WHO: Fairytales and Little John, then maybe Ash and Brook WHEN: The night before the children leave home WHERE: The Enchanted Cottage WHAT: Elaine and John discuss the end of an era WARNINGS: tbd
Elaine stood on the edge of the forest and watched. The warmth of the cottage was at her back, and inside her babies were getting themselves ready for bed, except for the littlest who was getting a story from her Pa. The older ones liked to sometimes pretend that they were too grown up for bedtime stories, but she knew that they would be listening in as they brushed their teeth.
The she-bear was out late too. Elaine watched as she ambled down to the stream for a drink. The bear had not been something she’d planned to wander into her world, but she had been a boon for Elaine keeping her realm safe. And now, as the bear raised her head and sniffed the wind, she turned her head towards Elaine. Silently, the two met eyes across the distance between them, and Elaine graciously bowed her head. “Thank you,” she murmured. The bear huffed out of her nose, and as she did so, two small cubs tumbled down the bank to join their mother. Elaine watched as the little family prepared for bed too, and then they walked back into the trees and disappeared into the night.
She let out a breath. Tomorrow, Ash and Brook were going with John to the real world for the first time. Her cubs were leaving their den. As she looked up at the stars, she had to blink away a few tears.
As much as she was loath to admit it, Elaine just wasn’t ready.
For seventeen years, she had kept her beloved children safe. Seventeen years of maintaining a bubble around her family and protecting them from harm. And now, at last, she had to set them free.
She should be in there right now, kissing each of them goodnight and tucking them in safe and snug. It was her last night to do so with Ash and Bear, after all. They were both almost grown now, both resilient and capable, and ready to take on this new challenge. Elaine pulled her shawl in tighter around herself and shivered as a cold wind caught her. The seasons here and in the real world were now in alignment, so at least they wouldn’t have that shock when they stepped out, but this place would be a colder place without them.
“Goodnight Mama!”
Elaine turned. In the window of the second story, Pip was waving to her. “Goodnight, sweet girl,” she called back, blowing a kiss.
“Me too!” called Fox, leaning out of the next window. “Goodnight!”
“You too, my love,” Elaine replied with a chuckle, and before she knew it, she was blowing kisses to every one of her darling children. One by one, the curtains were drawn, and the house settled in the darkness.
She had slept for nearly a week after the battle against Rathellion. John had kept things running smoothly of course. He was a good man. Transforming like that was a huge drain, on top of maintaining their home, and it had been a large shock to her system.
John had waited another week after that, as Elaine slowly regained her strength, before he mentioned that if things were settled here, he should like to go back and see the lads again. And perhaps, he could bring the kids along? Elaine had objected instinctively, but the longer she considered it, the more she came to realise that John might be right to take at least the older two out into the real world.
Elaine turned back towards the house, her arms wrapped around herself, and went back into the living room to sit in her favourite chair by the fire with a sigh, to wait for John to come join her.