Neverwinter Forest they're coming to take me away, ho-ho! hee-hee, ha-haaa!

maybe?

 

plip. plop. plip. plop. nüwu lay under some thick tangled tree root that rose enough from the ground to create a little room where the trunk hollowed out.

Her muzzle alone stuck out into the drizzle, breathing in the feeling of the world, cool water dappling her snout not unlike her own pale freckles.

where was her mother? miriam’s disappearance couldn’t have come at a worse time; instead of being here to comfort her mourning child, she was gone, an absence which fueled resentment in the young maiden’s mind. unfortunately, she was past the threshold of non-remembering, and so remembered each thing that had happened to her — including miriam’s subsequent betrayal.

she didn’t understand that adults could get lost like children did. to liliana, they were the ultimates, and knew everything that there was to be known. therefore, miriam’s absence must have been by choice, right? she’d left her daughter behind for whatever reason, without even sharing the courtesy of a goodbye.

well, liliana decided, she didn’t need her mother to be there. she wandered through the territory looking for someone else with whom to spend some time, until noticing the speckled snout of a somewhat familiar stranger.

can i hide with you? yana whispered. her voice was hoarse, but quiet, concealed largely by a smile. by then, she’d walked close enough to be seen, but still stood at a safe distance.

nüwu had become so entranced by the drizzle that the voice caught her off-guard, and she let out a small gasp, jade gaze flicking up to the girl outside as her head lifted. the girl was smiling, and stuck out in the rains. lili, nüwu croaked awkwardly in recognition, okay. the freckled girl shifted over, squishing herself slightly against the walls of the tree room. assuming liliana would join her, nüwu would let her dappled snout fall back to the ground, allowing an awkward silence to consume her as she wished lili knew something to say.

nüwu’s apprehension did not go unnoticed, but liliana chose to ignore it for the sake of company. she wiggled her way beside the other little girl, being careful to leave just enough space between them for both to be comfortable.

to lili, the silence between them was anything but uncomfortable. it felt nice to be beside someone who she thought could understand her, another young girl just interested in the storm.

but she did eventually decide to speak. do you like rain? liliana asked, i like the sound.

her new friend was quiet for a few moments, until she wasn't. nüwu blinked, thinking about the question for the first time. she hid from the droplets in this space, and yet she stayed awake to watch them fall... perhaps she was simply unoriginal, but nüwu agreed, i like it too. the sound. it is like, um, music. she decided, recalling the gentle lullabies of daiyu or huā. this soft rain song was like the world's lullaby, she thought.

she didn’t know what music was, but thought that it must be very nice to earn such a comparison. later, lili planned to ask someone else to explain music in more depth.

raindrops continued to beat against the canopy, one of them slipping through to land on her nose. she pulled back with a gasp and a giggle, then turned to nüwu with another question.

do you know where it comes from? liliana asked. her head rested sideways atop outstretched paws, curiously bright eyes awaiting her companion’s reply.

lili giggled when a drop fell on her nose, and nüwu smiled, a small amused noise slipping from her too. she asked after where it came from, and nüwu's brow furrowed. she had never thought to ask mama that. up. she answered obviously. aka, no idea. the sky? she tacked on- that was less sure, but it made sense to her. if it was falling, and coming from up- and it fell even when there were no trees above- then it had to come from above the trees, and what was up there but the sky? the sun or the moon, maybe? the clouds, the stars? she thought on all of this too, but didn't speak anymore, quiet again.

of course! nüwu’s response seemed obvious, but liliana couldn’t help being amused. amma says goddess does it, she explained, her voice quieter than before, makes all the rains.

did she believe that? well, for the most part, yes — but liliana still had a lot to learn before she could be considered a believer, now more than ever. turning back to nüwu, she added, what d’you think?

goddess? she echoed, the word entirely unfamiliar. she assumed it was some point of english she had not learned yet, maybe something else in the sky- though she had noticed nothing visible beyond the things she already knew. what is it? what's it look like? she wondered, her head tilted. lili's question went unanswered; nüwu was too focused on her own curiosity.

nothing. how else could she explain? miriam told her early on that the goddess could not be seen or heard, and that those looking must learn to depend on their other senses — like touch. looks like warm, liliana continued with a shrug, like your amma. nüwu had one of those, right?

it seemed strange that her friend didn’t know what goddess was, but lili didn’t dwell. if we ask her, maybe more rains will come, so we get more music. that was how this worked.

nothing? 

in her lifetime, nüwu would consider things that could be felt and yet not seen over and over for years. today, she encountered this concept plainly for the first time. warmth didn't look like anything- but she knew she could feel it. as for amma, did she mean... mama? her mouth twisted into a perplexed little line. goddess looked like warmth, and mama? she tried to imagine that. it was hard. 

at lili's suggestion, nüwu would nod. o-okay. she gave her companion an unsure look, and then let her gaze drift somewhere far away- she didn't know where goddess was, and didn't know where to look. goddess, more rain please! the girl mumbled simply, nodding her head as if agreeing with herself.

the two would discuss these phenomenons a little while longer before nüwu would eventually fall asleep in their hideout to the music of the rain, whether or not lili remained.