oh my Dearest
they will eat you alive
“Mama...” She said in a sleepy voice, cuddling in closer to the warmth of her skin, “Tell me the story.”
Her mother smiled, curving her face in to places kisses on her eyelashes which made the child giggle. “The one of the mother gypsy? Again?” And Dearest nodded eagerly. The golden woman gave a dramatic sigh, one she had made many times before. “Okay, once more before bed, my truest love. Settle in.”
“There was once a beautiful girl born into a world of darkness. A girl with eyes made from the sun itself. They were so bright that her parents hid her away, fearful that someone would seek to steal that light. And, as with all things that are precious, someone did come to steal it. The first suitor, who had seen her dancing through a window, was a large and selfish man who fed on the needs of other. The second suitor, who had heard her singing from her porch in the dark, was small and sly and willing to do horrible things. The third suitor, who had teased her when they were children and often snuck to her room, was the only thing as beautiful as she and the one that she loved. She accepted the third suitor’s proposal against the wishes of her parent and this caused much anger. The first suitor came to take what he could not earn, fueled by jealousy and greed. He forced the beautiful girl to go with him to his cold house made of stones, the tip of his horn pressed to her betrothed's neck. She was kept locked away until the night of the union ceremony. There, in front of them all, she drank from the wine glass, and quickly started to choke as her throat swelled. Her second suitor was a jealous man as well, but not near as strong as the first. If he could not have her light, he would rather see her never shine again. It was the third suitor who ran forward to hold her as she laid there dying. He prayed for his life to end as well, for it to be given to the one that he loved. It was The Moon who answered, moved by this raw emotion and the life of the child that neither knew existed yet inside the girl. It took his breath as he wished, peeling the poison from within as it placed the energy into her chest, changing her into the Mother Gypsy. But The Moon was not done. It gathered up the demi-god and others pure of heart, cursing those who remained behind, guiding them to this island, a place made for those too bright for that forsaken land. Her true love’s soul became one with the sun, causing it to once again rise. It is a gift that we ar-”
Her words trailed off as she noticed the soft snores of her daughter. She watched her for a moment, so little and fragile, before closing her eyes to find sleep herself, “Good night, my Dearest.”
She had grown up never knowing what it feels like to truly need something. She was the youngest daughter of the head of their clan, gypsies who moved around on their island with the changing of the seasons. It was a place that no one visited and no one left. Dearest was happy to simply cause mischief and tease the boys for the first couple years of her life. She learned her skills from the best on the island, throwing herself into music and dance, but her mother would always catch her looking out across the ocean. This started to cause tension. The young mare, now 2, wanted to go off on her own and was forbidden. It was against their laws and lore to return to the forsaken land, but as the fights continued to escalate, her mother could deny her no longer. The shaman tied bells in her curls, saying the sound would drive off negativity and the impure. Her mother placed an amulet around her neck; gold and sleek, with a chunk of obsidian inserted into the metal that was etched with an image of the moon and sun. And off she went, to find her own way. Her mother waited until she was out of sight to start crying, something Dearest was grateful for. Had she seen the tears, she may have never made it off that island and to Novus.