#nelei

[pretty0things]

Evianna Appleoak - Argodoll Nelei

[mask-knife-is-buggys-wife]

There was little that Meg treasured as much as Vaud'ti. But the bond she had with some of the female Yautja were like nothing else she'd ever had before. At first she was afraid of being scorn and unwanted, she was human afterall. Time spent with these females said otherwise.

They all respected each other, and though she didn't see them often, when she did they could even spend days together apart from the men. Sometimes it reminded her of the women only ceremony back home as a young girl.

Nelei was one of her best friends. Whether she thought of her the same or not she wasn't sure, until the day she suddenly died. A female dying during childbirth was not common, they survived much but this was one of the few things that would force a female into rest. Unfortunately that day would not allow rest.

Too much tearing of her inner organs and complications happened at once, Meg had been grabbing more numbing leaves, her eye for medicine making her very useful. A sudden shrill shriek beyond the normal pain made her stumble and immediately run back to her.

"NELEI-"

Falling to her knees beside her she tried to apply more numbing salve but she was immediately pulled away from her attempt by Nelei's grasp.

"No-"

Meg tried to pull back desperate to continue to try, unable to accept what she was seeing.

"Just let me-"

Nelei growled louder forcing her to attention back to her,

"NO-"

Megs head snapped up to meet her gaze, fighting tears as a weak human would, but Nelei did not care. Even now as the pain threatened to make her black out, she spoke with levelness, knowing this had to matter.

"Me...g."

It was not often she was referred to by her human name. Many gave her others more suited, or even just teasing nicknames. Slowly her hand came up and without word Meg grasped in firmly, Nelei blinked slowly and spoke,

"Raise him."

She gasped out loud in response unable to hold by a choking sob but she didn't dare interrupt, Nelei wheezed and continued on as her young finally fell loose from her body,

"Make him into a fine....warrior..."

Meg nodded fast while squeezing her hand as tightly as possible trying to listen and respect her words. Nelei gazed at the strange human that had come into their lives and taught them more than they knew. She trusted her with her life. And her son.

With a loud final cry, as if demanding death to earn her, Nelei roared into the air as her pup fell into waiting hands. The bellow shook the room before she fell back into the nest and muttered again,

"He is....yours....friend."

Meg sat in silence for only a moment before crying back trying to honor her last battle cry. Screaming back at the death that had taken her friend. And as she did the pup that had fluids pulled from its mouth let out its first shriek.

She didn't get time to process, the brutality had to be shared, honoring her sacrifice. The baby started to cry, declaring itself to the world. Accepting the babe in her arms that even freshly born felt rough and jagged.

She pressed it into her embrace and touched her head to his, sharing in his cries.

[kalionvisuell]

Nelei Deirea in einer Zeichnung von Hanspeter Ludwig. (http://kalion.de)