My day would continue despite the lack of sleep. The dull ache in my head grew to a razor sharp quiva stuck somewhere between my eye and my brain and with it came a roaring that just simply could not be shaken away. Everything around me became an assault on the senses. I finished putting away pots and kettles at the fire and made sure that the last curls of smoke were vanquished before I gathered more botas. It was going to be a warm day so the straps were layered over my chest until I looked like a shooter girl at a night club. Changing my pattern from running behind the riders trying to offer drinks, I just walked beyond the first of them and wove my way back.
It wasn't the first time I'd seen him in the past few days, nor the first time he waved me away before I could say anything or offer anything. When the healer who had been in deep conversation with him, had no need of me either, I simply moved further on. It wasn't long after, he did too.
Another Mistress approached with a kaiila load of cherubic faces. It was a lure I could not resist even with my head splitting wide open. Bits of teases about our journey created the peals of laughter that only slightly eased the pain. Storm called them all her urt pack. Seemed only one of them was hers and the rest naturally gathered. We ... the children and I that is ... wagered lizards and made plans for worm hunting and daisy plucking and played a new variation of touch football with a half empty water skin. As I do with Me Too I just watched over them making sure they didn't become a new tread on a wagon wheel or something sticky under kaiila talons.
The kaiila Mistress joined up with the little Master. She raises that boy right. He was already atop his own pony even though his windscarf covers him from the teeny round eyes all the way down to drape onto the saddle. I managed this time to tell her I'd been sent to serve the boy. I think I even managed not let any of the massive tidal wave of emotions show. Well maybe not much anyway.
The last thing in the world I wanted to talk about was mating or men or love. The topics that come about sometimes make me want to dive for cover in the tall grass. I left them to wander off again. It must have looked like the pied piper and his gang when I took the children with me on a raid of a serving wagon. We pillaged and plundered bosk pies, milk and cookies. It all still feels as if it is light years away, even the laughter.
When Oquai emerged from the shadows of the wagons, I could bear no more. She took over the next watch and I went to find a place far away from the wagons, far away from everyone as I could possibly go. I kept my heart wrapped up tight like the healers bandaging, my head despite the impending threat of volcanic eruption was safe but it all had to give somewhere. Perhaps my soul cracked a fraction when the tidal wave of nausea set in, but there were still no tears. Behind the shooting stars of light I just gave in for a little while. Tomorrow .. I fell asleep thinking ... tomorrow.
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