Daughter

The Party

The sun was barely up when Onnai made her presence known. Lovelace tried his best to ignore the noise coming from outside his bed chamber, for he'd only just got to sleep.

Despite his best efforts he found his left eye, then his right one open.

"Must thou sing so early, madam?" He snarled.

"Gooooood morning, oh cranky one, and ohh... hellllllloooo there, little sweet meat!"

This last bit was of course, directed at the human foundling that the Indigo Dragon had adopted as his own child, and that he carried bundled up against the cold of the world and the heat of his heart.

The entire affair had been -was still- something of a scandal in the forest, with people weighing in differently on the matter. But Onnai The Strega and Spiral The Stone Toad had both vouched for the baby, so by forest law she was initiated in as one of their own and allowed to stay.
Lovelace handed the baby over to Onnai with a grunt.

"Thou seems a little tired," Onnai said.

"She was up all night," said Lovelace grumpily, "Again. Of all my treasure, she is truly the most challenging to hold. More so than The Sword of Titans or The Invisible Mask, even more than the Cursed Ring-"

"No one ever said taking care of little ones was easy, oh great beast," Onnai chuckled, "are thou sure of what thy has taken on?" She spoke these words more gently that she might have normally, for a sleep deprived dragon is no fun for anyone.

"Even great beasts need their rest," yawned Lovelace. His yawn distorted into a wide grin and beam of affection directed at the baby, for he was perpetually enchanted by her.

"Then it's well and good I came so early, thou can rest a little while I watch the dumpling and help prepare for thy guests-"

"Guests? What guests?" The Indigo Dragon rumbled. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Onnai. "Early or not- Why are thou here at all, old woman?"
"For the naming party, of course."

Now, you must know that in the forest one of the first rules anyone learns is that names have power. It is much easier to manipulate those things that have special points of focus to them; if one gives out one's name freely they may be putting themselves in the hands of an enemy, or even just a madman's. Of course, outright asking for someone's name is considered quite rude. It is one of the most common sources of culture clash between humans and forest people.

In any case, because of this, the forest people have several names. The first name is only known to oneself. It's said that it's there at birth, and that if anyone wishes to make a deal with the devil, they only need trade this first secret name for whatever they desire, but that the devil will surely own them forever after.

The second name is chosen shortly after birth. It's known to one's family and sometimes close friends, and is not given out to strangers. This second name is the one that the fairy folk most often try to guess, and if they do, you are really in for it.

The third name is the name everyone "knows" and uses, and is also chosen shortly after birth - exactly seven days. The name emerges naturally from a group. It is discovered as it is spoken, reached by both stream of consciousness and consensus.

This happens at a big celebration, which of course is what Onnai was speaking of. It had been seven days since the meeting where the baby had been accepted into the forest, so now it was time.

"Preposterous!" said Lovelace, "who ever heard of a dragon having a party? And what dost thou suppose would happen to all my gold?"

"Aye, I see thou really art a dragon," chuckled Onnai, "with boundaries and greed possessing thee always. Fear not, we will stage the gathering at the lake and restrict the area by mana. No one shall enter thy caverns nor come close to thy hoard."