The Heart Of A Mother

Participants:

Indira.jpg

Date: 2010.07.28
Location: Headwoman's office & Beast Caverns
Synopsis: After the conversation with Ahnika, Indira goes to check up on Max
Rating: PG13
Logger: Indira


Sleep escaped her, Ahnika’s words replaying over and over again in her head.

… a broken nose, possibly some ribs, and bruising all over the place…

From her curled up position on the chaise lounge in her private quarters, Indira frowned and drew the light shawl tighter about her shoulders. It worried her that she was only hearing about it now, and then only due to the candidate’s misfortune of having stumbled upon him.

… he said he … wanted me. But . ..

What the shards was he playing at this time? She knew him well enough to know (or at least she thought she did) that for all the things he was, he at was at least careful enough to steer clear of the innocents, usually only choosing those more…experienced, as his bedmates.

Lips twisted into a discomforted line as the headwoman gave up on sleep. Quickly changing into a set of everyday clothes, she closed and locked her office door quietly behind her and went in search of her son.


Inhaling deeply of the earthy scent of the stables, a smell she always found comforting, Indira quietly made her way down to her son’s sleeping quarters. Pushing the door open a crack, she peered around it and found that he’d forgotten to turn the glowlights down again and was dead to the world on his mattress.

A mother’s fondness welled up unbidden and graced her mouth with a smile - such innocence and peace on his face when he slept.

Stepping carefully she crept closer, eyes roving over the bare upper torso of her son, a frown appearing for the almost faded marks across his ribs and the faint bruising still showing around his nose and eyes.

Hunkering down next to the still sleeping beast manager, fingers reached out and stroked gently through the dark hair, a melancholy expression on the woman’s face, “Ah my boy, what have you gotten yourself into now, hmm?” the words coming in whispered concern and love for the young rogue.

Max stirred in his dreams, muttering something unintelligible and flung an arm across his eyes.

Hand moved quickly away lest she disturb him, Indira stayed crouched alongside him a moment longer and then stood again to leave. Having satisfied herself that he was still relatively all in one piece.

Moving back toward the door, dark eyes fell to the satchel at the end of his mattress and curiosity drew her to it. Taking it up, she slid a hand inside. Fingers touched the edge of cold steel and then closed around the object and withdraw it.

Turning the altered runner shoe over in her hands, eyes flared wide as something started to dawn on her and she sent an astonished look back over to the slumbering young man. “Max?” his name whispered in surprise for this uncommon gesture of his.

The runner shoe, while still to all intents and purposes remaining so, had had the name ‘Ahnika’ hammered across the centre of the arch on one side and the words ‘Don’t let go’, on the other.

Staring down at it for a long time, she came to a decision and inhaled deeply, the breath expelling in uncertainty for what she was about to do. Slipping the runner shoe back into the satchel, she slung it over her shoulder and left.


When Ahnika awakes the next morning, it might become apparent that someone had crept in whilst the candidates slept. At the foot of her bed, is that very satchel that she had mentioned to the headwoman, having left in the stables. Inside, the highly polished runner shoe, with a small square of paper wrapped about it which contains the following simple few words written in Indira's familiar script:

You might want to rethink your relinquished chores.


Celtic Women - May It Be


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