[B] I Brought You This Fish [Fish Bones, Lady]

[Scaramouche Fandango]

And Laid Them On The Green was looking for someone. It wasn't someone she knew, but she'd heard, well, legends of a stag somewhere around here, and she desperately wanted a stag's help.

She'd heard his name was Fish Bones, and that it was customary to bring some sort of gift to a blessing, so she'd brought the mostly-articulated skeleton of a long-dead... well, fish. She couldn't say what it had been, only that it was relatively large and extremely pokey. It had dried with strips of its skin and flesh holding it mostly together, and mercifully it had died long enough ago that the scent of rot and salt was only a distant memory.

Looking around her, she had no idea if she was in the right place or not. The directions she'd gotten were vague at best, and while she knew there was a pool of water where the stag could often be found, this was a swamp. There were pools of water everywhere. Still, nothing she could do until she found him, really- she wasn't going to stop looking. The help she wanted was too important.

The Cake Mage of Sheep

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

Lady startled at the noise of a small creature emerging from the underbrush. It wasn't the stag, but it was an extremely adorable foxbun. Lady loved little creatures. Her longtime companions, Low the eaglehound and High the lynx, were more likely than not to pounce on wee beasties, but she certainly found herself drawn to them. This one was particularly cute.

"Well hello!" she said, wrinkling her nose pleasantly at the foxbun. "Aren't you a precious thing? Are you looking for your friend?" For such a small creature to be so bold, so unafraid of the larger creature- surely this one had a kimeti companion. Or totoma or acha or kiokote or even a zikwa- and perhaps that person knew where she might find her stag.

The Cake Mage of Sheep

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

She was vaguely aware of the foxbun's intent; there were words, somehow, but she didn't really hear them. It was like they were in her head, or maybe somewhere in the earth, traveling through her body and into her mind. She found herself not thinking about it, though- perhaps this was one of those inexplicable things that just happened. Perhaps this foxbun was th ekey to something more.

"I'm looking for Fish Bones," she said carefully around the bones in her mouth. "Not these fish bones- these fish bones are FOR Fish Bones, if he wants them. They're a present- I thought, you know, his name is Fish Bones. The swamp gives names for a reason, and since the swamp gave me these fish bones, I just found it... well, appropriate. Have you seen him? I wouldn't bother you- or him- if it wasn't important."

The Cake Mage of Sheep

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"You are? How delightful!" Lady cooed, so glad she'd resisted her urge to snuggle the foxbun or nuzzle the delightful soft bit between his ears. "I'd heard that legendary kin could take alternate forms, but I've never seen it for myself. You must think me dreadfully naive for not realizing, but you see, I've never actually met one of the Motherfather's chosen before!" She was aware she was showing her hand, but then being close or guarded had never been something the loquacious doe cared to do. The pond was lovely in a very strange way; it seemed oddly tranquil for being so full of bones.

"It's like a garden of bones!" she said, smiling at the somewhat macabre scene. "Like little flower stems waiting to blossom." She found herself thinking of the delicate situation that had brought her here; for some reason, bones and blossoms and life on the cusp of happening were on her mind. "You know, I don't think I ever told you my name. It's And Laid Them On The Green, but most just call me Lady." She found herself wondering what he looked like as a stag; was it permissible to find a legendary kin cute? Especially if they looked like a foxbun?

The Cake Mage of Sheep

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"It must be nice, having a friend who'll clean up like that- I've got an eaglehound and a lynx at home, and they're quite content to just doze around our- well, I suppose I think of it as a den. We're not really there too much- at least we weren't. I suspect we'll be spending more time there now," she said, alluding to her belly. She looked around for a spot where she could plant her contribution; finding one, she gently laid the old bones in place, hoping they'd be to the crane's liking. She took her time placing them just right as she mulled over what to say next. She didn't want to seem rude by rushing him or being too blunt, but she was fairly nervous about the whole situation. This was her first time being a mother, after all. What if she did something horribly wrong? She stepped back from the arrangement and turned to the foxbun. "There- what do you think?"

The Cake Mage of Sheep

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"It's true- I was hoping to speak to one as wise as you about my children." Swallowing, she continued. This was why she'd come here, after all. She'd run her speech through her head over and over, choosing the best words to say.

"I find myself in the position of having a family on the way. I've never had children, and so I'm quite nervous- more excited and thrilled than nervous, but nervous nonetheless. I know that I will love them no matter what and do my very best to protect them and raise them well, but I've been... having a hard time sleeping at night. I'm worried that something will go wrong. With, um. With me, I mean. I'm... most does I know have had children by now, and to not put too fine a point on it, I'm no spring peeper. More like an old bullfrog," she said with a chuckle. "I wanted to come out and ask for a blessing because I'd like to give my babies the best start possible; even before they're in the swamp and having their precious first dreams. I- I think that's important, that I ask for help. I want to be the best mother possible, you know?" She pawed at the ground, staring at her hooves. "As soon as I realized- I fell in love with them. I adore them already, and I just want the best for them."

The Cake Mage of Sheep

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

Full of joy. Perfect. Lady found her heart growing lighter; a weight was lifted. "Thank you; thank you so much!" she said, a grin stretching her face. "I- it really means a lot to me, and to them I'm sure. A..." she laughed at what she was about to say. "I guess this is a mother's instinct at work? Or at least I hope it is. It's all so new to me, and I just want to do it right. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart." Full of joy. Her children would be happy. What more could a mother want?

The Cake Mage of Sheep

I think that does it!