Fleas - Songs of the Gnolls I

WHAT MANY HANDS PAINT 9.7

Kkelea wiggled the toes of her injured paw gently. It still hurt, but less and less. Meanwhile, the humans went on with their fateful lives. Fleas and her had not talked again. She didn't know if he avoided her or if he just didn't count the time, because she saw him in small moments, always in conversation with someone, always leaving and coming back after a while. She didn't hear the talks, but she noticed that the people talking to him smiled. They took turns watching her while she was with them. She felt isolated in a dark corner, like a ghost watching life around her, but unable to interact with it.

Three gnomes and two humans came to relieve her watchers. She recognized one of them, he was the father of the little girl who had begged for her life. The little girl introduced herself as well. She watched her from a distance with a smile and wide eyes. Flat teeth, unable to cut through flesh, gleamed between pink lips. Slowly she approached while her guardians chattered among themselves, shuffling their buttocks across the damp floor of the room.

"Daughter, get back here."

"There are all of you, she can't hurt me."

The father looked at Kkelea and narrowed his eyes, letting her know that any movement would result in her death. After a while he was distracted again by the conversation. The girl was already lying beside her healthy paw. Kkelea flexed her fingers as Helirah was wont to do. If she was quick, she could grab her by the neck and use her as a hostage.

"Do you have a name?"

"Kkelea."

"Oh," she looked disappointed, "I wanted to give you one, like I did Mikan."

Kkelea sighed.

"What about you, do you have a name?"

"Vali. It's the name of the blue flowers outside... But I never saw them."

"You never left the wall?"

She shook her head.

"I live in the savannah. There aren't many flowers, but the ones that grow are yellow and orange. I don't have a house either, I sleep under the stars."

"Oh, yeah? I couldn't sleep without my little bed. I'm afraid of the dark. That's why I don't like it here. Every night, Mommy tells me a story to help me sleep. Do you know any?"

Kkelea thought for a moment. It wasn't the custom among them to tell stories, but it was something she had seen the gnomes do during long nights of waiting. The orcs sang before they lost their minds. What about the avians? Did they have a ritual before they fell asleep? She didn't get to know them.

"So, you are named after a flower. Do you know how flowers are born?"

The little girl was already beside her, within reach of her outstretched hand, ready to catch her and use her to escape.

"No, how, how?"

"A long time ago, the Storm was sad because she was alone. But she didn't want to cry."

"Why?"

"Because those who cry look weak. And the Earth looked up at the Storm. But it was very dry, so dry that it was full of cracks."

"Wasn't it raining?"

"No, because the Storm was not crying. The rain is the tears of the Storm."

"Ohhhhhhh."

"Little by little, the Earth formed hills, which then became mountains, and finally very high mountains. So it could touch the Storm. And when they met, it rained for the first time."

"Why?"

"Because now that she had someone, the Storm realized how lonely she was, and she could cry. The Earth was very fragile, the sun broke it into many pieces, but with the rainwater the Earth gave birth to plants and flowers. With its roots the Earth didn't break anymore because they are like the seams of your shirt," she took Vali's sleeve and pulled it twice, "they hold everything together."