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Description

A commission done for me by ginailustra

**************************************************************************

7/28/2235
Nlia
City of Khasha
The L’Naym residence

Three year old D’Ray Torash quietly made her way through the house on her self appointed mission.

Normally family visits were happy, but this visit had been very different. Since coming both of her parents had been tense and upset. Her mother, who usually always had a smile on her face, hadn’t smiled once. Also, while they had come to visit Aunt Kalii and Uncle Farseen, neither of them had come out of their room. Even more frustrating, her parents had told her that she had a new baby cousin, but there'd been no sign of her either. Unable to contain her curiosity any more, D'Ray had decided to take matters into her own hands.

She'd had to wait until late at night when there would be less alert eyes; all day the L'Naym home had been crowded with relatives and friends. But now it was finally quiet. Her parents had retired to one of the guest rooms, but she knew at any moment one of them might try to check on her, so she had to hurry.

Ahead she spotted her destination.

Trying to be as quiet as possible she made her way over to the closed door of her aunt and uncle’s room. Very carefully she opened it a tiny crack....

Abruptly the door was pulled open and a startled face gazed down at her. “D’Ray!” Farseen L’Naym exclaimed. "What are you, doing?"

D'Ray tried to explain. “I wanted to see the baby.”

Her uncle's face grew stern. “D’Ray, you know that you’re not supposed to be in here.”

“Beloved?" a voice D'ray recognized as her aunt's called softly from the bed. "Beloved, what is it?”

Her aunt's normally strong, vibrant voice was weak and her breath raspy. D'Ray knew that It was because of something called Lungarus Syndrome. Back at home she'd overheard her parents saying it to each other when they hadn't known she was listening. Aunt Kalii had gotten sick with it during the last three months of her pregnancy but although it had weakened her terribly, it hadn’t hurt her baby which, according to her parents, she had been terrified of. Three months in the hospital hadn't helped her get better and two days after her child’s birth, she had insisted on leaving.

“She said the only reason she stayed in the hospital was to make sure the baby was safe,” D'Ray had heard her mother say to her father. 'Now she wants to spend her last days in her own home.”

D’Ray had wondered what ‘last days’ where.

“What is it?” Kalii called again.

“Your niece decided to visit,” Farseen replied.

"I've always enjoyed visitors. Come here, D'Ray," Kalii called.

D’Ray slowly made her way towards the bed. “I wanted to see the baby,” she said softly.
“Mother said I had a new cousin. But I haven’t gotten to see her yet.”

“I see.” Kalii’s weak whisper sounded nothing at all like her usual musical voice. There was a shifting
and then she pulled back the blankets covering her, revealing a wrapped bundle at her side.
“Come closer, little one.”

D’Ray did so, noting how odd her aunt looked with a breathing mask over her nose and mouth and tubes sticking in her arm.
She also noticed that her aunt was bald; her once lovely hair had all fallen out.

She heard a faint mewling sound and as she drew near she saw the newborn’s face amid a wrap of blankets.

“Here’s your new cousin," Kalii whispered. "My little Shylea. Isn’t she beautiful?”

“yes she is,” Farseen said. “And her mother needs to rest.”

D’Ray turned her attention to her uncle. There were dark circles beneath his eyes and his voice was strained.

There were footsteps in the hall outside and moments later, Brimyl Ryleth entered the room.
“D’Ray…” she began. Then she looked at Farseen, expression apologetic. "I'm sorry, Farseen.
I should have known that she'd try something like this."

“You’ve seen your cousin,” Farseen nudged D’Ray toward her mother. “It's time for you to go.”

D’Ray let her mother collect her without protest. Brimyl took her by her shoulders and began to usher her from the room.

“Sister. Wait.” Everyone looked at Kalii who was struggling to sit up. “D’Ray, come back here for a moment.”

D’Ray felt her both her mother's and uncle's puzzlement and curiosity as she slowly made her way back
towards the bed.

"Closer. Come to my side of the bed." Slowly, with great effort, Kalii remoted the head section of her side
of the bed upwards so that she was sitting up. Then, coughing painfully, she removed the mask from her face.

D’Ray noticed for the first time how gaunt her aunt looked and how darkly shadowed and sunken her
eyes had become.

Kalii held up her swaddled infant again. “My daughter will need a friend, D’Ray," she whispered.
"All children know both joy and sorrow and she will too. She will have her father to help her…But I…”

She paused, choked down a sob and then took a breath. “Will you be a special friend to my daughter, D’Ray?
Will you help take care of her?”

“Of course she will.” Brimyl’s voice was choked. D’Ray looked at her mother and was startled to see that
she was crying. “You’ll help take care of your cousin, won’t you, D'Ray?”

D’Ray once again faced her aunt and nodded solemnly. “Yes, Aunt Kalii. I’ll help take care of her. I promise.”

Exhausted Kalii lay back. “Thank you, D'Ray,” she whispered as she gave her niece a grateful smile.
"Thank you."

“She has to rest,” Farseen murmured as he gently replaced his lifemate’s mask and stroked her bald head.
He had tears in his eyes.

Brimyl collected her daughter and slipped out the door, closing it behind them.

She ushered D’Ray through the house and out the back door to the small courtyard that separated the main
house from the guest sections. "You mustn’t sneak out like that again, D’Ray,” she said quietly.
“And do not go in to your aunt and uncle’s room again without permission.”

“Yes, Mother,” D’Ray whispered.
She looked up at the night sky and as she did so she noticed a shooting star streaking overheard as if sealing
a promise made to a dying mother.
************************************************************************
CHARACTERS
Kalii Ryleth

Shylea L'Naym

D'Ray Torash

Mentioned
Farseen LNaym

Brimyl Ryleth

Description

A commission done for me by ginailustra

**************************************************************************

7/28/2235
Nlia
City of Khasha
The L’Naym residence

Three year old D’Ray Torash quietly made her way through the house on her self appointed mission.

Normally family visits were happy, but this visit had been very different. Since coming both of her parents had been tense and upset. Her mother, who usually always had a smile on her face, hadn’t smiled once. Also, while they had come to visit Aunt Kalii and Uncle Farseen, neither of them had come out of their room. Even more frustrating, her parents had told her that she had a new baby cousin, but there'd been no sign of her either. Unable to contain her curiosity any more, D'Ray had decided to take matters into her own hands.

She'd had to wait until late at night when there would be less alert eyes; all day the L'Naym home had been crowded with relatives and friends. But now it was finally quiet. Her parents had retired to one of the guest rooms, but she knew at any moment one of them might try to check on her, so she had to hurry.

Ahead she spotted her destination.

Trying to be as quiet as possible she made her way over to the closed door of her aunt and uncle’s room. Very carefully she opened it a tiny crack....

Abruptly the door was pulled open and a startled face gazed down at her. “D’Ray!” Farseen L’Naym exclaimed. "What are you, doing?"

D'Ray tried to explain. “I wanted to see the baby.”

Her uncle's face grew stern. “D’Ray, you know that you’re not supposed to be in here.”

“Beloved?" a voice D'ray recognized as her aunt's called softly from the bed. "Beloved, what is it?”

Her aunt's normally strong, vibrant voice was weak and her breath raspy. D'Ray knew that It was because of something called Lungarus Syndrome. Back at home she'd overheard her parents saying it to each other when they hadn't known she was listening. Aunt Kalii had gotten sick with it during the last three months of her pregnancy but although it had weakened her terribly, it hadn’t hurt her baby which, according to her parents, she had been terrified of. Three months in the hospital hadn't helped her get better and two days after her child’s birth, she had insisted on leaving.

“She said the only reason she stayed in the hospital was to make sure the baby was safe,” D'Ray had heard her mother say to her father. 'Now she wants to spend her last days in her own home.”

D’Ray had wondered what ‘last days’ where.

“What is it?” Kalii called again.

“Your niece decided to visit,” Farseen replied.

"I've always enjoyed visitors. Come here, D'Ray," Kalii called.

D’Ray slowly made her way towards the bed. “I wanted to see the baby,” she said softly.
“Mother said I had a new cousin. But I haven’t gotten to see her yet.”

“I see.” Kalii’s weak whisper sounded nothing at all like her usual musical voice. There was a shifting
and then she pulled back the blankets covering her, revealing a wrapped bundle at her side.
“Come closer, little one.”

D’Ray did so, noting how odd her aunt looked with a breathing mask over her nose and mouth and tubes sticking in her arm.
She also noticed that her aunt was bald; her once lovely hair had all fallen out.

She heard a faint mewling sound and as she drew near she saw the newborn’s face amid a wrap of blankets.

“Here’s your new cousin," Kalii whispered. "My little Shylea. Isn’t she beautiful?”

“yes she is,” Farseen said. “And her mother needs to rest.”

D’Ray turned her attention to her uncle. There were dark circles beneath his eyes and his voice was strained.

There were footsteps in the hall outside and moments later, Brimyl Ryleth entered the room.
“D’Ray…” she began. Then she looked at Farseen, expression apologetic. "I'm sorry, Farseen.
I should have known that she'd try something like this."

“You’ve seen your cousin,” Farseen nudged D’Ray toward her mother. “It's time for you to go.”

D’Ray let her mother collect her without protest. Brimyl took her by her shoulders and began to usher her from the room.

“Sister. Wait.” Everyone looked at Kalii who was struggling to sit up. “D’Ray, come back here for a moment.”

D’Ray felt her both her mother's and uncle's puzzlement and curiosity as she slowly made her way back
towards the bed.

"Closer. Come to my side of the bed." Slowly, with great effort, Kalii remoted the head section of her side
of the bed upwards so that she was sitting up. Then, coughing painfully, she removed the mask from her face.

D’Ray noticed for the first time how gaunt her aunt looked and how darkly shadowed and sunken her
eyes had become.

Kalii held up her swaddled infant again. “My daughter will need a friend, D’Ray," she whispered.
"All children know both joy and sorrow and she will too. She will have her father to help her…But I…”

She paused, choked down a sob and then took a breath. “Will you be a special friend to my daughter, D’Ray?
Will you help take care of her?”

“Of course she will.” Brimyl’s voice was choked. D’Ray looked at her mother and was startled to see that
she was crying. “You’ll help take care of your cousin, won’t you, D'Ray?”

D’Ray once again faced her aunt and nodded solemnly. “Yes, Aunt Kalii. I’ll help take care of her. I promise.”

Exhausted Kalii lay back. “Thank you, D'Ray,” she whispered as she gave her niece a grateful smile.
"Thank you."

“She has to rest,” Farseen murmured as he gently replaced his lifemate’s mask and stroked her bald head.
He had tears in his eyes.

Brimyl collected her daughter and slipped out the door, closing it behind them.

She ushered D’Ray through the house and out the back door to the small courtyard that separated the main
house from the guest sections. "You mustn’t sneak out like that again, D’Ray,” she said quietly.
“And do not go in to your aunt and uncle’s room again without permission.”

“Yes, Mother,” D’Ray whispered.
She looked up at the night sky and as she did so she noticed a shooting star streaking overheard as if sealing
a promise made to a dying mother.
************************************************************************
CHARACTERS
Kalii Ryleth

Shylea L'Naym

D'Ray Torash

Mentioned
Farseen LNaym

Brimyl Ryleth