After Life

Part 17

As I listened to (Y/N)'s stories of her life as a scullery maid, it was not infrequently that I would grow disgusted with myself for having supported such treatment when I was alive. Seeing me succumbing to gloominess- weighed down as I was by my own culpability- (Y/N) often brought up the point that it served no one for me to persist in being maudlin and mentally punishing myself. She went on to relay that, in fact, such moodiness was quite an annoyance to her.

I'd never responded well to criticism. Thus, at first, her attitude only served to make me angry. But after awhile, I realized that her chiding was, (at least to some degree), proof that she cared for my welfare. I found that idea to be incredibly satisfying!

In time, (Y/N) learned a far better way to cheer me when I was feeling morose- talking about the wildlife around us. Though her sudden changes of topic were quite transparent, she was nevertheless consistently successful in her endeavors to lift my spirits via discussion of flora and fauna. I had always loved animals of all kinds, and exchanging stories about the natural world with (Y/N) never failed to bring a smile to my face. She quickly learned as much and ruthlessly exploited my weakness whenever she felt I was being overly pig-headed or sullen.

As we continued exchanging tales, it quickly became apparent that she and I often had different experiences with the beasts and plants around us, what with her perpetually in the forest, and I tethered to my castle. I was pleased to discover that (Y/N) knew many of the terms for species I did not. Of course, I did my best not to reveal my ignorance. She had, over the years, even learned to recognize individual critters, and had given them nicknames! Thusly she was often able to give quite intricate accounts of entire lifetimes and family lines; it was rather like attending a recitation or a play!

Badgers were one of my most favorite topics. With their long, pointed snouts and boldly striped heads, I'd always found them eye-catching. And who wouldn't love those tiny, round ears? I was also charmed by their inquisitive nature. Though I had often seen badgers roaming the fields at night, hunting and foraging for seemingly anything not pinned down, (Y/N) described how they lived in forest dens, in family groups. Within these burrows, she had, at times, seen other animals live alongside the badgers, such as rabbits and foxes. Furthermore, the badgers' babes were all born in winter instead of spring!

The hedgehog was another subject I especially enjoyed. Hedgehogs were quite vocal, making funny little grunts, hisses, and huffing and puffing about. Both of us enjoyed watching them waddling around at night, living their solitary lives and curling up in the nests they made in sheltered areas. It seemed to me that the little hedgepigs were one of the creatures most reactive to my presence, throwing fussy fits if I got too close. (Y/N) reported that her experiences were the same. Who could say why it was that hedgehogs were so exceptionally irritated by the dead? (Y/N) and I would laugh together as we exchanged theories.

(Y/N) was surprised to learn that I was also very fond of the beautiful dragonflies that seemed to blossom into the air in the summer. She was able to teach me what she had learned about them, and it was fascinating! They laid their eggs in water, which later transformed into another strange, intermediate form before gaining their wings. She also imparted to me that dragonflies were, in fact, predators; they hunted other insects and plucked them right out of the air! Apparently the dragonfly also had a doppelganger, which was similar in appearance but was more slender. These mystery insects, which (Y/N) called 'damselflies,' kept close to the water in the woods, which explained why I wasn't familiar with them. Nevertheless I decided to keep my eyes peeled for dragonfly imposters in the future. Perhaps I hadn't been looking closely enough.