Stone Circle öðruvísi

she laid alongside her mother. eyes closed for the way they stung against dryness and the cold air around them.

this story sounded like one to soothe and sleep. she figured that to be much the case. but it winded and weaved. perhaps too mysterious for a sleeping story.

"this girl was as pale as snow, and as small as could be. and she was very much alone, too."

short ears stood as tall as they could, from her head's place on the cold ground. bjarna did not remember a time before sanja.

parousia had died of her soul's starvation in the valley.

but bjarna was pale as snow. stunted even if her body compacted. her throat clenched and grew slick. her eyes opened and then closed. squeezed so tightly as if that might hide her from whatever twist laid ahead in this story.

"so she called that little one, bjarna."

and she was too tired to weep again, but her heart hurt in long deep strokes. pierced by the very truth of it all. that she had not come from sanja. still sanja was her mother. took in the dying babe and gave her life under the name bjarna.

who had she been before?

who had left her to be alone forever?

were they as deformed as her? or had they seen her and left her there?

perhaps it did not matter. they had not loved her. they had not wanted her to never be alone. mother bear did. none of the things that plagued bjarna were the fault of mother bear. they were the fault of someone before. someone who had none of the things that sanja did, she felt certain of that.

but sanja had looked upon this shortened face and loved it all the same.

her breath hitched, even if she could not cry anymore.

i am sorry.

she did not even know what she apologized for! was it for the hurt she caused between them? was it for being so unkind to herself when she had been given a second chance at life?

she was dizzy and exhausted.