4.4

Tsugotholan huffed and shook their head.

“The cow-”

Jewel huffed back harder, interrupting the Bog Wizard, who was polite enough to correct themselves.

“Pardon me, Bethica the cow has no work of sorcery upon her that could explain the lack of gifted offspring. Of this I am sure.”

Which confused Jewel but only got that swaying shift of a shrug from Bethica. She spoke calmly but Jewel smelled despair on her.

“That it’s not by sorcery does not change that a curse is on my family. The words are quite clear as spoken to me: twelve generations back a mother could expect one-to-three able in speech among her life’s offspring.”

Bethica gave a deep sigh and then settled into the chanting tone she took whenever recounting her family’s wisdom.

“Five generations back it was only two at best. And it was then that the taking as sires of our brothers and sons still gifted in speech began, But in this was the curse not halted and grew ever greater and now all my children are mute.”

Another deep sigh of pain made its way past Bethica’s lips.

“The herds were once so great and so full of fine speaking bulls, masters of wit, finest of horn. Great and strong and wise were they.”

There was a happy tone, speaking of something Bethica had never seen but assured in its truth as passed down to her.

“Mother spoke the songs and shared their ballads. But our herd was split in the coming north and over hills where sky dips close and cold bites with winter in every night. And now none in this valley’s herd speak but I.”

Tsugotholan tilted their curved hook of a head on a neck far too long and bending in too many places to have anything like a solid spine. Speaking just as round and common sounding as always.

Jewel found it funny how the wizard sounded lower in station than Bethica.

“Well, I can’t speak to any of that, but there is no working divine or otherwise on you or your flesh that I can find. You're quite a healthy cow as far as I can tell. But I believe Jaksa would know better than I. He's better at this sort of thing.”

Jewel considered that before speaking.

“Well I suppose I could request he come to verify. Would you mind sending word by your own means? Or should I use a messenger bird?”

Tsugotholan gave a shrug and waved vaguely with a hand only formed for that sole purpose of the gesture.

“I’ll send word via the circle that you want him to check over your co-”

Jewel glared at the wizard.

“-Your Friend Bethica.”

And then with nothing else to do, Tsugotholan was gone.

After Bethica finally spoke the affront Jewel had been able to smell on the cow during the entire ‘examination’ her weird friend had performed came out in voice.

“Well. I must admit I never imagined getting the aid of a great serpent who was also the lady of the land. Or the attention of not one but two great magisters to see to the concerns of my own family’s plight. Yet could I pardon some rudeness towards your company Jewel? I have a pressing question.”

Jewel nodded to Bethica.

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“Of course, Bethica.”

The cow which had grown to be a fast friend and confident for Jewel squared her shoulders and planted her hooves.

“Are all of your acquaintances insufferable idiots?”

Which was not exactly what Jewel expected but she had kind of guessed.

“Tsugotholan is very knowledgeable in sorcery and honestly probably knows more about swamps and their waters than I could ever learn.”

Bethica shook her head and huffed.

“Not knowing things and being foolish are not one and the same. I don’t fault others their ignorance of my family wisdom. Or what they did not witness. But you have quite a number of fools very close to you, Lady Jewel.”

Jewel paused, thinking of a wizard she definitely would agree is foolish.

“Well, Fizzbunches is far worse than Tsugotholan, I think. He’s a weird of a city, and a cat as well.”

Which got a chuckling snort from Bethica.

“A cat? Hardly a surprise such a magister would be anything but an insufferable idiot. But I speak of both your Squire, and now that Wizard. You at least keep good company with Adorján, a fine man he is, duly elected like a proper senator was he.”

Jewel could not help but chuckle herself before defending her Squire.

“Smithson is very fine and good to me, he watches over Gem and has always seen well by me. Even when I was young and foolish with him.”

That also caught Bethica’s attention.

“Don’t judge your mute daughter harshly, she is still yours no matter the providence. Care well for her. Even if you are bereft of milk to give there is more to mothering than that.”

This again drew Jewel to deeply sigh. One thing she had not found a way to explain even to Bethica was the trouble with Gem.

“I care for her as she is me, Bethica, I have said it before. When we are close the two of us are one, more than one, all that transpires for her I then know. All that I see she then also knows. I am certain by all rights she is nothing like how a daughter is meant to be. She is something else.”

Bethica huffed and twisted her head to shake loose a fly.

“Matters not if you are one soul split between two, a child needs a mother to guide and comfort them. She needs it more than simply knowing. She needs to be close and to be sure of you. This is more than words and thought, this is flesh and blood. A child needs more than to know their mother is there, they must also feel it. As you and her are one, can you say she does?”

Jewel stilled the words she was going to say and instead thought. Did she see herself as her own mother? Of course not. But did she as ‘Gem’ feel the absence of that?

Puzzling over the memory she was not sure she could deny the pain there.

It didn't make sense, but her presence definitely brought comfort to her smaller self. More than just the wyrmflame and the wholeness of it.

Separated from herself, Jewel knew that ‘Gem’ was addled, lesser, confused.

Struggling with all the knowledge and weight of herself, but bereft of the ability to do more.

Bethica nodded and mooed with a knowing tone.

“There ya see? So you are bringing your little one to see me next visit? I’m curious what a child that is both serpent and vir looks like.”

Jewel huffed but nodded to her friend who was far too clever for her age. After all, Bethica was only ten years old!