Darande the snake!
And that one?
Obel Yu the fat grung!
The one to the top? The tiny squiggly one.
…Uhhh. I don’t know.
That’s Elellu the lonely hunter. He hunts all day and all night for the emerald ludella. It used to be his betrothed, but she was hexed with a horrible curse. If he can catch her she’ll change back, but she’s doomed to run away from him because of her animal instincts.
Aww…
And that’s her right there, see? When he gets close she runs away. …But he keeps trying.
She paused for a moment in melancholic wistfulness.
…One of these days, I hope.
Dobby grinned. Maybe he should turn into a ludella too!
I guess that would make it easier. Haha.
They giggled. Their breath formed plumes that faded away into the night air. It was especially cold tonight, but the canopy of lights was too much to resist. Hillilin put her arms around her daughter to keep them both warm under the blankets. Dobby hugged her right back.
–Aha! That’s great though! You’ve been practicing.
Oryu told me some!
Ahh. How many does he know?
Uhhhh I dunno. A lot.
Hilli smiled. Sometimes she missed being a kid. Oryu was a good brother. She missed her own brothers too. Not that she would have felt the same fifteen years ago! Dobby smiled back, ignorant of the nuances of a mother’s musings.
What are stars made of?
Hm. Fire, I think.
How hot is fire?
Hm. I guess I don’t know. Hotter than a boiler I think.
Huh…
Dobby pondered for a moment.
Is the sun hotter than the stars?
Well. I guess it would have to be. It’s hotter in the daytime, you know.
Yeah. It is a lot bigger… …Is the sun made out of fire too?
I guess I don’t know, sweetie. It might be.
Minutes or hours came and went, not that it mattered much. They lie in silence, the trilling of night bugs the only company they needed.
I’m cold…
Me too. We can open the flap inside.
The two jogged together back under the same blanket. The biting cold subsided as they ducked into the yurt. Dobby cupped her hands over her mouth and blew long breaths. A trick she was glad she knew. Mm. Warmer.
“Hi, mom!” piped Oryu, busy playing some board game or another with the twins under the pulsing lamp. Hilli smiled sideways in confirmation. She glanced over to the pile of rugs in the corner that she needed to seam and sighed.
The night was still young. Some things were more important. She joined Dobby in the middle of the floor, circular opening and laths of the yurt straight overhead.
Oh! I know that big curvy one! That’s Athaclem’s bow! And that’s his arrow shooting out of it…
As her daughter continued to prattle off youthful wisdom, Hilli couldn’t help but smile.