Sun Mote Copse A Child Has Been Born into the World

Within her sanctum, she was absorbed with her children. She could not drawn her eyes from them, could not end her marveling at their forms. She imagined she could see pieces of herself in them already, pieces of her parents. Would they grow to resemble her own siblings? It was a heart-warming thought. Outside the den, she heard footsteps. She stiffened, moving quickly to block the children from any invaders. Ar-Khalba issued a chuff from a respectable distance, showing that he would not enter unless invited. The idea of letting him in, letting him close, at once frightened her in the age old way of females and excited her. She had just come to the conclusion that he deserved to see them whole, all of them, when another set of footsteps began.

These drew closer, to the denmouth, and she felt her lip twitching and a growl on the verge of rising in her chest. A voice called to her, soothing her anger. "Eshamun." She called out, hoarse but delighted. The female began to crawl into the den, and Asherah felt only the smallest of misgivings. Eshamun would not hurt her children. Only one had any reason to fear the ekar-aji, and that time had not yet come.

Eshamun did not enter completely, but she was in enough to see Asherah, and the children. The woman, the new mother, moved to show her bounty. "I have been blessed, to have three so healthy. Two males and a female." She bent to touch the tiny bodies as she named them. "Anatha, my daughter. Elohim, my first son." She nosed gently at the third's head, a solemn silence settled for a moment. "And Bachir, my last born, my chosen one." She raised her eyes to meet Eshamun's and she knew the woman would understand.

"I wish for Ar-Khalba to see them, as well. As they are now, as they were born. Time will come when they will no longer be three, and I believe he should see this blessing in full. Molech was kind to us in giving one of each, and Bachir. The will of The Many Armed God is made clear to me." Despite her weariness, her aches, she was full of joy. She would rest eventually, but she could not bring her eyes from the children to do so. There was so little time to enjoy them, sleep seemed a small price to pay.