Talas had crawled out of the pool of water and was sitting on the edge waiting for Asha. She was thinking about things. She had never felt the things she had these past two nights. She had been intertwined with another’s being. She saw and felt emotions alien to her. All in the mind. Her hip leg/arms snapped into the socket on her body with a snick she felt through her body. Clearing her thoughts a little they drifted to her babies. My little ones, how many are you left? Reaching out with her thoughts she caresses each little mind she could feel. There was a gentle “cooing” in her mind as she reached out.

 Gently taking the egg sack of what was left of her babies Asha swam up and joined Talas at the edge of the pool.

Asha, how many babies are left? Talas found himself concerned as he could hear and feel Asha climb out of the water to settle next to him. The night was full and darkness swallowed all.

Many babies lost. Maybe 20 left. Will know when they come out in two more nights. I hurt Talas, I never hurt before. Why do I hurt inside.

Talas could feel the pain and loss that Asha felt inside each of her thoughts he touched. Asha, they were your babies, your children, of course you mourn the loss of them. You loved them. Talas soothed and caressed Asha’s heart and mind.

Talas, I not Love before. I no care how many live or die. I just train as many for the reaping as I can. Only 10 can be reaped. Rest die. I don’t want babies to go to reaping now. I hurt for other babies now. This love hurt. I no like it. Love for you different. It not hurt. Asha let loose a loud cry of dispar that echoed through the cave. Raw and primal were the sobs that followed. Reaching over Talas pulled her in tight. The chitin armor hard and edged. Talas didn’t care; he just held Asha as she cried tearless sobs. Asha, I love you.

 Talas held that thought not as an echo of words but as a blanket of pure caring and balm for her heart. Talas wrapped Asha in his blanket of thought soothing her mind and holding her heart gently but securely as he could. Talas reached out to the babies feeling their “cooing” he held them in that same blanket of love he suspended Asha in.

 The babies, now being comforted after suffering such an ordeal, were experiencing something new from their mother and this other creature that was not food. They were young enough for this not to be alien but it was new and welcome. Mentally they snuggled into their mother and this not food creature felt something new. Each of them in the web of thought and emotion including Asha, with Talas coming to tears with the overwhelming feeling of family, of unity, of oneness through love.

This family wrapped in darkness shared the brightness of love dancing through the forged heart Under a Dark Star.

(continued)

-d²