Legacy

[Philomel]

"This is my best friend," Philomel smiled, as she picked her daughter up, with strong, warrior arms. Slowly Veridian opened his other eye and uncurled himself to look directly at the blonde-haired girl. "His name is Veridian, and he talks to me in my mind."


Celandine blinked a little and waved shyly to the earth-spirit. "Hello fox," she whispered.


Finding herself laughing, Philomel moved onto her hooves. "You can call him that for now," she replied to her daughter. "He doesn't like it, but you can call him it."


"Fox, fox, fox," Celandine hummed in a tiny voice, pushing her arms around Philomel's neck.


"Exactly," Philomel nodded, and looked around at Etna and Ennis.


They were holding each other's hand. Tightly. Both of them were stiff down to the very bone marrow, holding back a thousand years of tears. Practically, they had raised this sweet girl, and now they were seeing her give her attention, her love to someone else. To the someone who was to carry her away. Possibly forever. For Celandine this was everything she had ever dreamed of - for her real mother to finally come and take her away to a castle. Young as she was, bright as she was, the little faun was fixed on Philomel, and held on as naturally as if she was a newborn baby.


"She is my daughter," Philomel reminded them quietly.


Swallowing hard, Etna nodded, and held out a small bundle, wrapped in a blanket. "She likes a glass of milk before bed time."


The Matriarch fixed a look, then gave a nod before taking the blanket package and popping it under her arm. She twisted around to look at Veridian.


Ready to go?


Ready when you are, he stretched and skipped down from the chair, onto the floor. Swinging his tail he looked up to Celandine, and gave her a firm wink, before he proudly pattered away to the door.


"Right," Philomel nodded, watching him disappear. Then she extended her arm holding Celandine slightly, wincing as her cloak became snagged. "Say goodbye to Etna and Ennis, Celandine. And say thank you."


Celandine chewed her lip but waved. "Bye, bye aunty Etna and uncle Ennis."


With a tight smile, Etna reached out and took her hand. "Goodbye, my darling," she whispered, in a strangled voice. And she stared at Celandine. And kept holding her hand.


Kept holding.


Philomel?


"I am sorry," Philomel said, purposefully stepping away.


Etna's hand was forced away from Celandine. The young faun put her arm back around Philomel's neck and rested her head against her shoulder. Her tiny eyes peered over, watching the face of the woman and man who had raised her from birth, watching them sink into despair. As she was carried on the shoulder of a princess. Away to her castle.


Without so much as another word, Philomel headed straight for the tera'k. She nodded to a couple of the whores she recognised, as well as connecting eyes for a long time with the face of the ginger faun staring as she walked in. A moment of recognition, then acceptance passed wordlessly between the two fauns, before Philomel heaved up the bundle onto the tera'k's back.


"This is my tera'k," she said to Celandine, as she hoisted the child up, "He is an animal that we as fauns ride. Very soon we'll get you your own, but for now you have to learn to hold on tight." She settled her at the front of the long saddle, and fixed her with a firm look. "Can you do that for me?"


Nodding a couple of times Celandine showed her, by wrapping her hands into the fur in front. Warmly, Philomel nodded in reply.


"Well done," she said, as she tied the bundle of her things onto the back of the saddle. "Because we'll be running fast to get back to my home."


"To your castle?" Celandine whispered, eyes large.


Philomel found herself, laughing, knowing what must the girl have been dreaming about all these years. She waited as Veridian pattered his feet, paused, then took the lithe leap to bounce up onto the back of the saddle. Where he usually sat, and where he could dig his claws into the leather.


"It is like a castle, yes, sweetheart," Philomel answered, climbing up in between them, settling her hooves into the specially made stirrups. Slipping one arm around Celandine's waist she held her steady, whilst her other searched out the reigns. Looking around to check that Veridian was comfortable, she tightened her grip. "Though we call it a fortress, and it's a very safe place."


"And you are a princess?"


"Not quite, but you are." And for the second time in her life, Philomel kissed her daughter's head. The first time being just after birth, when she had gone through the hours of labour in a private, country infirmary. Nobody had been there, but for Veridian. Not even Celandine's father. It had been deliberately hidden, away from the world ... secret.


"Wait ... WAIT!" came a scream, "You can't-"


But Philomel was already turning the tera'k around. Away from Etna who was finally running from the brothel, her hands in the air, tears streaming down her face.


"Wait, she's my daughter, SHE'S MY-"


"My daughter," Philomel murmured, holding Celandine to her breast.


And she jabbed her heels in, and flicked the reigns. Jumping forwards, the tera'k bellowed, then began to charge, running into the streets. Behind her, in the courtyard, it was Anthea Rose who ran down the stairs, reaching out to hold onto Etna. Saying loudly, "No she is not. She was never yours, Etna, she was always hers."

Drys bless the fauns.


The fauns who ran away through the streets of Radasanth, climbing out of it to the walls. The faun pair of mother and daughter gasping at her first tera'k ride, giggling at the people scattering. The faun family, gaining out of the city and into the countryside, heading straight for the forest, and all its secrets beyond.


The fauns - Philomel van der Aart and her daughter, now truly hers.


Now, openly. She had declared it.


Soon the word would spread.