The day papa and maman told us the news, we were joyful- all of us. Maman glowed the entire time, bright enough to illuminate the room that night. Papa spilled over his words with a hasty eagerness that a child would possess.

   That night as we retired to bed, we could still hear maman and papa's fluttery, chattering voices whisper to one another like young lovers.

   In our bed, we whispered quietly amongst ourselves on the stirring news.

   "We should name her Desyana, like the famous princess that Blytas Bedlam meets on one of his adventures." Erinna giggled.

   "No, we should name her Shyeva," I interjected. "After the ancient healing priestess who lived in the far western region that Uncle Lenord talked about."

   "It's Lenord Yunu." Erinna chided me.

   Before I could retort, Feria spoke up, 'tsking' at the two of us.

   "We don't know whether it will be a boy or girl. And the naming decision will be maman's and papa's to make."

    "We know, but it's fun imagining what she could be named," I replied.

    In the dark, across from me, I could see a flash of white in the moonlight, telling me she was smiling despite her words. We smiled back, lowering our voices as not to disturb our parents.

   "What name do you like, Feria?"

   She turned on her back, staring up at the ceiling in thoughts, pondering thoughtfully before facing us again with her same smile.

   "Asim if it is a boy, Esalsi if it's a girl."

   "Where would she sleep once she's born?" Erinna asked.

   "Not in here," Feria wrinkled her nose. "Surely near papa and maman's bed to be taken care of more easily."

   "What if it's a boy?" I said suddenly, startled by the idea.

   "And if it is?" Feria replied, not understanding my shock.

   "We've never had a brother. What would he be like? How would it be different?"

   She shrugged but remained positive.

   "I don't know."

   "She'll be really young. We'll have to protect her and watch over her, right?" Erinna asked with a yawn.

   "Yes, we will." Feria nodded.

   "Why do you keep calling it a she? We don't know what it will be." I questioned.

   Erinna enjoyed talking with us, but she was not one to endure the night. Her eyes were heavy laden with sleep and she rubbed her eyes sluggishly.

   "Because I want it to be a girl. No boys."

    We both knew her demand was humorous seeing how there was common chance it could be either male or female. We let her have her ways, though, as she finally drifted into sleep. Feria and I quieted down soon after, the sound of crickets chirping outside the only noise aside from Erinna's soft wheezing.

    I started fading into sleep when I was woken by a poking in my shoulder. Turning to face my side, I was surprised to see my sister's hazel eyes staring back at me.

   "Did I disturb you?" She asked, her voice even lower than when it was the three of us talking; she didn't want to rouse Erinna who slept between us.

   "No. What's wrong?"

   She glanced down at the pillow then back up at me. "Nothing."

   We watched each other for a few seconds, neither of us says a word. I finally broke the silence- usually the first to do so.

   "Are you happy about the news?"

   "Of course. And you?"

   "Very."

   Another wave of silence engulfed us for a minute or so before she propped herself up on her elbow, leading me to do the same. Oftentimes, papa said we shared the same smile. "Just take it off one and give it to the other, you'd never figure out the difference." It stood true that night.

   "You know what's the first song I'm going to sing when she, or he, arrives?" She asked eagerly.

   "What?"

   "The one papa used to sing for me when I was little. Ode of the Golden Lamb."

   "Ode of the Golden Lamb? What's that?"

   "Maman sang it to you, but you were very little."

   "I don't remember."

   "Of course you wouldn't, but I do."

   I sat up a little more, frowning. "How does it go?"

   She straightened up as well. There was never a time I remember that she would have to clear her throat before singing. Her voice was as smooth as songbird's and as delicate as the wings of a hummingbird.

   "I sing to you a song, older than our kingdom, of a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow. This little lamb with wool so thick would make his master rich. His fleece of white so radiant it shone in dim moonlight's rays."

   The tune sounded familiar, but I didn't know the words until the end when I finally, with excited remembrance, joined in with my soft voice.

   "Listen every wise man, listen every sage, incline even the fool, for over the meadow you can hear the faintest sound of the golden lamb who fleece was once white as snow."

   We smiled at each other but quickly laid back down when we heard stirring from the other room. When no one stood in the entryway, we peeked open our eyes to look at each other, a small grin on our faces. We said our goodnights and let sleep come.

   Though it was just a feeling, issued from an unknown place, I felt as though Feria had already formed a bond with our unborn sibling. It was a strange thought to have, but the feeling was there. It faded eventually, along with maman and papa's joy.

It was unusual when I came home from Minryn, who was feeling ill that day, to find maman already there, hunched over in a chair. Her hair was pinned up like she usual had it, but I noticed a slight tremor in her body as I approached with confusion.

   "Maman?"

   Her eyes looked up from the earth barren floor at me. They were not the warm, confident ones I was accustomed to seeing, but rather empty, tear-filled wells that threatened to spill over at any given second. I'd never seen her in such a state. I became fearful of her behavior.

   She had been clutching the apron of her dress, which told me she was at work in town but came home in a rush.

   "Maman?" I croaked. "What's wrong, maman?"

   The only gesture, the only response she gave me was a slight, numb shake of her head in a weary, tired motion, then she resumed her blank vigil of the floor.

  I was about to question her again, stepping closer, but Feria had just returned in a hurry from outside, quickly going over to maman's side, telling me to step aside. I remained close, though, as she knelt next to maman with a pail of water from the well and a rag.

  "Feria? What's wrong with maman?" I asked, troubled.

  She had lifted the skirt of maman's dress up slightly and rung out the rag, concentrated on a set, designated task.

   When she didn't respond to me, I questioned her once more, which resulted in her quickly turning her head in my direction and her voice stern as an old dame.

   "Aelita, not now. Go outside and mind to Erinna, keep her and yourself out of trouble."

   Sharply, she returned to her task of lifting up maman's dress and wiping down her legs. I was taken aback. Never had my sister talked to me with such a sharp tongue, so I understood the situation to be grave.

   My speculations were correct. As I reluctantly obeyed her commands, passing maman, I could see a thick trail of blood with thick clots running down her legs. Feria was hastily wiping away the blood.

   I said nothing more and quickly retreated outside to find my younger sister. Erinna, though it seemed she didn't know what was occurring, didn't ask as many questions as I had when I first arrived.

   We kept occupied caring for the chickens and cleaning out the new coop papa had recently built. It was a little while before we were allowed by Feria back into the house. When we had entered, maman was hunched over the hearth, fueling the fire for supper. The scene appeared the familiar, domestic scene we usually had, but throughout the afternoon a heavy, unsettling silence suffocated us. Maman never said a word, only uttering a half-hearted command for one of us to follow.

   The dampened mood was only peaked momentarily by the arrival of papa from the field. He came in grinning, beaming like he had for the past few months. When he entered the threshold, though, he could feel the wave of dread pass over and his smiling faltered briefly before trying to recover. He greeted us first with elated salutations, but when he went over to maman, embracing her from behind, I saw the same crushing expression come over her face again as she looked at him and whispered softly in his ear.

   The smile on his face vanished. He looked frozen, not reacting at all. Maman buried her face in his shoulder and I saw her body tremble for a minute as papa lightly held her- though it seemed papa was the one threatening to shatter. After their sadden embrace, maman resumed cooking supper, just about finished with the table set, but papa excused himself just before we could sit down to eat.

   That night was the most solemn the house had ever experienced- as well as in bed with my sisters. Feria was eerily quiet and even Erinna remained mute. My mind merely raced, continually fleeing into whatever blank space it could find.

The next morning was a slight improvement upon the mood simply due to the fact that the wounds of grief weren't as fresh.

   Maman remained a bit aloof, leaving for town later than normal, but departing nonetheless. Papa was gone, already in the fields. It seemed as though life continued, but not with the same amount of joy there was before. It appeared all our joy had been drained from us.

   My sisters and I completed our chores in the silence that was brought over from yesterday. I felt uneasy and discomforted by it.

   As time drew near for me to begin my trek to town I didn't want to go. It was extremely peculiar for me to shy away from lessons, but after yesterday and the disappointment that clung in the air then, I felt it unwise of me to leave.

   Feria noticed my presence still and looked at me confused.

   "You better get to town before it becomes too late." She warned me.

   "I'm not going today, I want to stay home."

   She appeared about to argue with me on this matter, but instead closed her mouth, letting a thin, pressed frown cross her face. Her eyes glanced over to where Erinna sat at the bench, quietly practicing her knitting.

   After a moment of deliberation, she stopped me from retreating to our room and looked over at Erinna.

   "Let's play a game of sorts."

   She immediately had Erinna's attention with the word game. I was a bit more hesitant and confused about where she was going with this. She even wore a slight impish grin as she said it.

   "What game?" Erinna questioned, getting up from the bench.

   Quick as a fly, Feria raced out of the house, startling us both. As she ran, she called back to the two of us in a light-hearted taunt,

   "You have to catch me then I'll tell you what the game is."

   The two of us, bewildered by this unusual behavior, shared a look before hurrying out the house but not pursuing her fully. It was only as we stood outside and watched her bound merrily into the light forest did our childish nature return back to us. She turned around and motioned for us to follow.

   "Well, don't you want to know the game I've planned?"

   With one more exchanged glance between the two of us, Erinna and I bolted after our older sister, who smiled as we began to catch up, starting to run again.

   Our feet were unprotected since the weather was warm enough for lack of footwear, though occasionally a twig or sharp object would cut our feet. We didn't care at that point. We were young mares, wild and carefree.

   We eventually caught up with our older sister, who glanced back at us grinning widely. We returned her gleeful expression and pushed forward, her leading the way.

   The sun beamed brightly through the sparse treetops, golden rays like our stepping stones, leading the way to a haven. Previously, being inside the house, I could not hear the chattering of animals amongst themselves, the quarrels of nature's neighbors, or the songs of the forest that the wind participated in, but as I ran with my sister, barefoot, feeling the thick, cushy moss between my scrapped underfoot, I knew the forest was brimming with life.

   Feria led the way, her thick, shiny hair of precious gold bouncing as she nimbly turned every corner and hopped gracefully over every fallen tree in the way. I let Erinna run two steps ahead, a face of youthfulness and zeal to her. Her hair swished in her two long braids of bronze; her hair was always lighter in the summer season. Even with the scrapes on her feet, she pushed forward, uncharacteristically ignoring the pain. I pulled up the rear, running along side my sisters with a determined face of pride. My braid slapped against my back as I race, my eyes fixed on the unmarked path before us.

   Finally, as we arrived at an open area with a stream different from our usual one, Feria stopped, signaling we could rest. Panting like dogs, we smiled in exhilaration at one another before collecting ourselves and making our way to the slow paced stream.

   "Are there any fish in there?" Erinna asked aloud, bending down to where her nose nearly touched the water.

   "Maybe." Feria speculated.

   I shook my head, noting the shallowness of the stream.

   "It's not deep enough for big fish to live in it. Maybe tiny fish, but not big ones."

   We continued to peer curiously into the clear water, a collective breath held in anticipation of something that remained a mystery to us. Erinna grew bored the fastest, starting to wander about before disrupting our observations with a great big splash as she jumped into the stream.

   "This feels good on my feet. Try it." She urged us.

   So we did, putting aside our curiosity with the stream and its potential inhabitants to step into the cool, ebbing water which did, in fact, relieve our burning soles.

   "So what game did you have in mind?" Erinna asked.

   Wanting to know the reason for our adventure out here, as well, I looked to our sister.

   For a moment, she acted engrossed in enjoying the cool water, but after a minute or so and Erinna growing impatient, she let a sly smile slip.

   "There was no game," She admitted without regret. "I just wanted you to come outside and run in the forest with me."

   At first, Erinna saw this as deceit, while I brushed it off with an understanding smile. Erinna couldn't stay sore for too long before we made her reveal her gap-tooth grin again.

   Growing weary of standing, we situated ourselves on whatever we could that would still allow us to have our feet in the stream; Feria found a log that was big enough for her and Erinna to sit on while I sat on a smooth rock nearby.

   We didn't have to say a thing, for it showed on our faces how happy we were to be in each other's company.

   Our sisterly bond went beyond words or feelings- it was an indescribable phenomenal that moved within each of us. We each held a part of the other; a part of Feria's thoughtful heart, a piece of my curious mind, and a dash of Erinna's whimsical spirit. Our sisterhood ran deep.

   For a while, we let nature roar around us in his harmonious, perfectly unbalanced blend before one of us found our voice.

   "What's gonna happen to us in the future?" Erinna pondered.

   "What do you mean?" I asked, brow furrowed.

   "I mean," She straightened up, glancing around before looking at either of us then staring at her feet. "When we get older, when we're women. What happens then? Do we stay with papa and maman or do we leave, and where?"

    The topic wasn't completely new to me. I'd thought about it more and more the older we became, the more I learned more about the world beyond.

    It was no secret Feria was already morphing into a woman. Her bosom was being to develop and she was already being refined into maturity. Maman was surprised at how quickly she was blossoming into womanhood. I lagged behind, a bit, just one-year younger yet not developing a bosom of my own nor showing any signs of my coming womanly features. Maman wasn't worried, though. "You're only eleven. I didn't start until I was fourteen. It may take some time, Aelita." I wasn't in much of a hurry to develop, so my mind was at ease.

   Feria picked at an old, crusty scab on her ankle.

  "I'm not sure, but that's far away, Erinna, we shouldn't fret over such things."

  "Yes, I know but..." She looked to me. "You're leaving to travel Edalirwen with Uncle Lenord, aren't you, Aelita?"

   "I pray I might get the chance."

   "We shouldn't put such intensive thought into that just yet." Feria reasoned.

   "Well, it's just imagining. What would you do?" She stared at her, patiently waiting.

   Feria seemed to fidget under such a watchful eyes but eventually sprouted something out to appease her.

   "I have nowhere to go, so it seems I would stay with maman and papa, which would be ideal."

   Erinna finally looked away, nodding but just to do so.

   "I want to travel Edalirwen too," She said. "But at the same time, I think I'd miss home."

   "Time will tell," I said, putting an end to the discussion.

   We sat there a little while longer, thinking about anything that would come to mind. Soon enough, Feria picked up a cheery tune and we joined in, our sweet voices clear as the sunlight.

    Gone rings the bell, ring in jubilee
   Down goes the tyrant's banner proud
   Cheers to the valiant hero who has fought so bravely.
   Our kingdom never rocks, it never wavers,
   The Fates have promised goodness and favor. 

   We stayed out till the first hint of shadows reveal themselves on the earthen ground. We walked without haste, enjoy the cooling forest and how the forest decompressed itself from its hectic morning rush.

   Our souls were revived, our minds restored to see clearly, and our hearts aligned with each others. We worked as one that night.

   Maman came home to find supper already underway, not having to worry about a thing but rest. Papa too, came home to have little to do but relax as well. Their period of grief seemed to have passed with relative ease- if loss could ever be known to be easy. Our household, though not fully restored, was not as blurred as before.

   My sisters could ignite my anger, but most times they soothed the soul like a powerful salve. We clung to each other. Though darkness came, it did not thrive for long. We had each other and our uncertain, but resilient futures to claim.