turned to look down at the smaller kin and blinked several times, as if coming out of a trance. "A...purpose. Yes." She smiled, and it seemed tinged with sadness. "But a purpose, sometimes, can get in the way of being a person, it seems."

The doe shook her head, flicking the fin atop it as if to shoo away an errant thought. "But you are right, Seafoam," she continued, bowing down to the younger doe's height and smiling again, with true happiness this time. "Shortened Way has always had much inside of him that others cannot see, and it seems like you have been able to draw it out of him and into the light." The wide fan of Meets' tail swung around and spread, hovering -- almost nervously -- over the acha's side where the eggs of her grandchildren grew. The dark glow of her eyes brightened against the sand. "They will be loved by song and sight, and their spirits will dance across the desert. You have nothing to fear, little singer."

[LOLLI qAq]

Tears of joy welled in Seafoam's eyes as the blessing was bestowed upon her children and her heart swelled within her chest. If she'd have had to guess her heart must be nearly as large as her stomach at that point. It was amazing to her how light and warm something as, ultimately, common as a blessing could make her feel.

But this wasn't common was it? This was the mother of her dearest love. The grandmother of her children. One of the leaders of their tribe. This was special.

She danced and sang a small song of praise before Meets-the-Sea and then pressed her nose to the mare's cheek once more.

"Thank you," the words bubbled out of her. "This was the greatest gift you could have bestowed."