The rain was falling gently outside the little inn in the Splintertree Post. Ny lay on her little mat watching the drops as they fell to the ground. She pulled the wrap Josteen’s gran made her closer around her shoulders, snuggling one of her hands under her chin. Next to her lay Solly, stretched out on his side, allowing her to use him as a pillow. Ny stroked his fur, causing Solly to purr, never taking her gaze from the rain.

Her thoughts were a constant swirl. Some thoughts of the past and most of the present. She was hiding out, she knew that, only she couldn’t take going into the city. It was Children’s Week. The second most painful week in the year for her. She forced herself to stay away from areas there were sure to be children. To look at a child was sometimes still painful for her. They were a constant reminder of what she lost.

Ny closed her eyes and rolled onto her back. Solly made a disgruntled noise mostly because she stopped stroking him and lifted his head to look at her. When he realized she wasn’t moving away from him, he put his head back down and huffed a big sigh. Ny stared up at the wood planks that made the ceiling. She was getting absolutely nothing done and wasting her coins by hiding out in this place. But in the more populated areas, there were people running around with children. Orphans. Had her heart not hurt from the loss of her own child, she might have been able to take one of those orphans in when she had been able to support one five years ago. But she hadn’t. Instead she had taken her anguish out on everyone around her when they mentioned the child she lost or how taking in an orphan would help heal her heart. She hadn’t wanted someone else’s child, she had wanted her own back and she had walked a fine line of anger and sorrow those days.

Two months later, she had found a little spring paw cub in Eversong woods. The cub’s mother lay dead, Ny could see the wound in her side, and the little cub was trying to nurse from a teat. Without thinking, Nylia scooped up the cub, bearing the pain as it scratched and hissed at her. She had lost her child, this cub had lost it’s mother. In Ny’s mind, the fates had put Solly there on purpose for Ny to find. She had nursed him with a make-shift bottle, taught him to hunt as he grew, everything a mother would do for her cub. In return, Solly had grown up to be her best friend, her most staunch protector, and never leaving her side. He had done a lot to heal her heart, but she had trouble being around children. Hearing their laughter was just a harsh reminder too.

Solly lifted his head and swiped Ny across the forehead with his tongue. The rough texture of it brought Ny back to the present. She blinked her eyes and lifted a hand to wipe her forehead off. No, he wasn’t a elf child, but he was her’s.

Her gaze drifted over to the door way again. The rain had let off into a fine drizzle and Ny let out another sigh.

She would be happy when this week was over.