I Don't Like it

"Talisen was coming by to pay respects to one of my mates, his brother in arms. I asked if he had seen you and he explained what happened." Meriwether smiled and waved all three of them inside. Xia was hesitant but carried the basket in, and set it on the floor near the fire. 

"I will go now. Be safe, Adalyn and be safe little Glen." He smirked and tapped the little boy on the nose. The younger boy looked up at him a bit starry eyed then hid behind Adalyn. 

"We will. Thank you again, Xia. I appreciate you." Adalyn spoke gently and every word was true. Xia smiled, his ears turning pink as he nodded at Meriwether and turned to leave. Talisen let a low warning growl out and found a hand bop across his nose. The three conscious adults and the child all looked at Adalyn who looked annoyed. "I'm sorry. I mistook you for a manner less dog and acted accordingly." 

"Adalyn… I… think you misunderstand what's going on. You see Xia didn't have Ry's permission to enter the territory and Talisen was warning him to remember the rules."  Meriwether replied and Adalyn frowned. She was having a hard time wrapping her mind around it all. However, one point was glaringly obvious.

"I see. However, I was not invited in either. If anything you should be asking me to leave as well." Adalyn pointed out as she began unpacking the basket a bit. She was mainly taking out the herbs she had got for Ry, everything else was being reorganized into her bag. 

"You are a female. That's a different point entirely." Talisen replied rubbing his reddened nose a bit. She nearly broke it with her slap. 

"No. It isn't." Adalyn replied handing the herbs to Meriwether. "Thank you for your friendship." She turned and took little Glen's hand. Meriwether watched at a loss for words as Adalyn took the boy to leave. Those words had seemed so much like a final goodbye that her heart began to speed up in panic.

"Xia can you help me find shelter for the night? I will build a more permanent one tomorrow since I am not welcome here." Adalyn asked with an apologetic smile. She really hated having to ask for help so much. He looked surprised and nodded. 

"I can, Adalyn but it's probably best you stay here. Its safer and the smell of a dominant male will keep most the riff raff away." He told her a bit concerned. Talisen nodded his approval at this suggestion and Meriwether nodded vigorously. 

"You are welcome here, Adalyn. I'm sorry you feel your not. Please, stay." Meriwether all but pleaded and Adalyn looked conflicted. Her hand still held Glen's in her palm. The little boy pressed his cheek to her hand gently as if trying to comfort her. 

"Look, I don't mince words. I don't talk too flowery and honestly I don't really care what you think of me. I have my principles and currently, I feel like I can't deal with your laws and rules. At least in my own place, I can have control of my rules." Adalyn replied as she turned to walk Glen out. 

"Adalyn, it isn't safe. I apologize if I offended you." Talisen offered realizing he had just caused a major issue. This female… she really wasn't like the rest. However, he doubted she would be able to survive alone. He felt a bit guilty now, despite being in the right. 

"Hey… please don't leave here because of me." Xia whispered looking a bit pale. There were creatures in the forest that he knew she couldn't face. He would protect her but she was safest here, with a Predatory Male. 

"I am leaving because I have a young son now, and Talisen obviously objected to me saving him at the river. Now he growls at you over a stupid law when your back is turned. Then Meri defended him like it's okay. How can none of you see that this is not okay? A helpful gesture should not be met with punishment. Else how do I know Ry won't kill me when he wakes up? Or take offense to my son after I heal him? I am new here… and to be Frank I don't like it here not one bit." Adalyn replied as she picked up Glen into her arms and hugged him like a teddy bear. The boy allowed himself to be hugged and patted her back with both his tiny hands a bit awkwardly. 

"You worry too much. Ry wouldn't do something like that. Just stay till he wakes up. Xia is free to come and go just please don't leave me yet. I can't do this on my own." Meriwether all but begged. Adalyn's heart softened. "This isn't Talisen's house and if Ryan gets upset, then I will protect you and Glen." 

Adalyn fought within herself for several moments, her tension was clear but everyone waited. She could be given time to make some sort of decision. Finally, she looked down at Glen and realized they needed to be safe tonight. She could figure out things later, once he had a good night's sleep. "Xia… thank you for everything. If I need further assistance I will find you. Thank you for being so good to me. She can't do this alone and I… I will have to wait a few days before I can rely on just myself." Adalyn replied finally caving in. Her temper mostly spent now and she was honestly annoyed with her own behavior. Dramatic. All the stress and uncertainty was making her behave irrationally. 

"Good, I will see you again soon then." Xia smiled at her then dashed out not wanting to give her a chance to change her mind. He didn't want to leave. Deep down he knew he needed to become stronger. He had no illusion of his worth or prowess, but he could help her, in his own way. Xia scampered off, unable to stop himself from casting a glance back at her. His heart skipped a beat when he realized she was still looking toward him. Perhaps? No he was better not thinking like that. 

Adalyn set Glen down and settled her things against the wall. She wasn't sure she was doing the right thing here. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and felt her body change. Softly muscles formed and twisted into its new shape. The tail grew and coiled loosely beneath her. She was calm again, and smiled at Glen who seemed curious about her tail. She wrapped him in it gently and pat his little head. The little boy hugged her tail as it lifted him up lightly. 

"Ahem… I think there may be a misunderstanding between you and I." Talisen began but then stopped as Adalyn turned to him. Her serpentine body and the slight electric sparks of power in her eyes took his breath away for a moment. He was shocked to see her serpentine form. The feathers at the end of her tail drew his attention. She was clearly annoyed with him but that didn't affect her stunning appearance, and honestly made his heart uneasy. 

"Oh? I should hope so. Otherwise I'll be forced to simply avoid you." Adalyn replied still a bit salty with him. She wasn't sure she could forgive someone who tried to stop her from rescuing little Glen. If he wanted to continue, she would listen but she would not bridge that gap herself. 

 Instead of wasting time on him, she turned to Ry whose color had improved tremendously. Her interest was peaked as she began looking him over, noting some of the superficial damage was already healed. The bones were setting and what she thought would be months in healing may only be a month or so. "Excellent." 

"Is it good? Will he wake soon?" Meriwether asked her voice filled with hope as she moved past the otherwise ignored Talisen. Glen sat down by Adalyn's things, as if determined not to be forgotten if she changed her mind and wanted to leave. 

"Yes. It seems the only reason he hasn't yet is the medicine I gave him. Let's let him rest a while longer, then we can wake him." Adalyn replied as she moved to her bag of spoils and sat across from Glen. She pulled the leather scraps from the bag and began cutting and slotting them together to make longer strands. Glen watched curiously sitting close as she watched the strands join to make a longer strand. 

"I didn't try to stop you from rescuing Glen because I wanted to. I was trying to keep you from witnessing a mother murder her child. Without a mate you will struggle to raise that child. I didn't want you to save him only for him to be forced to die of starvation or being eaten in the wild." Talisen explained and Adalyn tried to have an open mind. Their rules were so different from her own homeland… and it was going to take time to change it. Not to mention he was right, it would be hard to raise him herself. She didn't care. A child deserves a home. Glen helped her coil that strand as she started on yet another strand of leather cord. 

"I… think I understand. Is this practice common?" Adalyn asked looking up from the bit of leather she was slicing into tiny strips. A second length of chord joining the first for Glen to tidy. Adalyn moved quickly and with deft little fingers. Slice, slot pull through, slice slot pull through a perfect rhythm. 

"In bigger clans. The smaller ones still regard every birth as a new member of the clan and most people dislike the practice in large clans but have become used to it." Meriwether offered and Talisen nodded supporting her claim. Adalyn continued her practice, soon three strips lay beside her. 

"Alright. I… I think I see why you tried to stop me. Let me say this though, I respect your culture Talisen, but I will not be held back from doing what I believe is right. I will bear the responsibility, but I will not stand by and allow evil to be done." Adalyn told him meeting his eyes with the fire in her heart. "I serve the Goddess Mother, Lady of Spring and the God that Provides, the Hunter. I will not bend to the heartless or a man who fails to see right from wrong." 

"Fair enough." Talisen replied shaking his head slowly. "There's a chance you may have to fight for your right to him again." 

"Oh? What do you mean?" Adalyn asked her curiosity pricked as she finished off another six foot length. 

"She may ask the clan to reclaim Glen from you. I don't see that woman just letting you have him. She will reclaim him under some pretense and he will disappear as all her other 'disappointing' children have."  He was careful to exaggerate that word, and make it clear those were her words not his. He didn't want to start a new misunderstanding when he had just escaped the first one between them. 

"Oh? Really? Do your people obey the laws of the Goddess Mother?" Adalyn asked glancing a little Glen who looked quite nervous. She was pretty sure the boy knew exactly what happened to disappointing children as he put it. That caused her stomach to burn with annoyance. 

"Of course, we can not afford to disobey the Goddess again." He replied and Adalyn chuckled. She had a hunch from the magic that replenished her while she slept that Lady Mother here was the same as Lady Mother back home. That could be… even if not she might acknowledge the rite anyway. 

She turned to Glen and set the last few strips aside. "Then I have no choice." Adalyn spoke with a bit of a steely edge to her voice. Glen's expression fell as he looked at his little hands. He would be done for next time. The memory of the water filling his lungs washed over him again. "Glen, will you agree to truly become my son?" 

He froze for a moment; two adorable eyes snapped up to her. He nodded enthusiastically and held his arms out to her. Adalyn set her tools aside and scooped him up. "Then it's settled. We will handle this before they can cause trouble." 

"What are you going to do?" Meriwether asked honestly curious as she stared at the pair. She honestly wasn't sure what could be done without a male to protect them. 

"I am going to stand on the teachings of my Goddess and protect the Son placed in my hands." Adalyn replied, the magic in her body hummed in agreement.