Яikyn

He’s there like I’d hoped he’d be, along with his wicked looking dog. I don’t know his companion as well as I’ve come to know young Kyst, and from first glances, this hound is older than momma’s griffon by some length and thus earns a bit more tact from me, though as ever, my youthful interest in what he is and how he functions is keen.

It brings a smile to my lips as well as my sire puts aside his work and strides through the summer grasses towards me, my pace increasing to a bouncy and swift trot to quickly seal the distance between our two bodies. Momma is right – I am very obviously his, from the strange, linear markings that are etched into our black bodies to the metallic sheen of our eyes. I can only hope I grow as tall and strong as he is, or half as intelligent.

While our time together has been limited, I know he watches me – without intruding, of course, but his eyes still find me wherever I may be. I can tell from the limited amount of interaction between he and mother that our family is not a traditional one where both parents cling to one another and feed each other love, but rather a strange presentation of a family; my sire lingers on the distance with his brilliant machines and my dam controls (or seeks to) everything with her hot, molten stare and sharp tongue, and even though we are not average in comparison to the other families on the mountain, I trust them and feel secure in our union – even if it is not always obvious.

I fold into his embrace of greeting, finding a strange surge of comfort in the rough touch of the stallion’s lips against my fluffy ridge of mane, finally long enough to make its first feeble attempts at flopping down and laying flat against my neck – though most rides the wind and bobs like a rooster’s crown with each step. Dad’s words make me feel slightly embarrassed and giddy on the inside, a strange mix of emotions that I try and hide under a cool, collected exterior, though my lips flicker in a delighted smile and my eyes burn happily beneath his complements. I don’t know what to say back other than to butt my nose into him and lean more fully into his greeting, my tail twitching with pleasure behind me.

"I have no lessons today," I say when asked why I’m here; unlike when I’d met Uncle Torleik, I was actually not an escaped vagabond this afternoon, "I thought maybe we could spend a day together instead of playing with Aithniel and Erebos." I pause and smile, not sure if dad knows either of them but sure he has at least seen the pair while watching me – I have found love in my heart for my adopted sister and Erebos is just the right sort of guy to spend my afternoons with when Aithniel is busy with… winged girl things.

"Oh!" I add, pulling away in the wriggling way children do everything, excitement burning like star fire in my face and eyes, "I met Uncle Torleik! He was very tall."

@[Ulrik]

in every heart a hole