Niviene Larethian

Happy Birthday!

The house was quiet, everyone was still sleeping except her. She climbed up on the window seat and pulled back the flowered curtains to look down into the garden below. Momma’s flowers had just started blooming, the ones that were brave enough and strong enough to come out while the mornings were still cold that is. Korissa knew she shouldn’t touch those flowers, momma needed them for the special inks she made for the man who painted pictures on people’s skin, like the angel wings he put on daddy.

Kori slipped down from the seat and rummaged through her drawers, finding some clothes that would be warm, wool socks that came up over her knees, a thick linen underdress and a wool overdress, topped by a thick knitted sweater. She picked up her boots and tiptoed down the stairs, a fur lined hood and gloves in the other hand.

She stopped by momma’s workroom and picked up a pair of shears daddy had gotten for her, small enough for her hands but sharp enough to cut stems. She picked up a basket, only medium sized in momma’s hands but large for the child. Having collected everything she needed she carefully opened the back door, making sure she didn’t make enough noise to wake anyone.

She stood on the porch, pulling on her hood and gloves then started across the yard, stopping to turn to the two great cats that poked their heads out of their enclosures to investigate the movement. Kori turned the them, a finger raised to her lips, “I’m getting a surprise for momma. It’s okay. I’ll be back in a minute.” Temperance made a low rumbling noise and turned to look at the winged lion, Valiant echoed the sound and they both looked back at the child. Kori put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot, “I know what I’m doing. I can take care of myself, I’m five you know.”  she looked from the cats to the woods then back, “Fine. You can go with me.” she grumbled.

The felines looked at one another again then Temperance  stepped from the enclosure, to walk at the little girl’s side. Kori blinked then nodded, “Right, one of you has to stay here to keep an eye on them. Good thinking.” she reached out and touched the panther, giving it a little caress before leading it through the gate and out into the forest of Duskwood.

Korissa lead the construct through the woods, chatting as they went, “Momma showed me this spot last spring. There’s a clear place in the trees where the flowers grow early. They’re on vines and some of them are kind of high. Hey! You can help me get to those ones, I couldn’t get them before.”

Temperance made a noise that could have been a chuckle, if cats could laugh, though its eyes continually scanned the surrounding forest, ears pricked, shifting at the slightest sound. Suddenly Korissa squealed and took off at a run, the big basket bouncing awkwardly in her hands. The construct yowled and lept after her, quickly outpacing the child.

The construct reached the clearing before Kori did, sliding to a stop, its body blocking her way forward. The girl thrust her chin out at the panther and started to speak but Temperance snarled at her, berating her for her reckless behavior. As if the girl could understand the feline, Kori lowered her head and nodded.

Keeping a close eye on its charge, the cat entered the clearing, making a circuit of the area before calling out to the girl in what would have been a meow were it a small domestic cat. Assured that it was safe Kori entered the clearing, setting her basket on the ground and commenced to cut large clumps of honeysuckles.

Sometime later Niviene woke, blinking at the heady scent of flowers that seemed to fill the house. She sat up, nudging Braghaman as she slipped out of the bed. Grabbing her robe she stepped out of their room and into the living room. Nearly every vase they owned was brimming with honeysuckles, there were vines of them laced around the dining chairs and a serving bowl full of them sat in the middle of the table.

“Happy Birthday momma!” Korissa sang as she launched herself at the priestess. Niviene caught the child, kneeling down to wrap her in a hug, her eyes going to the back door where Temperance sat  smiling benevolently, a makeshirt wreath of flowers crowning its head.

Niviene shifted Korissa to her hip, and moved to the panther. She reached out, scritching the cat between there ears that was answered by a low, rumbling purr. The two of them seemed so pleased with themselves that the priestess didn’t have the heart to tell them her birthday wasn’t until next month.