[SOLO: Blessing] Morel [ Trip / Cue ]

[Jun]

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... uncert.png[/imgleft]It was a long time since Trip had been with a doe. Even ol' Trip could get burnt. But she had been so fun, and ever so cute, he could almost forget he had, after all. It was a good time.

All the same, Trip had the distinct feeling he wouldn't make the best of dads, so he thought he'd better get a leg up by going to a Legendary for a blessing.

He had gifts, of course - the finest* shrooms in all the Swamp. Surely no Legendary would turn them down. Just to be extra sure, he headed for Rise & Shine - he'd heard they had two, and even if they didn't want shrooms…well, they were still mushrooms. Sort of.

He had barely gotten to the edge of the salt marshes, before he was stopped by a sharp shout.

"Say! Are those edible?"

A dark kimeti was sunning on a rock. Her eyes burned gold, and Trip was no fool. He laid his wares - offerings, this time - before her.

"They certainly are edible."

"Are they edible, or are they edibles?"

"They're edibles, but they're edible."

"They're edible edibles?"

"Well, all edibles are edible."

"How edible are they?"

"They're edible at least once."

The dark doe sighed, "We're a family-friendly tribe. You know that right?"

He was honestly surprised, "You don't use edibles?"

She looked around for witnesses.

"Not officially," she said, when she had ascertained they were alone, "no one has to know. What are you trading for?"

"A blessing," he said.

[imgright]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... ry_jun.png[/imgright]And she leapt down the rock.

"Why didn't you say so," she said.

He smiled.

"What would you like?" she said, nosing thoughtfully through the goods.

"I don't reckon I'd make a very good dad," he said, "but I don't reckon the Swampmother could change that either."

"You never know," she said, but it didn't sound like her heart was in it.

"Just in case, it might be nice, if the kids grew up needing nobody to be happy," he said, "in case their dad doesn't stick around. You never know.

"And needing no shrooms, neither. It'd be nice, for them to be happy, all by themselves.

"Of course," he added," they can still have shrooms if they'd like. On the house."

"Very well," she said, "Swamp-willing, so they'll be."

She gathered up the shrooms, nodded at him, and walked off into the marsh.

Well, then.

That had been easier than he'd thought.

It seemed almost unfair, to trade away his worries with a bushel of shrooms.

The children were blessed, the problem was solved, and he was free to go. He'd thought freedom would feel freer then this.

And then he realised he'd just been taught the moral of the story.

Perhaps their dad would stick around after all. You never know.

In the meantime, he followed in the mare's footsteps to Rise & Shine. While he was here, he might as well pick up a few plum bits for their mum.

END