Mermaids are Menacing (Book 2) Complete

51.) Then There were Three

Two crys filled the night. Clear and loud. I cleaned them up as best as I could and put them on their sides next to eachother. The one on my left was larger than the other and more wild. She was already attempting to escape her swaddle. The first born on the right was smaller and less energetic, content to cry inside her blanketed layer. The room was a mess, the after births needed to be taken out and buried but I should feed these two while their still awake and strong and i needed to bundle myself up as to not bleed everywhere. Crawling in shakey knees i set to work

The bed was a bear fur over bundled grasses. A human sized nest decorated with oddly shaped leather pillows and
Furs of different animals acting as blankets. I held the two at my breasts as I sat in the nest. Their little bellys resting against mine, I held one in each arm. The small one was falling asleep while the large one ate furiosly.

"I didn't think of any girl names." I told her. "Much less two but your still going to need to be called something."

I tilted my head back to far, feeling uncomfortable with the lack of head support but refusing to move and jostle the little ones. Names were important they carry meaning.

What life did I hope for them? In my mind I played out different lives that my children might live. One where they lived in a valley like my family never leaving, but that didnt seem to suit them. At the same time i couldn't imagine them living their whole lives inside the Green Mountian like their fathers family. For them, I wanted to give them the all the good things in the world, every beautiful thing, even the stars where not enough. But no names were good enough for them. Tired and exauhsted I feel asleep holding them.

........

In the dream I was flying again. There was no destination in mind. The clouds felt cool and damp against my skin and the view of the clouds from above was a sea bathed in fluffy red gold. The air inside my nose was cold and filled it with a numb feeling. I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth to help heat up my body. This was a peaceful place.

But then a sence of panic overwhelmed me. My daughters were not with me! Did i forget them at home. I began to look around wildly for them, as if they would appear out of thin air. Then I wasn't in the clouds any more. I had returned to my hut in the wooded hills, my daughters still in my arms. I smelled the sweet smell of their heads and relaxed with the scent. They were safe and in my arms again.

An unprecedented feeling of joy rose to the surface. Bursting in my chest. A firey heat ignighted in my throat. Daughters. I had daughters. Not just offspring that made it to an egg but failed to thrive but whole and complete with all the right appendages. I was so happy I began to cry.

Miraculous creatures like these needed names. More than the gem and treasure based ones that dragonesses typically had. They deserved more glory, for an impossible existence to come to life. The fruits of insurmountable labor. These were children of my bloodline abd their names should be of the grandest nature.

The smaller one will be Idalia and the larger one will be called Aelia because their existence shines as bright as the sun. I held them longer wondering at them, feeling their bodies rise and fall with each breath. I cant wait to meet them and hold them in my arms.

Wait. I want to hold them in my arms...

I want to hold them in my arms?

But i am holding them.

Why did i think that?

The consious thought startled me awake.
.............

Waking was jaring. I was in the exact same position as the dream. Still holding the girls, who were sleeping quietly. I shook my head. It was a weird dream to be sure but it was only a dream after all. The fire had dissapated in the night but light streamed in around the cracks in the door. It was day time. Carefully i put the girls down on the bed.

My body felt sore and my belly was still big. Rolling out of bed was difficult. I first started the fire again to make sure my daughters were warm. Then i put on extra layers to take the after birth out to be buried. The ground will be hard but not so hard my claws wont be able to move. I started to walk past the house but then thought of grandpa tree.

"Grandpa tree are you awake?" I asked.

The sapling half covered by straw fidnt move. He must be sleeping. I thought of the materials in the basket. Normally one would bury this far away to not draw animals but I think grandpa would want this. As I dug in the cold in the cold icy ground i kept an ear out for the girls in case they cried. Paying attention to grandpas roots, I dug a little deeper than where I thought he had grown and buried the placentas in a deep hole near his roots. This should be a good fertilizer for him when he grows a little more.

I fluffed up the grass thay surrounded him a little and then went back into the house. The two white girls were fast asleep. I pulled down some jerky and other snack food I kept in the storage above and placed it by the bed where i could reach it without having to get up. The basin was still mostly full of water but since I was incredibly thirsty I drank nearly half of it.

Feeding babies was thirst work. I took of my extra laters and got back into the nest bed.

Aelia and Idalia, huh?

The names came to me in a dream, they were not names I had ever heard before but they felt nice on my tounge. It felt right. I yawned wide and rubbed my face before going back to sleep. Nothing needed to be done on cold icy mornings like this.