Eye of the Storm [Solo]

Ravana was happy to spend an afternoon helping out in the creche, her daughter on her hip and a smile on her face as she dove into the organized chaos that was the Katilan Creche.  Berani was always, silent, watching the goings on around them with big solemn eyes.  Ravana was sitting in on one of the harper's lessons, making sure children paid attention, and listening to the man sing with a wistful smile on her face. 

She couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.  Her playing was good enough to plink out a basic melody on gitar or a reed pipe, but with no sense of rhythm, she was screwed for most everything else.  She loved music and wished she could make it.  When the lesson adjourned, Ravana was dismissed along with the class, opting to take her toddler outside. 

Berani was quickly bundled up, the young girl plainly happy to be wrapped up in outdoor gear when Ravana asked her if she wanted to come home and play with Ravana and Shanith.  She showed it through her instant running to get her jacket and trying to put it on.  Though she still didn't speak, she bounced around so excitedly Ravana knew.  When she left with Berani, she saw the relief on the faces of the creche workers and tipped her head.  "I know you haven't been misbehaving.  Everything okay, kiddo?"

Berani shook her head and laid her head on Ravana's shoulder.  Rubbing her back, Ravana walked with her quietly, long after when she would normally have asked Berani to walk on her own.  When Ravana made it home with her child in tow, Shanith nosed her and put in, They're after her to talk.  Saying she's too stupid to, some of the people that get chores in the creche.  I think she's getting scared and frustrated.  Ravana just squeezed her tighter and settled her child on the porch swing. 

The greenrider didn't know what to say, and went quiet a moment then spoke to her.  "Rani?"  When the dark haired girl was looking at her mother, Ravana spoke quietly, hiding the fact that it made her heart hurt.  "You take your time talking.  You make your feelings known just fine without words.  And even if you never say a word, I'll love you, and so will B'run.  The rest of the world can go screw themselves."  Ravana would worry herself to death in private over her daughter's lack of speech, but she was speaking the truth. 

The three year nodded, and Ravana offered her a smile.  "Now, I have bubbles, or we can throw a ball for some of the canines, or make pictures.  Which would you like to do?"  When her child squealed and pointed towards Terken's hut where the Canines were kept in runs, Ravana grinned.  Screw the opinions of those that didn't want to look at Berani.  Her girl communicated just fine.

As Shanith was asking Terken to bring a canine over, Ravana went inside to get the balls her daughter liked to throw for the animals.  When Terken showed with two excited canines, she was able to grin at him freely and pass Rani a ball to throw.  The toddler giggled and R'ana told her dragon silently, "I want those people's faces.  They have no right making Berani unhappy."

The green nodded and started probing Rani's memory carefully, giving R'ana images of faces that were memorized.  When she recognized one of the faces as a permanent creche worker,she felt a shaft of rage and pain pierce her heart.  She *would* have words with that worker...and everyone else that had disparaged her daughter.  If she had to she would pull her from the creche over this.

Her dark mood was interrupted by Rani offering her the ball to trade for Ravana's stick.  the greenrider made the swap and gave the ball an extra hard throw, laughing a bit as one of the puppies Terken had brought nearly tripped over themself to get it.  Slowly the stormclouds gathering in her heart dispelled, and Ravana let go to just enjoy her daughter's presence on this fine day.  The rest could wait.