Blackfeather Woods and stole my heart away complete

some coldness had come over astara as of late; relmyna did not ascertain until a later thought that it had to do with maegi. a frown touched her lips; her brow smoothed, and she did not touch her daughter. yet the warmth remained; the listener thrust back her ears and gave a low croon as she had done for her babes in infancy. astara, came her silent whisper. 
they were a pair, the two of them, for neither had spoken. and relmyna knew her own muteness was to blame for that, and the wood was largely silent. the shadows beckoned in quietude; the eldritch calm all but demanded it. however, she wished her child to know other ways of communication; her own path had been arduous. what is on your mind? relmyna inquired, though after the echo of her voice had passed, she dropped back into the soft and wordless methods she had always before used.