forgotten

[mute_pen]

It's past dark, but when you need the outhouse, you need the outhouse.

Isabel picks her way across the yard of her father's house in the moonlight, hoping to sneak back into bed without waking him.

Comments

[mute_pen]

"Mine's - nice, I guess, it's just confusing, it's like someone's laid their arm against my spine and has their hand on the back of my neck. And I don't know why that should be because that's not where your arm actually is."

[growcrooked]

"Oh. Mine's not like that," says the baron's daughter.

[mute_pen]

"What is it, then?"

[growcrooked]

"Warm," she says. "And nice. Do you want to come into bed with me?"

[mute_pen]

"We're already sitting on - I - what do you mean?"

[growcrooked]

"I mean do you want to come into bed with me and share my blankets and hug like we're doing," she says. "I'd like that."

[mute_pen]

Etty thinks about this, then nods and repositions.

[growcrooked]

The baron's daughter crawls under the blankets with her and snuggles up, tucking her arm around Etty's waist and putting her head on Etty's shoulder again.

[mute_pen]

This is comfy.

And Etty has been up all night.

"I might fall asleep," she mumbles.

[growcrooked]

"Is it bad if you do? I could pinch you to keep you awake," she offers.

[mute_pen]

"Well," says Etty. "Soon enough I'll turn into a swan. I don't know if I'll start out knowing how to fly, so I might not like to be put out the window."

[growcrooked]

She laughs.

"I'll carry you out the gate."

[mute_pen]

"You think he's - away, then. Going back to Astgabels."

[growcrooked]

"I don't know where he is, but he's not here."

[mute_pen]

"All right. Am I going to think like a swan when I'm a swan, do you know?"

[growcrooked]

"If you do, I'm going to have a hell of a time getting you out of my room," she giggles.

[mute_pen]

"Yes, probably," says Etty with a weak chuckle.

[growcrooked]

The baron's daughter hugs her.

[mute_pen]

Hugs.

Etty really may fall asleep.

She closes her eyes.

[growcrooked]

Snuggle snuggle.

[mute_pen]

Sleepy and warm and sleepy -

Etty drops off into sleep and begins murmuring soft words.

[growcrooked]

It's sweet. She smiles.

Eventually, dawn comes, and the baron's daughter is cuddling a white swan with beautiful soft feathers.

[mute_pen]

The transformation doesn't wake Etty; she sleeps a few hours longer.

And then she opens her eyes.

Being a swan is strange. It doesn't hurt - it doesn't feel like she's been mangled into this shape - but it's not fully natural either; she's the bird equivalent of an infant who can't find her toes. (Though she is a grown swan, not a cygnet. She figures this out in the course of learning how to operate her spectacularly flexible neck; her wings and feet are quite pinned in the cuddling.)

[growcrooked]

The baron's daughter sleeps on.

[mute_pen]

She really is very pretty.

Etty bends her neck every which way, which takes a long while given all the options, and then she starts trying to extract a wing.