The sun came piercing into the room as she squinted past the sun she closed the blinds in her room. She was done packing but still felt like she was missing something. Her small hands ran over the seaming of her rolling case. Of course she was she was leaving her son with the D’nari elders for them to raise him. He was going off to school in a week and she knew that like most boarding schools she would rarely see him. Her heart tore to the fact that he was only 5 years old. A part of her couldn’t help feel like she was abandoning him. Part of her past coming to the surface was ugly but she knew it was inevitable. She pulled her blonde locks back into a knot and continued to clean up the bedroom leaving it available to rent out while she was gone. Tossing holo-tapes into her rolling case she laughed at the names on the tapes. She had taken them everywhere she had gone. Every town, planet and adventure, a legacy in digital film for her keeping. A small knock at the door broke the silence of the room. A tiny figure appeared into the crack of the door, his horns first coming through, then his ice blue eyes shining at her.
“Come in pelire,” she grinned at Cyrus.
He made his way over to his mother, slowly touching just about everything he could on his way. He arrived at her side, pulling a piece of her golden locks down from the knot. He wrapped his finger around it slowly examining it. He put his nose into her hair and took a deep soulful sigh.
“Mama, you promise you’ll visit?” he looked up at her with wide coin-sized eyes. His eyes were that of his father. You could see every emotion in them even if his face didn’t show.
“You’ll have to keep me from coming!” She grinned at him and tickled him down to the ground. The giggles and smiles helped ease the pain slightly.
“You know that Grama and Grampa love you and are going to help you become a strong proud D’nari warrior just like your Papa. The only way you can do that is to go to this school. In a few years you will start your combat training. Then you can go hunting with Papa and Grandpa. If you come with me, you won’t be able to come back and get that training. You have to start now, pelire.”
She ran her fingers softly over his face j’ato.
“You are a strong D’nari, you will make the name proud.” She smiled at him.
He reached for her hair again and grinned. “You want a piece don’t you? My warrior, you must be strong. But, this I will give you.” She gave in easily to him. He was the love of her life. He was everything to her.
She reached to the back of her neck and cut a small lock of her hair. As a baby and toddler all he would need to do is to slip onto her shoulder and smell her hair for him to fall asleep. If that was all he needed now, it was the least she could do. As she put the small lock into his hand, he beamed. She kissed the top of his head and swatted his bottom.
“Go finish, we need to leave in 5 minutes!” she called at him.
She smiled deeply; the warmth from Cyrus’ love was something she never believed she would ever have. Something that was so real, so genuine. She prayed daily that none of that would change while she went back to the inner-ring.
She put on her coat and grabbed her rolling case. As she came down the stairs her hand-maids all had quiet looks on their faces. She smiled gracefully as she passed each one of them. She missed the pampering and the companionship that she had with a house full of women that wanted to work and live together as a unit.
“I love you all. Thank you for not only your service to me and the D’nari family but for the fellowship and community you provided. I owe you all everything I have. I will be in contact but for now I would like two of you *she nodded to the closest two she knew* to be constantly to Cyrus’ needs as he will be with his Grandparents.”
“Daynas.”
With that last word she walked out the door with Cyrus
