Gifts

I received several gifts this Winter’s Veil from my acquaintance, some of which are easier to appreciate than others. The cake constructed by Father Sunspeaker I devoured within a day. From Vivvienne, I received a bright floating lantern that follows me about as I wish. This has been quite useful for moving around the property in the dark, particularly in the early morning. The horses also favor it I believe, for they do not like it when something approaches unseen.

Nemeiah gave an extremely delicate glass-enclosed lotus flower. Without her prior warnings of its fragility, this likely would have been damaged by inadvertent activity. It occupies a place on my desk next to the ‘gift’ from Great-father Winter, as well as the one from Anannia.

Ana’s gift is more difficult to appreciate. She gave to me a raptor egg. I thought it rather strange at first, comparable to her other eccentric behaviors. But she also said a few things as she bestowed it, that I did not quite understand the meaning of until later. She said that she knew I feared that my ‘bad aura’ would harm tiny ones – as I had told her before. And that she believed that this was incorrect.

I have not yet decided what to do with this egg. For now it sits with a blanket about it. I thought of placing it near the fireplace, but it may be too warm there. I may offer it to one of Whiteclaw’s sons, the one that keeps raptors, as he has far more experience and chance of hatching it successfully. But there may be more to this that Ana is trying to teach me.

It is one task to keep little trees alive, and another for an unborn animal. Let alone a person. Do’xian warned me that others would try to ‘cure’ me of my ‘fear’ for little ones once it was known that I do not want to touch them. That may be what Anannia is attempting to do. However, this is not an issue of the mind or perception.

The trollish Witch Doctor Kazak’guul expressed it thus: “Yet… ah know who ju be. Darkness say de Spirits, wicked Axes…  Annjia ju be.”

But according to Great-father Winter, that may not be true, either.