2017 Advent Challenge

[TheSongOfTheStars]

6
Spice
253
He was the eldest son
She was the only child

He held the pride of his people on his shoulders
She was the most beautiful girl in the town

He thought he would never fall
She thought she deserved it all


Oh, what a shock.
When he was betrayed
When she gave herself away

When he was forever changed
When she was disgraced and rejected

And they came apart on the inside
And they couldn't hide
As they faced their fatal flaws

He thought he'd never walk again
She thought no one would ever love her

But they survived and they kept on
And time was not kind

But they refused to lie down and die

No longer known no longer respected
He found his humility in serving others
Found the calling in his hands
To cook, to feed, to fulfill the hunger that gnawed in the stomachs of others

No longer loved and afraid to be beautiful
She found comfort in the earth
And acceptance in the leaves
The silence in the trees
Was a balm to her shame

The day they found each other
was a day they thought the same
As every other day
But romance is a slow blooming blossom
And it was years
Before they realized
Finally they found
That they'd rather spend their lives together
Then spend their lives apart

He was the sunshine to her flowers
She was the spice of his life
And the world was some much brighter
With the other at their side

[Ranger of the North]

Aw, that's really pretty c:
'He' is Lionel, right? Who's 'she'? c:

[TheSongOfTheStars]

(you caught that quick)
'She' is Mei-li. I haven't put up a lot of her backstory cause it doesn't all fit with CS's standards? Like it would just be mentions of some things, but I'm not sure if it would be good.

[TheSongOfTheStars]

7
Festive
1,724
"Just two days, right?"
"Two days and not a moment more," Darkmoon promised, slinging her travel bag over her shoulder "I wouldn't want to miss spending Midwinter with my little girl."
"And I don't want to miss spending it with my Mama," Shyshie chirped, picking up her own bag and tugging her selkie coat closer over her shoulders.
"Oh, and that's your cousin," Darkmoon said, turning as there was a single abrupt knock at the door.
Shyshie smiled and raced to the door, opening it to a lightly dressed Coe, clouds of steam pouring from his mouth.
"You look cold."
"Hello to you too, Starwalk," he said, reaching for her bag "I'm quite comfortable, thank you."
"Huh, really?" Darkmoon leaned past the corner, an eyebrow quirked "I remember you used to throw a fit every time the temperature dropped from warm to slightly cool."
"I've become more tolerant of the weather," Coe adjusted Shyshie's bag over his shoulder "Do you need help with anything Vale?"
"Naw, I'm good," Darkmoon stepped out from the corner and wrapped an arm around Shyshie's shoulders, planting a kiss on her forehead "You behave."
"I will!"
"Starwalk is always fairly well behaved," Coe said with a faint crease in the corner of his mouth "She keeps her food on her fork and the soap in it's dish."
"Uh, yeah, like a normal person?"
"And she does not snore."
"Hey!"
The crease grew to a half smile "What?"
"Well I can see you two are going to have fun together," Darkmoon laughed, pushing them out the door and locking it behind herself "Make sure she doesn't stay up reading!"
"Bye Mama!"

Coe laughed softly as they turned and went opposite ways down the street "You still do that?"
"Do what?" She asked with an innocent tilt of her ears.
"Stay up reading?"
"Oh that! No-o."
"You lie like your mother."
She sighed heavily, sending a puff of steam into the air "Alright. Books have not gotten any less fascinating."
"Nor has sleep become any less important."
"No, I guess not," She scooped up a pawful of snow from the top of a fence and tossed it at him. He let it come within inches of his face. "And you haven't become any less stuffy."
"I suppose not," He swayed to allow another snowball to fly past his head.
"Aren't you going to throw one back at me?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because," He slid some of the fluffy white snow into his palm and watched it turn to slush, then run out between his fingers in a matter of seconds "I run too hot."
"Oh no," Shyshie tilted her head sympathetically, but she was laughing behind her eyes "That's why you aren't wearing a heavy coat, isn't it?"
"Exactly, why do you think this is funny?"
"I don't."
"You lie like your mother."
"Thanks."

When Shyshie entered the door to her cousin's room she expected to hear the jingle of the bell that was traditionally hung by the edge of the door at Midwinter to let travelers know they were welcome. She glanced towards the fireplace, where a string of painted acorns should've graced the mantle. Pausing, she narrowed her eyes and sniffed for the sharp scent of the holly leaves that should've been laid across the top of the window. Finding the air lacking she turned towards the kitchen, thinking that at the very least he would've placed the fishing hook over his cupboards.
"Starwalk? Would you mind letting me come in as well?"
She whirled around, her arms crossed and a tight frown on her face.
"Now what?" He asked with a resigned sigh.
"Where's your bell?"
"I don't have one."
"And your holly branch and your fish hook!?"
"I don't have any," he pushed past her into the room.
"You don't..." Shyshie turned, dumb with shock as he collapsed onto the couch "You have to have some!"
"Starwalk, I do not have any, nor do I see the need to put any up."
"But it's Midwinter!"
"Starwalk," He said through gritted teeth, leaning his head back and closing his eyes "I'm tired."
She pinned her ears back, her eyes leaking with worry as her shock melted and she crept up on the couch alongside him.
Timidly she pressed a paw against his forehead and he sighed as her cool fingers touched his burning fur.
"You really are hot."
"Yes," He removed her paw and straightened "It's been that way for a while."
"Have you told Doctor Rolland?"
"Of course I have. He says there's nothing to be done... It seems to drain my energy, that's why I have not put any of the decorations up."
"Oh," she replied in a small voice, curling under his arm "I'm sorry."
"It's hardly your fault," gently he smoothed the hood of her coat down to her nose "I'm going to rest."
"Mm-hmm."

She waited until she felt his arm go limp and his breathing went even.
Then she slipped off the couch and out into the hall.
Counting silently, she stopped in front of the third door to the left and knocked.
Immediately afterwards she heard several thumps and a yelp, then a string of mutterings.
"Gallino? Are you alright?"
"Miss Starwalk? Is that you? Just let yourself in I'm a bit...hung up at the moment."
Cautiously she pushed the door open, to reveal the coyote with one foot caught in the curtain rod dangling over the back of his chair, with a branch of holly clenched in one hand.
"What-?"
"My holly branch won't stay up," with a violent kick he released himself, and the curtains, from the rod, and came bumbling down to the ground.
"Are you-?"
"I'm fine," he shook himself and stood up "I think I might just put my branch on the sill, rather than along the rod."
"That might be a good idea."
Ignoring the mess behind him, he brushed his clothes straight and stepped closer "Well, what's wrong?"
She crossed her arms "We have a problem."
"We?"
"Is my cousin your friend?"
"Of course," there wasn't a heartbeat of hesitation.
"Then yes, 'we'."
"Alright," He tucked his arms across his chest, mirroring her stance "What's our problem?"
"Coe."
"What's wrong with him?"
"Well," she dropped her arms and her ears tucked down "It's the same thing as always, but..."
"But what?"
"He... he's so tired," she forced herself to swallow "He's so tired he hasn't been able to put up any of his Midwinter decorations."
"Oh," Galino's ears tilted backwards.
"So," she said in a stronger voice "Can you help me?"
He glanced backwards just as the curtain rod fell and clattered to the floor "Um... I will, but you do realize, Miss Starwalk, that I can't even get my holly branch up without destroying something, right?"
"I'll take care of that part!"
They both jumped as a voice came through the thin wall.
"Yvette you need to stop listening to my conversations," Galino turned and glared at the wall.
"Sorry, it's not like you where climbing on top of chairs and falling off of curtain rods and whatnot."
"That was an accident."
"Whatever. Do you want some help or not?"
Shyshie giggled "We'd love some help Yevi."
"Great. I'll be there in a moment."
"Where are we going to get the bell and the fishhook?" Shyshie asked, turning back to Galino.
"Oh!" Someone exclaimed from the other wall "Bella and I have spares!"
"Wilkes it is not polite to listen to other people's conversations."
"Bella you where listening just as much as I was."
"No-"
"Yes."
Galino's eyes had almost rolled back into his head and Shyshie was giggling uncontrollably.
"Alright, so do we just march in and ignore Coe's infuriated protests or are we going to do this with a bit more flair?"
Yvette appeared, with a grin and a knife for cutting the holly branch.
"Definitely with flair."
"You have no flair whatsoever Wilkes," Yvette called to her brother.
"Well, then, you don't have a fishhook and a bell."
"You may have our extra fishhook and bell."
"I have an idea," Shyshie paused the arguing "When he wakes I'll convince him to take me to get that cider from the shop down the road, then you guys can sneak in and put the stuff up."
"What if he locks the door?" Bella asked through the wall.
"Oh, I've got that covered," Galino cut in "I've got an extra."
"An extra key? Why do you have an extra key to my cousin's rooms?"
"Ay, it's just in case he loses his."
"Alright. You guys just don't make a mess of this, okay?"
"Of course," Wilkes said "We won't let Galino anywhere near the holly."

"Are you enjoying your cider, Starwalk?"
"Yup?" She sipped at the spiced drink "How's your...water?"
"Delicious."
Her heart fluttered as he turned the doorknob and stepped in.
There was a falling tinkle of a bell followed by a yelp and a heavy grunt.
Coe stared down at his feet, where Wilkes lay on his back "What on the sweet seas?"
"Ah," Wilkes stared blankly up, then flung his arms wide "Merry Midwinter!"
A burst of giggling at his elbow prompted Coe to look down.
"Starwaaalk."
She tucked herself a half-step back, clutching her drink "I... recruited some help in decorating."
He narrowed his eyes, then turned back to the room.
Bella, Galino, and Yvette where all frozen in the act of leaving, apparently the bell had been the last thing to put up.
A fresh branch of holly trimmed the top of the window. A fishhook hung over the cupboards. A string of brightly painted acorns hung over the fireplace, above a whistling kettle, and they had thought of things Shyshie hadn't.
There was a fresh white blanket draped over the back of the couch, a symbol that all who entered would be welcome to stay, a tall cup painted white with red spots on the table, another symbol of hospitality, and others she'd forgotten about.

Slowly Coe's face crumpled down into a smile as he shook his head.
"You truly are amazing, Starwalk."
She beamed back up at him "I just thought that'd be nice if your rooms looked a bit festive."
"Thank you," he slipped his arm around her shoulder "Thanks to all of you."

[Ranger of the North]

(you caught that quick)
'She' is Mei-li. I haven't put up a lot of her backstory cause it doesn't all fit with CS's standards? Like it would just be mentions of some things, but I'm not sure if it would be good.

(Why thank you :p)
Ah, okay. Fair enough! cx


Naww, these warm my heart c': *sniffs happily*

[TheSongOfTheStars]

8
Comfort
849
Spring was late.
There had been a period of false hope, when the snow melted and the icicles began to drip, but after three days of warmth a howling wind came blasting in from the north and with its biting breath froze everything under slick sheaths of slick ice.

It was the same wind that the small ship fought against as it struggled towards the mainland of Navoire.
It was the same wind that cut into Townly's face as he and the other prisoners crouched on the open deck.
Usually by then, if it wasn't warm, then at least the spray didn't freeze onto their clothes and faces the moment it touched them.
But now they were clinging to each other as the deck beneath became slick, not out of any care for the others safety, but in respect to the fact that all fifty of them were linked to the same chain. If one fell, then it was likely they'd all go, while the guards watched apathetically.

By the time they reached the shore the prisoners' fingers were frozen to the metal and their clothes were soaked. Most of them were coughing, including Townly.
But unlike the rest of them, he wasn't going to spend the next two weeks doing nothing in a cell as was the mandatory relief from the labor in the mines during the Manifest celebrations.
He was going home.
Where for the next few days he'd do nothing but huddle next to the fire covered in thick blankets acompanied by Viper's hot stew as he regained the weight lost in the mines.

But he had no sympathy for the other prisoners as they shuffled down the gangplank, barely able to stand. They were just as deserving as he was to be there and not a fraction as repentant.
They all had families, same as him. That was why they were there. Forced to support the creatures they abandoned for a life of crime through forced labor.
But none of them would ever go back to see those families.

But he would.

The shove from the guards was routine as they released him from the long chain, bringing him to his knees for a moment, then he struggled to stand again before they started dragging him.
He remembered all too well the first time, when he collapsed, the toll of the mines and the relief of the short escape overwhelming him.
He still had the long scars where the stones scraped the flesh from his body when they dragged him along the ground.

He was led away from the group of criminals huddled on the beach, towards the shacks that marked the beginning of the capital city.
They stopped next to the first one and the guards let him lean against the wall, out of the wind.

"Thank you Inspector, a pleasure as always."
Eyes closed, Townly smiled.
"Yes, yes of course," a dull voice replied "Have a nice day."
"Yes, you too."
Townly chuckled deep in his throat as the door to the shack swung open with a dangerous crackle and Roland stepped out, looking as if he'd been forced to drink oil.
Townly leaned away from the wall and faced the ring-tailed cat with a faint grin as he swayed back and forth.
"Hello Doctor," he said in a voice rough and gravelly from disuse.
Rolland managed a smile for his patient "Hello Townly, let's get those off of you, shall we?" he knelt and with the key he pulled from his pocket, unlocked the shackles around Townly's feet.
"And those come off when we get home," he said, indicating the cuffs, then he turned to the guards who were shuffling nervously as one pair of restrictions were removed from the former assassin "Thank you gentlemen, we'll have no further need of your services."
They nodded and marched off, trying to make it look like their leaving taking was anything but a stilted retreat.

"Right then," Rolland slipped an arm around Townly's shoulders, squeezing him in a gentle sideways hug "Let's get you home."

It was late when they finally reached home. Townly was leaning most of his weight on Rolland as they mounted the porch steps and entered the house.
There was a flurry all around them the moment they opened the door and Townly was too tired to take it all in, he was only grateful that it was smiles that greeted him and not sneers.
Viper was all around him, leading him to the sitting room, slipping a blanket over his shoulders, putting a cup of tea in one hand and a bowl of soup in the other.
He wished he could catch her long enough to kiss her, but Timothy's dead weight in his lap prevented him from trying and sleep wrapped around him as he sipped at his tea.
Eventually he surrendered. Setting the bowl and cup down, he pulled Timothy closer and leaned against the arm rest of the couch with a deep sigh and closed his eyes, every nerve in his body perfectly at ease.

[TheSongOfTheStars]

9
Stars
1,158
"Ooh, how is your little tail not frozen off, mister? Huh?"
Timothy giggled as his mother draped another blanket over his coat clad shoulders and burrowed closer against his father "I got Dad."
"And I got you," Townly wrapped an arm around the little boy, reaching with the other towards Viper "Come on, sit down."
"Well," she looked around, Callie and Wesley were both sitting on the blanket spread out over the snow, the lantern between them, but Doctor Rolland was standing by the gate.
"Do we need anything else, Doctor?"
"You've done quite well, thank you Viper."
"Are you sure? You've only got one coat on, you're not cold?"
"No, I'm quite warm enough."
"Alright," she turned "Captain is the tea still hot?"
Callie tapped the kettle "Yup. Now will you sit down? You're making me feel guilty with all your fussing."
"Do you think we have enough tea to last through the Vigil?"
"I'm sure you made more than enough, Viper, now come on," Townly patted the patch of blanket next to him "Sit down."
"Alright," she sat, settling her thick skirts "Did we need such a big blanket, Doctor?"
"Yes, well you see-" he was cut off by a voice calling from the street.
"Hellooo! We're heeere!"
Rolland smiled guiltily as he opened the gate "I invited some friends."
Viper shot to her feet as Martin and Lily entered, Martin bearing a lantern and Lily a covered tray.
"You did what!?"
"Just a few Viper."
"Cookies!" Lily exclaimed, plopping down next to Wesley and pulling the cover off.
"Can I have one?"
"Of course!" She slid five of the still warm treats into his lap "Tim, you want some?"
"How many friends did you invite?"
"Just the Trevoiants and Darkmoon and Shyshie."
Viper turned as a small crowd came into the street, then swiveled on the doctor.
He held his ears back as he grinned ruefully "I told them to bring friends if they wanted.
She stared at him dead on as Darkmoon and Shyshie, Bella and Wilkes, Coe, Gallino, and Yvette filed through the gate.

"I thought it'd be nice to have some company."
"But why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to be stressed."
"Well I'm stressed now! Is anyone else coming? The Queen perhaps?"
She turned and marched away.
"Where are you going?"
"We need more tea!"
A slight cough brought Rolland's attention back to the street and he turned to the two foxes.
"So," Queen Aberdeena said with a tilt of her ears "Are we not wanted then?"
"No," Rolland laughed and bowed as he opened the gate "I did Viper the injustice of neglecting to mention we would be having guests."
"Ah, shame on you," she laughed with him as she sat down on the blanket. Rusty sprawled himself between Martin and Shyshie,stealing a cookie from Lily's tray.
"Yes I know," Rolland turned towards the house "I do believe I ought to go help hesve

Eventually Viper was satisfied that her guests where warm enough and everyone had a cup of tea and a cookie.

"Queen Aberdeena," Rolland said with a slight bow as he offered a thick book to the sitting vixen "We would be honored if you would read the Vigil poem."
"Well, I would be honored to read it to you," Aberdeena smiled but didn't accept the book "but my voice is rather tired, so if you don't mind I will sip my tea and listen."
"Oh," Rolland turned in a circle "Well who's going to read then?"
"Townly!"
Wesley called in his thin tremulous voice.
"No Wes."
"Yeah! Dad! You read it!"
"Tim-"
But it was too late, everyone was calling for him to read and with a cheerful smile Rolland set the book down in his lap.
"Oh alright," Townly sighed loudly and thumbed through the pages.
"Wait, Dad, what's the Vigil poem?" Timothy asked, tugging in Townley's sleeve.
"Don't you remember? We told you last year."
"I don't remember."

"It's about birds, right?"
Everyone turned to stare at Lily.
"What? I've heard it about as many times as he has!"
"Alright," Townly closed the book "Should I go over the story real quick, for these two?"
"Yeah why not?" Rolland blew on his tea.
"Okay," Townly set the book aside and pulled Tim into his lap "So, here's how the story goes: when the sea gypsies set off from the icy lands of the north behind the moon they were fleeing from the wild invaders who took their lands, but they didn't know if there was anywhere for them to go. So three sea gulls-"
"Albatrosses," Rusty cut in.
"No, sea gulls."
"It's was albatrosses."
"Well I always heard the story with three sea gulls so I'm going to tell it with three sea gulls... So three sea gulls volunteered to go search for a new place to live. So they flew and they flew and they couldn't find any new lands. So one of them suggested that they fly up very, very high, so that they could see all around. So, they flew so high that they passed the moon and then they saw land.
So they tried to fly back down to the gypsies, but there was a strong wind that blew them higher and higher until they became stuck in the sky. When they realized that they couldn't return to lead the gypsies, they decided to pluck out their feathers to leave a trail to the new land. The gypsies saw the feathers falling down from the sky and saw three new stars high above the moon. So they followed the trail of feathers coming down from the stars until they came to the new land. Here, Navoire."
"What about the dragons, Dad?"
"Oh dear," Townly tapped his son's nose "That's another story. It's time for the poem now."
"Okay, can I help?"
"Yes, you can follow the words with your finger so I don't get off track."

Townly opened the book to the page, and holding Timothy's hand in his own to trace the lines, he began to read.

Three stars rise above the moon on this Midwinter night
Three stars to shine down on the face of this kingdom
Three stars for the gypsy ships to follow
Down from the land behind the moon
Down from the land of ice and snow
Down from the land where no food would grow
Across the open sea on their small ships
Across the open sea from a land of terror to a land of new hope
Across the open sea with nothing but the light of three stars to guide them
To a new land they came
To a new land theirs to claim
To a new land, a seedling kingdom ready to sprout
Three stars they follow
Down from the land behind the moon
Across the sea on their small ships
To a new land they came.

[TheSongOfTheStars]

10
Bells
684
"Yia stop fidgeting, you're making new nervous,"
Jade fussed with her daughter's ears "Come on just sit with me."
"You're just as bad as she is, Jade," Vrell said with a soft laugh.
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are."
Before her parents could continued bickering Emperor Kif and Empress Tigretta swept out onto the balcony their long rich robes sweeping against the green smooth stone, followed by Orchid Jewel and Jasmine.
"Mother. Father," Jade nodded her head while Vrell bowed deeply not meeting their gaze.
"Dawn feather," Tigretta said with a smile as she came to stand at the railing.
Jasmine nudged her sister's shoulder as she joined them at the edge.
"Yia stop fidgeting," Tigretta admonished her granddaughter.
"But I'm bored, I want to see the parade!"
"You will!" Vrell swept Yia into his arms so she could see "It will come right here."
"Really? Why?"
"Why?" Suddenly Jasmine laughed "no wonder you're fidgety you have no idea what's going on!"
"No," Yia crossed her arms sulkily "I know, I just want to sit with Ariel."
"Oh, so you know about the Ceremony of the Bells?"
"N-no..."
"Haven't you told her about this Dawn feather?"
"Yes Father," Jade's teeth gritted ever so slightly "But she's five, things don't stick in her head. Yia would you like me to go over it again for you?"
"Okay."
Jade smiled and took her daughter from Vrell's arms "Alright, you know about the New Year's dragon and that story, right?"
"The dragon moved the moon so winter would stop, right?"
"Mm-hm, that's why we celebrate New years today instead of the first day of spring, like Navoire."
"But what about the bells?"
"Well to guide the dragon back to the Imperial city we ring the bells, then to thank the dragon for moving the moon and to say goodbye we ring the biggest bell one time."
"Where are the bells at?"
Jasmine laughed "Here silly."
"Where's here?"
Jade rolled her eyes "I woke you up this morning and told you."
"Um... The Palace of the Bells?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
"Shh," Vrell said "The parade is coming, hear the drums?"

The royal family settled into the chairs brought out onto the balcony. But Yia only sat for a moment. As soon as the first row of marching drummers appeared she was standing up in her seat, peering down and bouncing in excitement. She stayed that way through the entire procession, cheering when the long red paper dragon came dancing in front of them.
And she was breathless and exhausted by the time they were done.
"I don't wanna do the bells Mama. I'm cold."
"It'll be warmer inside," Jade picked Yia up and wrapped her arms around the shivering girl "And it won't be much longer I promise."

Yia had almost fallen asleep by the time they reached the massive chamber where the many bells hung, but at the first low chime she lifted her head to look around.

There where hundreds of tiny bells strung up on iron stands, each stand with a toller in front of them holding a string that connected to each bell.
Behind the many stands where larger bells hung from the ceiling and their slow paced reverberations drowned the many quick tinklings of the small bells.
Then there was a huge noise that made her pin back her ears and turn her head.

A massive bell hung at the back of the hall, surrounded by candles up on a platform led up to by many small steps and for every ten of medium bell's chimes it tolled once.

Yia shivered as the ancient sounds boomed around her, the sound growing out from the great hall and swelling throughout the whole palace as the hundreds of other bells hanging on the walls and in the corridors were struck in time.
It continued for breathless minutes. Then suddenly every bell went silent.
And the massive bell tolled.
Three times it was tolled, each time like a booming voice proclaiming in a forgotten language, a deep foreboding call.
Then the Ceremony of the Bells was over.

[TheSongOfTheStars]

11
Frost
706
Mei-li woke up shivering, the stones she'd fallen asleep on cold beneath her.
Winter couldn't come this soon.
Not so soon.
She looked down at the boy curled around his own tail, whimpering in his sleep.
This year, when the first frost came creeping up, there would not be a warm place for them to hide. The yield from the harvest would be thin and no one would want an inexperienced worker. There would not be a corner in the barn or a place by the stove.
Jon-tai yawned and sat up, blinking and reaching up to her.
She swept him up into her arms and hugged him tightly.
There was time yet.
Maybe in one of the nearby cities she could find work.

Mei-li woke up and saw her breath come pouring out in a steamy cloud.
She rolled over and saw Jon-tai gnawing on the edge of his stick. He noticed that she had woken up and stiffly wandered back to her.
"Cold."
"I know," She sighed and pulled him into her lap.
"Hungry."
"I know."
She didn't have much time before the first frost. She didn't have much time left before she couldn't take care of him anywhere.
She swallowed hard "Let's go look for something to eat."

Mei-li woke up to a howling wind blustering through the alley she and Jon-tai had taken shelter in.
He was pressed against her side, wide awake as he cried for warmth.
She tried to hush him and wrapped her arms around him as she pulled them closer to the wall.
Not so soon, she begged the elements, please just give me a little longer, please just give me one more chance.

Mei-li woke up to frost covering the ground around her.

"Where we going?"
Mei-li tightened her grip on Jon-tai's hand and pretended she hadn't heard him.
"Where? Where we going? Mama? Mama? Where we-"
"Somewhere warm," Mei-li said finally "Somewhere you can get something to eat."
"Like what?"
"Something good."
"Like sweet?"
"Maybe."

Mei-li swallowed with difficulty as they turned onto the alley where the orphanage was located.
It was quiet until she knocked on the heavy doors,

There was a shuffle of feet and the murmur of young voices, then a heavier step sounded and an older voice shushed the younger ones as the door opened.

"Hello Ma'am," the monkey said with a kind smile to the tattered and dirty otter, with a boy who was more bone and mud clinging to her paw "What can I do for you?"

Mei-li shuffled, brushing something away from her eye and gestured weakly down to her son.
"Ah, I see. Please, come in."

The crowd of children gathered around the monkey scuffled backwards as Mei-li stepped in, but when they saw Jon-tai they pushed forwards again, reaching out to touch him, staring at him, murmuring about his stick.

Mei-li felt his fingers slip from her grasp and turned to catch his hand again, but the monkey distracted her.
"What's his name, ma'am?"
"Jon-tai."
The monkey nodded as she wrote it down "Last name?"
Mei gritted her teeth and shook her head.
"Alright and how old is he?"
"About three. I think."
"Mm-hm. Is there anything else we should know? Would you like to put down your own name?"
"N-no."
"Alright. Would you like to say goodbye?"
Mei-li looked at Jon-tai who was already making friends.
Slowly she walked to him, the other children scuttled backwards, and she knelt next to him.
"I like it here, Mama."
Mei smiled, tears glistening in her eyes "Good. I'm very glad. Now, listen to me very carefully my sweet little boy," she gripped his shoulders gently "You're going to stay here and I need to go."
He tipped his head quizzically "I can't go?"
"No my dear, my little boy, you stay here."
"Oh. Okay. When you come back?"
"S-soon," she wrapped him in a tight hug "I'll come back soon."
"Okay," he wrapped his arms around her neck "See you soon."

Mei-li lingered, trying to memorize the feel of his fur, to keep his scent locked in her nostrils. Then she stood and raced back out onto the alley, leaving footprints in the frost behind her.

[Ranger of the North]

Oh. Why do you do this?!