Absolutely Dashing
(Tuesday) March 28, Year 3
Lazy days in the forest were the best. It was tranquil, quiet, and a time to be at one with nature. Bailey spent her morning crunching numbers and filing papers. However, she was glad for the distraction. While her children were exploring the farm with their younger cousins, she rested in a grassy patch in the forest, using her arms as pillows to rest her head. The weather was a bit breezy so the air was crispy yet cool. The sweet fragrance of the surrounding flowers mingled with the scent of several other farms; one with strawberries and another with grape vines.
Bailey took it in with bliss, feeling her lungs breathe in and then out. She closed her eyes as the sun shined out from behind a cloud. Though it was warm, it was also blinding. As she rested her eyes, someone approached her.
“You look peaceful.”
The diplomat opened her eyes to see who it was.
“Well, you did until the sun came along.” A redhead with a medium braid stood above with a slight grin. “You’re a new face, so you must be the farmer’s guest. I’ve heard rumors from the saloon that you arrived the other day.”
The two exchanged names before Bailey offered the spot next to her. Rather than lying down, Leah sat and looked up.
“Are you a nature lover?” she asked.
“In a way.” Bailey nestled into the bed of grass once again. “I feel at ease when I stare into the sky. I like the unique shade of blue that spring brings and I like to watch the clouds as I think. It’s hard to describe, but it feels different during this time of year. I merely have to stare at the atmosphere above and picture the free sky. In a way, I feel less alone… S-Sorry!” Bailey suddenly jolted up. “I didn’t realize that I was rambling.”
Leah sat up and merely giggled at the smaller woman’s apology. “It’s okay,” she affirmed. “I learned a bit. You certainly have a unique perspective, and I like that. I never thought about the sky until you talked about it like that.”
“A-Ah. I see…” Bailey nervously tried to lay back down to relax and Leah seemed to notice it.
“I’m sorry that I bothered you. You seemed so peaceful earlier that I was wondering what was going on in your head.”
“No, it’s my bad. I’m still adapting to… human interaction.”
The redhead merely nodded and accepted the answer. “Right, I heard about your service. Switching from business to casual must be difficult.”
“More like formal to informal,” Bailey corrected. “As an ambassador, my first impressions are the most impactful. It is a bit troubling to learn when to relax to properly befriend someone. People expect things from me as the face of my clan.” Before she could go on, her phone went off, causing a sigh to escape her mouth. “That would be my cue to leave. I agreed to meet with someone at the beach and walking takes a bit of time. It was a pleasure to meet you though. Will I be seeing you around?”
Leah nodded and smiled. “If you keep visiting the forest, most definitely. See you.”
As Bailey rolled over to get her crutch and limped away, Leah noticed the amputated leg. She was curious but knew better than to ask someone she just met, especially if she had just gotten out of war. Leah continued to lie in the grass, turning to the spot where Bailey was just laying. It looked like a nest, signaling that she was resting for quite a while. When she looked back at the sky, Leah thought of Bailey’s eyes and that dreamy daze when she took in the forest sounds.
Not only were they a rare natural gold color, they practically glowed. They were dim but they held a spirit that was locked away. Leah took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, wondering if she could somehow capture the first image of the woman she just met in her mind.
Bailey noticed that getting around was easier. For one, there were fewer crowds in the town, making it easier to move, and the other reason was from practice. But it was still difficult to think about.
A blast of pain surged in her nerves. At first, it burned but it slowly switched into a lingering bolt of shock and she could feel her nerves blistering. Her heart raced in alarm despite it being absent. However, she pushed through and continued to go forward. She hobbled up the stairs slowly, but she managed. Once she got up, Bailey noticed the vineyard to the left.
Her brother mentioned the owner before last night. From the context, the two must be close friends. The hybrid noticed a young girl with pink hair walking around the vines, focused on the work at hand. Bailey was about to keep walking by to let Sophia work, but then she looked up and saw the amputee.
For a split second, she could’ve sworn that she saw the young girl suddenly jolt but then she waved shyly, smiling sweetly as if to beckon Bailey closer. She hobbled over to greet the winemaker who looked proud of herself to actually be interacting with someone.
“H-Hello,” the shy girl greeted. “I think I recognize you. It’s Bailey, right? Your brother told me about you. We’re good friends.”
“All good things I hope.”
Bailey picked up quickly that Sophia was a bit on the sheepish side. Whenever she did say something, her voice was meek and timid. However, she didn’t struggle to try to speak and seemed surprisingly comfortable conversing with the hybrid. Even though she was relaxed, Bailey was mindful to be gentle with her tone, afraid that the slightest change of pitch would scare Sophia away.
“You know, your brother never told me how similar the two of you were.”
Bailey had just finished telling her about an old memory when she noticed the young girl suppressing a giggle. The royal tilted her head at Sophia’s strange statement. It reminded the winemaker of Dusty.
“Really? How?” Bailey asked. They have been sitting on some empty barrels after realizing that they were still standing.
“When you talk about someone, you get really excited and you start talking with your hands. Your brother does the same too.”
“Heh. I see,” Bailey mumbled, staring down for a second. Then she looked up at the sky to check the time and to avoid eye contact. “I’d better go now so you can work.”
“Oh! R-Right. See you around.”
Bailey got back on her crutch and bid her farewell. This time, she hurried, surprisingly not tripping down the stairs. Before she stepped down to the bottom, Bailey took off her boot so the sand wouldn’t seep in. She glanced quickly at her missing foot and then got up, shaking off the heaviness in her heart.
She agreed to have lunch and train at the beach with Esteban. Even if she was considered out of commission, he still wanted to keep his body fit. The two agreed on keeping it light, but that didn’t stop her apprentice from bringing a training dummy.
Bailey watched as Esteban laid out a blanket for her to sit on and the wooden dummy stood at a decent distance. She rummaged through the basket, finding plenty of calcium-rich food.
“Now, do you remember what I taught you before we moved here?”
“The lesson with General Heath?” he questioned.
Bailey slowly sat down on the blanket. “Yes. Thunder’s dummy is a bit different from what we’ve used, so you’ll need to change your battle tactics.”
Since she couldn’t help him, Esteban was left to demonstrate while Bailey had to order him from a distance. At some point, she rolled her eyes so often that the boy finally had enough.
“If I’m fighting this so badly, how would you go about it?” He slackened the tension in his arms and crossed his arms as a challenge.
Bailey managed to hop up on one foot, using her crutch to lean on after hobbling closer.
“This is only until we find you a proper sparring partner,” she reminded. “So, since we’re changing tactics, strike with your hand flat, not cupped. We aren’t trying to catch attacks, we’re trying to deflect. Observe.”
Several sticks poked out of the wooden beam, but it was divided into three and each spun in different directions when she striked from one side. Since it was only her upper body moving, Bailey balanced subconsciously on her good leg. She struck the middle harshly with her right hand, allowing the middle to spin and collide once again with the side of her left palm.
“Never use your fingers to parry with these moves. You can injure them that way. This training dummy is supposed to help you predict your opponent but it’s nothing like an actual partner.”
Every time she countered, Bailey would push the dummy’s ‘arm’ and let it spin in the other direction, where the process would repeat once again. Once she was sure that Esteban understood, Bailey caught the incoming attacks to stop them from spinning to give him a chance to practice. It wasn’t a surprise that the brunette’s movements were slower than usual, but at least he understood what to do.
“This type of martial art originates in the east and focuses on striking only.”
As the day went on, Esteban moved faster, making sure that each time he striked was accurate. Bailey continued to eat lunch as she watched.
“You’re tall, so you need better balance,” she said. “Remind me to go over that with you. Take a break for now.”
Esteban plopped down on the sand next to her.
“I didn’t think that two weeks without training would hit me so hard…”
She tossed him a bottle of water from the basket. “You’d be surprised, kid. The body can get lazy if you don’t have a schedule. But that’s why we’re getting back into it now.”
The boy merely complained some more but it was more playful than annoyed. Bailey chuckled as she poked fun, joking at Esteban’s newly spoiled nature. He wasn’t phased and asked about Bailey’s plan for the future.
“Okay, so the people manage to break free from their own country? What next? Does the war just end? We move back to the capital?”
“We wait for the army’s surrender,” Bailey said. “The empire has held up against Ferngill for a few years. Going by that logic, the Imperial Army has lost many people. So many that it would be foolish to go against Trecen if they are also losing a part of their country.”
Esteban nodded his head as he listened to her war tactics.
They finished lunch before training for a couple more hours. It was four once they were done on the beach so with nothing else to do, the pair walked back to the farm.
(Thursday) March 30, Year 3
It’s an odd feeling to be inside doing paperwork. Normally, Bailey would have to use maps to plan out her meetings or possible battles but she was crunching numbers instead. It was a good distraction at least since it took all of her energy to calculate correctly. Thank goodness her math skills were above average.
She ran through them once, then twice… maybe one more time just in case…
“Mom, you’re overdoing it.”
Lucy had just come back after a walk in the forest. A nice bundle of forage in a bag from the area near the greenhouse. Bailey was hunched over the dining table with several different lists and papers.
“You should take a break. You’ve been like this since breakfast.”
“It hasn’t been that long, has it?” She tapped her phone to see the time. It was twelve so it’s been three hours. “Oh. It’s been that long?”
“Yeah.”
They handed her the pouch of various foraged food as well as a bouquet of daffodils.
“I went to the forest with Mr. Cornell near the Fairhaven Farm. We found these. Thought I should give them to you so you could bring them to Pierre’s along with the other things Uncle wants to sell.”
Mission accomplished, she was outside. Her kids were getting creative with their ploys. As she was walking past the bus stop, she heard a rustle from a nearby bush. Before Bailey could ignore it, and move on with her day, something made the bush shake once again. This time, she stopped walking to see what it was. She leaned forward, balancing on her good leg, and then relaxed when she caught a glimpse of a feline.
“Oh, hey there, little guy,” Bailey softly spoke. She clicked her tongue to lure in the cat, offering him her hand.
Cautiously, the cat crept closer, sniffing her scent before brushing his cheek against her fingertips, and closing his dark hazel eyes with contentment. His spotted fur was scruffy and riddled with twigs. However, he was friendly and grew fond of Bailey quickly. Without being told, he started to follow her.
“You’re a friendly little fella,” she mumbled as he trotted ahead a bit before looking back at her as if he was waiting. She stopped when a ‘Help Wanted’ paper caught her eye. It was for Penny, asking for a daffodil to spruce up her room. She took the paper and slid it into her coat pocket.
“Would you mind holding these for me, little fella?”
Bailey slowly bent down on her right leg, using her crutch to balance. She handed the cat several flowers and he gladly held them. She raised a brow at the cat’s strange behavior but went inside anyway.
“Afternoon, Mr. Mercer.”
The man at the counter was caught off-guard and began to laugh at Bailey’s polite greeting. He raised a brow and leaned on the counter with one elbow, smirking at the title.
“No need for those formalities, Bailey. Unless you want me to start calling you Ms. Greyhowl.”
If only he knew what her full title was… However, Bailey continued with her task, politely chuckling back.
“Not a chance. I’m way younger than you. Besides, that title doesn’t suit me. Anyways, Lucy went foraging in the forest. I thought I should sell it here.”
She received her check, which was decent gold, and stayed a little longer to talk with him. However, as soon as the door opened, the cat that had been following her ran over with flowers. He mewed and brushed against her leg for attention, still holding the forage.
The person following the feline was a young woman with blue hair.
“I was wondering why he wanted to come inside.” She giggled lightly.
Pierre leaned back and sneezed, sniffling immediately.
“Ugh… Is that yours, Bailey? Can you get it out of here? I’m highly allergic.”
“Uhm… sure. Have a good day, Pierre.”
She hurried to limp out of the store, the cat following suit. However, the woman continued to walk with them.
“You must be Thunder’s sister, Bailey. Hi! I’m Emily. I work at the saloon. I was about to start my shift but this little guy kept meowing.”
“Uh… yeah. I told him to wait outside while I was trading with Pierre,” she explained. “He ran out from a bush as I was walking, so he’s sticking around until he wants to leave.”
Something gleamed in Emily’s eyes that made Bailey feel vulnerable, so she diverted her gaze to the feline.
“Have you met my sister yet?” she asked. “I have the feeling you two will get along. She’s pretty close to Catty too.”
“Really?” Bailey doubted.
Since she was looking away, Bailey was unaware of Emily’s aura reading. The barmaid could see that the hybrid was blocking out people, similar to her sister. However, there was also an unexplainable connection between their auras. She merely beamed as the cat mewed up.
Emily could tell the two will get along just fine.
“If you wanna get on Haley’s good side, you should give her daffodils. She likes them a lot and they’re really easy to find during this time.”
“Ah. Thanks for the tip,” she mumbled.
Emily pointed her to where Haley would be, which was by the fountain during this time. Although she offered to help Bailey up the stairs, the hybrid declined. However, the cat picked up the flowers on the ground and immediately ran up the stairs.
She hobbled up the stairs as fast as she could chase him, but then Bailey stopped when she saw the cat approaching the girl she was just about to meet with. The hybrid was frozen for a bit, stunned by the blonde beauty, but she composed herself to approach Haley.
“Uhm… Sorry about him!” she apologized as she hobbled closer. “He’s been helping me with some errands and he likes greeting people.”
“Don’t apologize.” The blonde knelt down to give the handsome a chin scratch. “He’s a little Romeo, giving me these flowers on a whim. So, you’re Catty’s guest, right?”
Under normal circumstances, Haley would have never even given the foreigner the time of day, especially because of her plain style of clothes. However, Catty and Emily were insistent on being at least civil with Bailey. She had to give her some credit. If she took the time to actually spruce herself up, Bailey would definitely be a charmer. It was odd to call a woman dashing, in Haley’s past opinion, but the word seemed to fit the newcomer perfectly. Little Romeo purred and brushed his face over Haley’s hand.
“Uhm. Yeah, Bailey Greyhowl,” she mumbled nervously. “And… you just met him, but here’s… Romeo.” Smooth, she was as smooth as dirt… Her gay panic was going to kill her. “You can have the flowers. He seems insistent on you taking them. Besides, pretty people should have pretty things.”
If the other wasn’t so focused on Romeo, they would have noticed how flustered the other was. Haley’s breath hitched with the subtle compliment while Bailey nervously fidgeted with the drawstrings of her jacket. They averted their eyes from each other as Haley stood back up, holding one of the daffodils that Romeo gifted her.
“Hey, do you happen to have a pen on you? Or your phone? That’d be better.”
Bailey stopped fidgeting and dug through her pocket for her device with vigorous movements.
“Y-Yeah! Uhm, did you need it for something?” she shyly asked. Bailey prayed to a higher being that it was to exchange numbers.
“You seem really nice… and kinda cute,” Haley mumbled the last part to herself but Bailey heard it anyways, and she almost fell as her heart skipped. Good god, she hasn’t felt this lighthearted since her college days when she actually went on dates… Bailey watched the blonde casually put her name in her contacts, also staring at how she twirled a strip of her hair with one of her delicate fingers. “Do you wanna, like, sit down for a bit?”
She anxiously accepted her offer and sat down on the bench.
The royal had to continuously remind her heart to calm down, but Haley’s fair features made it difficult. Her sandy locks ran down flawlessly behind her and some rested over the curves of her shoulder. Blue eyes that reminded her of the tropical waters steadied Bailey’s nerves but only just a tad bit. Talking with her felt easy and the blonde’s voice tenderly spoke to her, and it always coaxed out the royal’s low mumbles. However, even if Bailey seemed reluctant to linger too long in Haley’s company, it was clear that their attraction to one another was mutual.
The beauty made sure to scoot closer when the hybrid seemed excited about particular topics she enjoyed, raptured by her little burst of passion. Her eyes lingered over Bailey’s fidgeting hands and the way they would excitedly shake as she talked, almost like a happy dance. When the blonde complimented her, Bailey nervously brushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, allowing Haley to catch a glance of the shorter woman’s wolf-like eyes. It startled her at first, but she quickly grew fond of the way they glowed.
“How are you liking the town so far?” she asked, moving in so her knee was now brushing against Bailey’s pants.
The smaller woman didn’t miss that hint but she buried her anxiety, convincing herself that Haley just liked to be close.
“Oh, it’s great. My kids have loved my brother’s farm, and I think it’s a lot quieter compared to the city I used to live in. I haven’t met everyone exactly but I don’t have any complaints yet.” That’s when Bailey jolted, startling both Romeo and Haley. “Oh blast! I have to complete a quest. What time is it?”
“I’d say, two most likely. We’ve been lounging for a bit.” Haley moved over so the hybrid could grab her crutch. Before she left, the blonde pulled her down to steal a fleeting kiss over Bailey’s cheek. “Call me soon, okay?”
Bailey could practically feel the butterflies hatch in her stomach as her heart continued to beat unevenly once again. She could only muster a hesitant nod before she left the area. Once Haley had finally left her mind for a short bit, she hurried to the mountains, knowing that there had to be some sort of patch of flowers. Romeo followed her, meowing up at Bailey as if questioning her.
“I’m just looking for more daffodils for Penny,” she explained. “Those yellow flowers you gave to Haley.”
He chirped but continued to walk beside her. Bailey saw the carpenter shop that her brother mentioned. However, higher up on the cliff was a tent and a lit fire pit. She didn’t sense any danger so she carefully climbed up the stairs. Unlike the ones in town, these ones creaked under the pressure of her and her limping. Bailey didn’t pay any attention to it until the very last step broke.
Romeo jumped and arched his back, his fur bristling with alertness.
Bailey tumbled forward a bit but was left leaning on her crutch. After a few seconds, she could feel something ooze over her right foot and a metallic stench suddenly hit her nose. The realization was starting to sit in and she could feel the nail that pierced through her foot.
“Shit, I can’t move.” She sat back down to pull off the plank to free her foot, immediately hissing when she spotted the nail impaling her good foot. She was stranded. Karma for constantly going upstairs without help, she figured.
Before panic could seep in, Romeo wiggled between her arm and leaned into her torso, reminding her that he was still there. Bailey sighed but accepted his comfort with silent gratitude. Using one hand to give him pets, Bailey used her phone to call her brother for help, putting it away once she was done. With another collected sigh, she closed her eyes to let herself think.
She wasn’t helpless. No one abandoned. God damnit, why couldn’t she just calm down? One half of her thoughts scolded her for being so stupid to go up the stairs without help and with only one crutch. Why was she so stupid? How could she be so pitiful? However, the other half reminded her that nothing was wrong, reassuring her that it was only a mistake. She needed to learn from it.
Her eyes flew open when she heard the carpenter shop suddenly open and a woman with bright orange hair running over to her.
“Fuck! He wasn’t kidding,” she cursed. “Bailey, right? I’m Robin. Your brother called me and told me to help you.” She knelt down and winced at the sight. “Okay, wow. It went entirely through. Maybe I should get Harvey…”
Well, this was awkward.
“Uhm. I can actually patch this up myself. I need a first-aid kit though.”
Bailey could tell that Robin was bewildered by her calmness, but she was keeping it all inside. However, she assured the royal and went to somehow pick her up, carrying Bailey with ease thanks to the latter’s small frame and the former’s experience with heavy lifting.
Robin sat her in the kitchen before turning, wondering if she should retrieve Bailey’s things outside first or give her the emergency kit. She settled with the second option, running to the bathroom and coming back with extra supplies.
“My daughter will be back any minute now. I’ll have her look you over.”
“I’ll be out of your hair in a jiffy,” Bailey assured as she nonchalantly wiped her hands with the hand towel before adjusting herself to take out the nail. “I sent my family a text.”
“Oh no, you don’t. There’s no way you can get down the mountain without any help. And it’ll be well past sunset once you can see clearly. You’re staying the night.”
Bailey felt cornered by the offer and nodded before getting to the predicament at hand, or foot in this case.
She used the forceps to slowly pull it out, taking off her boot and sock immediately and cleaning it thoroughly with some antibiotic cream, hissing from its coldness. She heard the door open and close but continued to clean the injury, thinking it was Robin coming back with Romeo and her crutch.
The gasp said otherwise. Bailey raised her head to see a shocked Maru.
“Dear god… What happened?” she asked as she got closer. Her eyes quickly glanced at the bloody nail on the floor with a tissue.
Bailey merely dropped the one she was using and started to search the kit for a rolled-up bandage.
“The stairs that go up the mountain broke as I was walking,” she answered. “One of the nails pierced through.”
The door opened and closed. This time, Romeo came scurrying over to the kitchen and Robin came back, much calmer than before.
“Back already, Maru?”
“Yeah,” Maru replied. “I thought you might need help in the kitchen to start dinner, but it looks like you need help with something else.”
Bailey tightly wrapped the bandage and then turned her foot around to test it.
“I’ve got it handled, but you can check it if you want to ease your worries.”
Maru took up on her offer and went over to inspect Bailey’s injury. She was surprised, but the hybrid calmed down after a bit.
“You wrapped it nicely. There isn’t much to do other than wait in case an infection starts. I’m guessing you’re used to this from your experience in the military.”
“That and my youth,” Bailey mumbled on instinct, flinching when she realized she slipped.
When she didn’t say anything else, Maru paused and looked up at her. “Do you want to elaborate on that?”
“Not really.” Her answer was instant and Maru noticed her scarred knuckles clutch her sleeves a bit tighter. It was then she realized that Bailey had a slight bit of baggage.
The royal’s mind ran rapidly with chaos. Her Gotoro grandfather was the worst when it came to harm, and the marks that were etched on her back were proof of his abuse. She lost her childhood because of him. The trauma she carried was because of him. All those lives she ended were because of him.
Once again, Romeo could tell that something was wrong, so he stood up on his hind legs and brushed his face over Bailey’s knee. She exhaled and began to pet him again. Maru could easily tell that Bailey was going through something. She got up and began to clean the area.
“Physically, you seem alright,” she mentioned as she threw away the tissues, glancing at Bailey from the corner of her eye before looking away. “You better keep pressure off that foot for a while. Unless your brother happens to have a wheelchair, you’re stuck here for a bit.”
Bailey really was stranded. Her brother decided to head to the desert for some business and Esteban wasn’t home. However, Robin and Maru were more than accommodating to her. After Maru left to go change, Robin’s husband came in.
“Oh, good evening! You must be Thunder’s sister. I’m Demetrius, the local scientist.”
“Evening, sir. Bailey. Romeo,” she introduced as she gestured to herself and the cat. “So scientist… What do you study? I’ve dabbled in more science than my brother, so I’m curious. What’s your specialty?”
Since dinner was almost done, he took a seat across from her. He could easily pick up on her playful taunt so he chuckled and grinned.
“Let’s see. I research the local plants and animals here, so I prioritize my time with chemistry, biology, and a bit of engineering. All of them are general.”
Bailey forcefully chuckled and then scratched the back of her neck. “I’m a bit of a life sciences gal. I majored in zoology and biology. Marine bio comes in handy at times too though.”
As well as arcane sciences and lycanthropy but she would sound crazy to mention those to humans.
Once dinner was finished, Robin’s son finally made an appearance. It was a bit startling to see how different he was compared to the rest of his family. He seemed distant, gloomy almost, and his resting scowl made it hard to read him. Sebastian was also silent for most of the meal. However, it was when she mentioned books that he seemed to show some interest.
“My middle kid has been invested in the ‘Fighter’s Cry’ series so I started reading it when I have my breaks. Lucy likes to reenact some of the scenes to keep my nephews entertained. It’s nice to watch them.”
“How much has she read?” he suddenly asked.
Although it startled his entire family, Bailey just brushed it off and answered politely.
“Lucy has read the main trilogy but they just started reading the prequel. Also, they go by gender-neutral pronouns.”
They finished eating and it was now time to figure out where Bailey would sleep for the night. Sebastian had that extra couch, but it was in the basement so getting past the stairs will be a hassle. It would also be awkward to just sleep on the floor when Robin is just about to open up shop and Demetrius is heading to his lab.
“You can sleep in my room,” Maru offered. “I figured that you would be sleeping the night, so I prepared your spot already. I also texted Catty to drop off some extra clothes since none of ours will fit you.”
Before Demetrius could say something, Robin asked him to put the dishes in the sink.
This is why Bailey was on an air mattress in an oversized hoodie and sweats, still wearing her scarf because there was no way in hell she was gonna show her least favorite scar. Romeo, after a decent bath and meal, was happily curled up in Maru’s bed while the hostess herself was tinkering with one of her machines.
“Loosen one of the bolts,” Bailey suddenly suggested. “It’s making a crease on the plate.”
“Really?” She turned it around and did as Bailey said. “Thanks. I never would’ve caught that.”
“Mhm. I have a buddy in Zuzu who works with machinery. He graduated in bioengineering but he likes to tinker with things.” She went back to her phone. “He’s actually working on my prosthetic, so that’s cool.”
“Fascinating. Maybe you can invite him over sometime.”
Bailey’s brows made a crease as she seemed confused and wary. “He’s into guys more.”
“Oh god, not that!” Maru gasped. “I meant so we can talk about robotics.”
She suddenly laughed, full-heartedly, and her face looked almost princely. It took Maru by surprise but she quickly recovered. “Relax, I was teasing. My apologies.”
“No, you’re fine. I was just surprised is all.”
The pair were once again sitting in silence. Other than Bailey snickering once in a while from Haley’s texts, they were quiet.
Haley: so how long r u stayin there?
Bailey: only for the night
Bailey: my good foot was impaled but i heal fast
Haley: oh no!!! >o<
Haley: that sounds sooo painful ;-;
Bailey: alls good, ill survive
Haley: hmmmmm
Haley: u free tomorrow?
Haley: i wanna show u my favorite photo spot in the forest :)
Haley: should be safer to walk than the fountain lol
Bailey eagerly agreed and began getting the jitters when she saw her typing. She shook excitedly when Haley sent a heart. Her little noises and movements caught Maru’s attention.
“Did something happen?” Bailey’s puppy-like gaze switched from awe to alarm and to embarrassment strangely quickly.
“Gah! Oh! Well, I just made plans with… someone,” she mumbled the last part shyly. “Sorry, I get fidgety when I’m happy.”
“Ah, no worries!” Maru took note of Bailey’s flushed face, surprised to see such an expression. “Who was it with?”
She hesitated. One, because it was practically a date with a pretty girl. Two, she could tell that Demetrius was right outside the door.
“Just someone I met. We only met today but we’ve been talking a lot.”
For a military ambassador, Bailey was showing signs of a school-girl crush, and it was sort of sweet, so Maru didn’t say anything until they decided to go to bed.
The beach once again. The strong smell of salt from the sea was potent, but she felt at ease as the scent blanketed her. The sky was colorless grey and the sand matched it with its neutral pale tone.
It wasn’t welcoming, but here, Bailey felt safe and secure. Nothing could harm her. However, was this protection worth it if it wasn’t alive? The tide washed back and forth in a constant slow rhythm. The shore was coarse but landing on it will cushion her from falling. Everything that moved seemed predictable to the hybrid, but she was calm and her heart seemed steady.
She sighed, reveling in the controlled environment, and curled herself up to rest her chin on the knee of her good leg.
Bailey was safe and alive, but merely existing. Alive but not living. Breathing yet not flourishing. Relaxed yet unmoving.
When she begrudgingly opened her eyes, she saw something wash on shore. She stole a quick glance at it before her eyebrows knitted together, confused by what the ocean brought her.
…A coconut?
(Friday) March 31, Year 3
Bailey woke up frightened at the sound of someone pounding their fist at the front door. She jolted up, scaring Romeo, and tumbling onto the floor because she was still tangled in her blanket. Maru was also startled. However, she managed to get up properly and help the royal up.
The intruder scared everyone as it was five in the morning.
Demetrius answered the door with Robin still rubbing her eyes as she leaned against her bedroom’s doorframe.
“Where’s my sister?” the man at the door frantically asked. “I gotta get her!”
Bailey hobbled to the storefront, sparing a glance at Sebastian’s black hair as he was still climbing out from the basement, and squeezed by the scientist, clearly annoyed by the disturbance.
“It’s five in the morning. Couldn’t this have-”
He gripped her shoulders and lifted her, making her yelp from being plucked off the ground.
“It’s hatching, Bailey! C’mon! You gotta see this! You have to be there! Holy shit! Εκκολάπτεται! Εκκολάπτεται!”
Her stomach dropped when she realized what he meant.
“Wait! Really?! Okay, bye. Good morning! Uh, see you next time, and thanks for the dinner. Emergency back home.”
Thunder carried his sister on his shoulder and began running back down the mountain to the farm. It was still too early for them to comprehend what just happened, but it was definitely urgent. When they got to the farm, Thunder kicked the door down off his house, knocking it off its hinges, and ran over to the living room where Bailey’s kids sat. By the fireplace, the egg was sitting there, surrounded by the nest of pillows and blankets. Lyra and Lucy moved over so their mom could scoot as close as she could. The entire family waited with bated breath for the slightest movement.
That’s when they heard the slightest scratch from inside the hard shell. They all perked up and watched with intent. A tiny claw poked through with a crack before retreating back in and pushing out again to break more of the eggshell. The family watched with fascination and with awe to finally meet the youngest Greyhowl.
Bailey knew better than to rush a dragon egg hatching, but nothing could contain her pride as she watched her offspring break out more, poking a little nose out to breathe in the air around it then retreating again so it could break more. Once there was an opening large enough for their head, Eggy forced their noggin through. Bailey saw two tiny horns on top. However, they were burnt opal color and they glittered with purple when they lined up by the fire’s light, making it nearly impossible to see them with the newborn’s black hair, which was covered with albus.
They broke the shell a little bit more to wiggle an arm out, pushing themself out. Once he was half out, Bailey took a clean towel from the nest and cleaned him up.
“God, you’re here… You’re finally here.”
He stared up with the brightest green eyes, glittering with innocence as he saw his mother. Golden eyes traced over every single feature of her newborn, flickering with warmth. Despite her face of scars, no one could deny that she was absolutely starstruck. The first face he’ll ever see. Her son imprinted on his mother and was immediately at ease, cooing and reaching out to touch her face curiously.
As she held him close, she could feel every emotion hit her heart. He was her miracle child. He made the impossible possible and Bailey knew that he was going to change almost every aspect of her life.
“What are you gonna name him?” her brother asked.
Bailey softly laughed as he caressed her cheeks with tiny palms, feeling like she was home from his baby softness and magnetizing warmth. Her kids stared fondly at the new addition before glancing at their mom for an answer, wondering what he was going to be. She knew exactly what to name him.