Back home (NaNoWriMo - 16)

Three unusual cakes waited on the table, even Hermann the friendship cake was present. In some way Rosemary had managed to lay hands on the dough. As she declared someone had given it to her, a time traveler. It was the first time someone mentioned time traveling. Did it really exist? No additional explanation was given and it felt it was wiser not to ask for it. The day was good as it was. Later the cakes would be taken over to Quirky and the clan. It would be enough, multiplied with the help of a bit magic.
I visited the owls and spent more time with them as I intended to.
"It's my birthday," I told each one of them while I stroke their head and back. Birca was busy with her chicks as I entered but immediately stopped as I showed up at her box.
"And you are a good mom," I said, "I wish mine would be here today. I can't celebrate without her. How can I?"
My owl looked at me, her big brown eyes were comforting and except for my reflection I saw something else in it. Did someone stand behind me? I looked closer and was sure I was not the only one.
Quickly I turned around. There she stood, Carmen. Without making a noise she showed up behind me, not even a flash had warned me.

"Happy birthday, my dear you managed well and kept yourself safe."

She looked satisfied, smiled and spread her arms out. How I missed her and had hoped for her return.
It felt good to feel her embrace, see her smile. Suddenly everything was like it always had been. Once she was home everything was alright.

"What took you so long?" I murmered, "I missed you but the animals, we all are doing fine. I kept us safe."

"I knew you would." She stroked my hair and wrapped her arms around me in the same way as she had done so many times before. The wind brought a bouquet of my favorite scents while Birca comforted her chicks with sounds I never heard before.
Together we watched the chicks.

"How about the other eggs,?" she asked.

"So far nothing, I guess soon. Perhaps you can watch them getting born. I saw one getting out of it's egg."

I was glad to see her back. We drank tea, the tea she made, and skipped the biscuits.

"Those cakes look amazing," she complimented.

"It was Rosemary who did most of the work. We have our own eggs, Quirk gave us juice..."

"Juice?"

She frowned and raised an eyebrow but didn't say more.

"It's a good one with a nice deep red color. I tasted it too. You like to see what the 'animals' farm' looks like?"

"Not now, I would like to spend some time inside with my daughter. Here at the kitchen table or we can hang out on the sofa."

"It isn't a kitchen table," I blurted out, "it's one of the tables that is fabricated for a library of a special club. It's a reading table."

"You like to read now?"

I shook my head. There was no need to read, I read enough and I wouldn't mind having a pause from everything.

"You know what? Why don't you take a break, we both do? All preparations are made. The animals can take care of themselves... after all, it's your birthday and I can use some rest myself."

She smiled but it felt as if it was a tired one. She stood up and laid down on the sofa while I left to my room, undressed, and went back to bed. The sheets smelled fresh and so did the blanket. I pulled it over my ears and shut the world out. Carmen was back home, it was the best birthday present she could give me. Later, after we both had our rest we could celebrate and if we didn't feel to it I would take the cake over to my other family and let them enjoy it.

NaNoWriMo2020 source photo: pixabay.com

There was a strange wailing sound coming from the next room. From far I heard voices. Sleep-drunk I wrapped myself in the blanket and tried to ignore the sounds. This was not meant for my ears. For a moment I wondered what my life would have looked like if I was deaf instead of mute.

The unfamiliar sound stopped, I curled myself up and fell asleep.
As I woke up I felt refreshed. No longer I felt the need to hurry or stress out. Carmen was back home. Later, if the moment was right I would ask her what exactly happened to her, made her stay away longer than planned.

"You know what caused the delay," the voice inside said, "you saw her. The book 'Wars' made it clear."

What I saw, made me passed out therefore I tried not to think of. I told myself it didn't matter as long as she was back and stayed home. She told me to stay safe and that was what I did. I kept me and the animals out of danger and from tomorrow on I would keep an eye on her as well. There was no need to provide the world in medication brewed by us. I had seen the world, the crowd, heard them scold and yell. Most enjoyed the cruelty. It was their day out, an event they joined out of own free will.
Not one single person felt pity for the victims, those innocent people who's only crime was helping those losers. Big mouths they were each one of them. My mother should no longer sacrifice herself, she had done enough. It was time to rest. During her absence I learned a lot from the talks I had with the cabinet-maker, Rosemary, Basil and Rick. Each one of them was born ages ago and survived. It felt to me my mother wasn't that different from them. The carpenter, Quirk, told me we are related. Related meant family, at least to me. His face looked familiar to me but I couldn't recall in which way.

Later, I promised myself, later I'll ask how or what or someone will tell me what binds them. The Titans came first and the carpenter? If he didn't live with the Titans he lived in a different time. Was he a time traveler and if not who was?

---

"Mother?"

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and it was as if it took her some time to recognize me. She gave me a faint smile.

"You slept well dear?"

I nodded.

"The dress... it fits you great... you look so lovely in it. Rick will love it."

"Rick?" I asked surprised.

"Rosemary told me he likes you..."

I sank on the sofa and stared at the upset woman in front of me.

"That's what she told me too, even said twice but..."

"But?"

"But... I love the clan, the trainings, like Rick but... I won't leave with him, live with him. He is not my world."

"There's a huge world outside to explore. You are still young, so young, you could use a warrior to protect you, travel the world with," she smiled through her tears.

"There's a world to explore here too. I saw a part of the outside world, heard stories... for now, it's enough. Like you said I'm still young, I have plenty of time or am I running out of it?"

She tried to sit in a different position and there it was again. That strange sound as if someone was in pain. Was something moving underneath her skirt?

"Come closer if you like to have a look, I hope it won't scare you or you won't scare it."

She opened her skirt and there it was a tiny heap of fur. A smelly heap of fur.

"It's blood," she said. "Once the bleeding stops I clean it up. It's too young to be on its own... I found it in front of the portal."

"What is it except for smelly?"

She grinned. "It's a companion. If I am not mistaken the same kind that belonged to those travelers on their way to the secret land. You remember the story Basil told on your last birthday?"

I nodded.

"What is it called?"

"Wolf," she said, "this is Wolf. Let's see if he survives it."

Total amounts of words: 3121