Edlawit walked into the barn to meet Arous. She tried to ignore the VIH-dot as it kept whispering to her.
“You told the Diofe?” asked Edlawit.
“I wish,” Arous said, “that I could take one of those big, old oaks with me. The one right in front of the house.”
“The Diofe wouldn’t be too happy if I just uprooted one of those and shadowed it.”
Arous laughed, full and round with the energy of a giggle. Edlawit joined her.
Edlawit started working on Arcadia but she couldn’t shake her uneasiness. She needed to give Arous the dot. She needed to give the dot to me.
She held Arcadia’s soft muzzle with one hand and stroked her with the other as she began to work. She stroked her neck, shoulders as she compressed Arcadia. Edlawit soon began working both hands over the length of Arcadia’s body, shadowing her, making her smaller and smaller.
“Your hands are so beautiful when you work,” Arous said. Edlawit smiled and kept working.
Arcadia was reduced to a smaller version of herself, only about twelve inches tall. She did a lot of snorting which sounded a little ridiculous coming out of her little body.
The girls laughed when they heard that first precocious snort. They laughed until they hurt. A small silence soon grew uncomfortable.
“I’m scared for you, Arous,” said Edlawit.
“Don’t be.”
“Arous,” said Edlawit, “really? You know how it is. People have crazy ideas about the Lunese. They didn’t like your mom and they won’t like you.”
Arous jerked. All the silver drained from her face and she just went white.
“My mom was famous in the City. Everybody loved her.”
“But she had to make it to the City first.”
“I know. But what else can I do?”
“Take me with you,” said Edlawit. “I’m strong. I can protect you.”
Arous didn’t respond and the two girls sat for a moment.
“I just can’t shake the feeling that she needs help,” Arous said. “Healing, maybe.”
“After what-” Edlawit began but checked herself.
“After what, what?”
“Nothing.”
“After what? After I failed to save Priscilla? Is that what you were going to say?”
“No.”
“Yes it was.”
“You will be even further away from your source in The City,” said Edlawit. “What makes you think-”
“Stop. Okay. Just stop,” said Arous. “I don’t need you to be my friend. I have enough enemies.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just trying to understand. And I have this feeling-”
“Is it a feeling or a mind-sight? Don’t tell me you still don’t know the difference after all these years.”
That cut Edlawit and she winced.
“If you don’t know, then please don’t muddy my dreams unless you can tell me something real.” Arous had softened. She looked at Edlawit. They had been sitting across from each other on a blanket in the hay. Arous reached over to Edlawit and both girls held each other.
After a moment Edlawit loosened her hug but still clung to Arous.
“I have this,” Edlawit opened her hand.
“You told the Diofe?” asked Edlawit.
“I wish,” Arous said, “that I could take one of those big, old oaks with me. The one right in front of the house.”
“The Diofe wouldn’t be too happy if I just uprooted one of those and shadowed it.”
Arous laughed, full and round with the energy of a giggle. Edlawit joined her.
Edlawit started working on Arcadia but she couldn’t shake her uneasiness. She needed to give Arous the dot. She needed to give the dot to me.
She held Arcadia’s soft muzzle with one hand and stroked her with the other as she began to work. She stroked her neck, shoulders as she compressed Arcadia. Edlawit soon began working both hands over the length of Arcadia’s body, shadowing her, making her smaller and smaller.
“Your hands are so beautiful when you work,” Arous said. Edlawit smiled and kept working.
Arcadia was reduced to a smaller version of herself, only about twelve inches tall. She did a lot of snorting which sounded a little ridiculous coming out of her little body.
The girls laughed when they heard that first precocious snort. They laughed until they hurt. A small silence soon grew uncomfortable.
“I’m scared for you, Arous,” said Edlawit.
“Don’t be.”
“Arous,” said Edlawit, “really? You know how it is. People have crazy ideas about the Lunese. They didn’t like your mom and they won’t like you.”
Arous jerked. All the silver drained from her face and she just went white.
“My mom was famous in the City. Everybody loved her.”
“But she had to make it to the City first.”
“I know. But what else can I do?”
“Take me with you,” said Edlawit. “I’m strong. I can protect you.”
Arous didn’t respond and the two girls sat for a moment.
“I just can’t shake the feeling that she needs help,” Arous said. “Healing, maybe.”
“After what-” Edlawit began but checked herself.
“After what, what?”
“Nothing.”
“After what? After I failed to save Priscilla? Is that what you were going to say?”
“No.”
“Yes it was.”
“You will be even further away from your source in The City,” said Edlawit. “What makes you think-”
“Stop. Okay. Just stop,” said Arous. “I don’t need you to be my friend. I have enough enemies.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just trying to understand. And I have this feeling-”
“Is it a feeling or a mind-sight? Don’t tell me you still don’t know the difference after all these years.”
That cut Edlawit and she winced.
“If you don’t know, then please don’t muddy my dreams unless you can tell me something real.” Arous had softened. She looked at Edlawit. They had been sitting across from each other on a blanket in the hay. Arous reached over to Edlawit and both girls held each other.
After a moment Edlawit loosened her hug but still clung to Arous.
“I have this,” Edlawit opened her hand.
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