[Lady Moreta]

Originally Posted by big teej

"in the name of the hammer! (oh bollocks)" or 'my dice liked me better as a DM'

Sounds fun

I actually got stuff written! Well one thing... I was going to wait til I had a bunch, but meh...

Growing Up
or I love you Mam

Spoiler

“Tela? Tela where are you?”

Mam. Mam is safe. Mam won’t try and hurt me. I stuck my head out from under my bed. No one ever looks for me there. No one realises I fit.

“Tela! There you are,” Mam sounds happy. She won’t stay that way. Not for long. She crouches down to see me. “Come out from there,” she says. I don’t want to. But I don’t argue with Mam. I crawl out, lifting my head as I do. She’ll be mad. Everyone else is mad. She hisses when she sees my face.

“Tela, what happened?” I don’t argue with Mam when she uses that tone.

“I hit Taid...” I said it quietly. Mam would be mad at me. She looks mad and she sounds mad too.

“And what did Taid do to you?”

“He hit me.” Mam stared down at me before bending down and getting onto her hands and knees.

“How many times did he hit you?” I was startled. I didn’t realise Mam could read minds. The wizard down the street can.

“Umm... it was – lots?” I’m not good with numbers. It was enough to hurt. Enough to make my nose bleed. Enough to make me angry. I don’t like being angry.

“Oh Tela..” Mam reached out and pulled me up. She looked upset. And angry. She tugged me forwards then, towards the front of the house. Before we got there, there was a loud banging on the door.

“Open up Kella!”

“We know you’re in there!”

“We want to talk to you and your spawn!”

Mam stopped so fast I ran into her. She stumbled and I grabbed the back of her dress. She shoved me backwards and followed me into the bedroom. She grabbed me and pulled me down to look at her.

“Tela, do you trust me?”

“Yes Mam,” I said. Now I was getting nervous. The voices were loud and yelling and angry.

“Good girl. Now I want to you do exactly as I tell you.” Mam hurried around the room, grabbing things and shoving them into a bag. She tiptoed into the main room and came back with food from the kitchen. She put that into the bag as well and then shoved it at me. I took it.

“Tela, my dearest girl. You have to go. It isn’t safe here any more.” Mam looked like she might cry. She reached out and touched my face. “They might have killed you...”

She helped me put my cloak on and the bag as well. Then she gave me the big walking stick.

“Listen to me child. You have to leave this place. I want you to take these things and go. Leave by the back door and go straight into the forest. You’re a strong girl, you’ll be able to find work easily enough.” Mam looked unhappy, she looked that way sometimes – when she was talking to the people she didn’t like. Telling them that they looked pretty in this dress or that tunic.

“When can I come home?” I asked, putting the bag on my shoulders.

“Oh Tela... not for a while. Not until you’re older. Wait-” Mam stopped suddenly, then started again. “Wait til you’re 20. Then come home again, if you can.”

She started shoving me towards the back door, the one that leads out to the forest.

“Kella!”

More angry voices from the front of the house. I couldn’t leave Mam alone to face them. I stopped. She seemed to know what I was thinking.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.” She smiled at me, and opened the door just a little bit. I stared outside, it was cloudy outside, probably would rain soon.

“Go Tela. Please go.” Mam was getting even more upset and I realised she was afraid. For me. That made me afraid. I would go. And then I would come back, just as Mam said. I was a good daughter. Mam said so.

“All right Mam,” I said, stepping outside. I turned back to look at her. “I love you.”