Northstar Vale rosewater

aw!

tamar slept most often.

the morphe recovered slowly from the difficult birth of her sons.

today, however, she was more alert. she watched their tiny movements, glancing up at a shadow which darkened the denmouth.

the vale, her place of peace.

zosime struggled with the arrival of new siblings. siblings that she had been excited for. now their presence was a harsh sting against a healing heart.

antigone, a brother from the womb, had dispersed.

and in his wake, two new brothers had shown.

did nobody look upon this as she did?

she supposed she should only be grateful. or joyed. or whatever it was everybody else seemed to feel. try as she might it never clicked into place. not for them, at least. there was a soft swell of joyed relief at seeing her mother stir today.

in a hushed sort of sound, she wordlessly announced herself. eyes strongly fixed away from the boys at her mother's side.

tamar was too sensitive not to see how zosime avoided.

"my girl." she placed the boys aside and offered her older daughter a place of rest.

of love.

of understanding.