Sroka hid in her room and felt her breath tight in her chest, she hyperventilated yet she also couldn't breathe. Her vision closed in like a tunnel so she shut her eyes hard breathing fast. She cried and cried, which woke up Elatha and Lachlan.
"Why are you crying? The young Irish earth prince asked. He climbed out of bed and came over to her.
"Go away!" She cried out. "Just go away!"
Her claws lashed out at him without her thinking and drew blood across his face.
He wiped it away curiously and then his expression darkened. "You aren't allowed to harm me, my mother is a goddess!" He cried out and then suddenly they were wrestling each other, the heavy five year old giant crushing her under his weight. He probably weighed 60 pounds by now and she was only 80. "Get off of me!" She cried out.
"Then say sorry!" He yelled.
The two of them hurting one another from the tension and anger that they each felt that day. It hadn't been very good to expose them to such violence. Elatha kicked her with his hooves and she scratched his rough furry skin. It was better for them he didn't have horns yet. Lachlan was crying and whimpering and had become a wolf.
Suddenly the light turned on. Saoirse burst into the room with Sirius and they pulled the kids apart from each other.
"Sroka! What has come over you?!" She cried out angrily. Sroka couldn't take rejection anymore. "It's all his fault!" She cried out. He wouldn't get off of me!"
"She's a monster!" Elatha yelled back.
"Enough! The both of you!" Sirius said firmly, "we should be friends!"
"I will not!" Elatha yelled. "Because of you, you've killed my father!"
The man lay on his bed un breathing in the other room.
Sirius sighed. "He shall rise again, I promise."
The boy wiped away his tears and Sroka looked at him with concern.
"How about we have a bedtime story?" Saoirse said calmly. "Then you will see your father tomorrow."
Elatha nodded and so did Sroka. Saoirse picked up Lachlan and stroka and cuddled them tightly on the bed.
(Then my mother began to tell a story about herself in a past life, which I never expected her to remember. It made me appreciate my small family that was forming, even if I wasn't yet a part of it. Lachlan, Sroka, I looked forward to having them be my older siblings.)
Long ago, in a world covered by endless snow and ice, there lived a fierce bear named Arrow. Arrow was no ordinary bear—her fur shimmered like the light of the moon, and her eyes burned with the fire of stars. She was faster, stronger, and braver than any other creature, but because of her strength, the other animals feared her.
Arrow lived alone, high in the frozen mountains, where the wind howled as loud as her own cries. She thought her power made her a monster, something others would never understand. Whenever she got angry or scared, her claws would strike faster than she could think, and her voice would echo so loud it could break ice. She was afraid of hurting others, so she kept herself hidden.
But one winter, a great shadow fell over the forest below the mountain. A creature of darkness had arrived, a creature that absorbed the very essence of light, spreading fear and freezing the hearts of all who lived there.
Even the bravest animals and beastmen couldn't stand against it—they were trapped, frozen like statues in the shadow's icy grip.
One night, Arrow heard their cries echo up the mountain. At first, she didn't want to go. 'What if I lose control?' she thought. 'What if I really am a monster?' But then she saw the light of the moon shining on the forest below, and something deep inside her whispered, You were made for this.
Arrow ran down the mountain, her paws kicking up snow as her strength surged. She didn't hesitate when she saw the shadow—a massive, terrifying creature made of smoke and frost. It roared, but Arrow roared louder, her voice shaking the entire forest.
The battle was fierce. Arrow's claws slashed through the shadow, but every time she struck, the darkness re-formed. The shadow taunted her, saying, 'You're no hero. You're just a beast, wild and unthinking.' But Arrow didn't listen. Instead, she used all her speed and power, pushing the shadow into the light of the moon.
The moonlight wrapped around the shadow like a silver net, holding it in place. Arrow growled, 'You don't belong here. Leave them alone!' With one final strike, her claws tore through the shadow, and it vanished into the night.
The forest was free, and the animals slowly came out of hiding. At first, they were afraid of Arrow, but then they saw her lying in the snow, exhausted but peaceful. She wasn't a monster. She was their protector, their savior.
From that day on, Arrow walked through the forest without fear of her strength. She realized her power wasn't something to be ashamed of—it was part of who she was. And she promised to always use it to protect the ones she loved."
————-
Sroka and Elatha looked up at Saoirse, "Did the bear ever fit in after that? Sroka asked.
(I knew the answer was no, that was why in this life, I brought my parents together so they wouldn't once again have the fate to kill each other. But to my surprise, the answer was yes.)
"Yes." Saoirse said.
"Huh?" A sudden gasp came from beside them all. Only Saoirse would have heard it, but instead, all of them turned their heads to see the rabbit, who used to be her Fylgia, the family bringer of death, and now had become a Dís, the family guardian.
"It's been a while since you have joined us." Saoirse said kindly. She beckoned the rabbit over. She was careful not to touch the children's lifelines. Though her instinct lingered on one of them for some reason. "I'm sorry to intrude." The rabbit said. "But didn't the great bear end up alone?"
"It's a true story?" Stroka asked.
"Who are you talking to?" Elatha asked. Supposedly he couldn't see her or hear her afterall.