Dawn

by Marcus LaGrone

  Dawn turned to find Tobias towering over her. “Yes?” she said meekly.

  Holding out her bag of bells, “Someone… someone found these. I wanted to make sure they got to their proper owner. Are they yours?”

  Dawn quickly looked them over, “Yes, indeed. What had happened? Who found them? How did you get them?”

  “Well, I’m glad you got them back,” he said without offering further explanation. He nodded to the ladies and then dismissed himself, quickly fading back into the crowd.

  “Well, that was good of him,” commented Maria.

  Dawn cocked an eye, “That was more than a little weird.”

  “Fishy is the word I would use in your place. But he tried to make things right whatever actually happened.”

  Dawn nodded and quickly took a seat and attached the bells. They had a crisp and friendly ring to them, and she had lots of fun just fluttering her toes making them ring. Suddenly she saw Gavin threading through the crowd. He was dressed with black pants and snazzy vest with a white, white shirt on. As he got closer she could tell it had the same satin trim as her dress.

  “You like it?” he asked with a smile.

  “It is quite dashing on you. How did you just happen to have the same trim?” she asked, flattered as much as curious.

  “Well, my big sister just happens to be the one who fit you,” he replied.

  Dawn laughed, “Well, that would do it!”

  “We’ve a bit of time yet before the first dance. Would you like to hit the refreshments already, or just take a quick walk?” Gavin asked.

  “Actually I could go for a quick nibble. I was so busy with the new dress I didn’t eat as much for supper as I should have.”

  Gavin smiled, “Then food it is! Onward! To the mountains of food. Their very existence calls out to be eaten, their fair flavors but a slave to your taste.”

  Dawn about lost it she was laughing so hard, “That was terrible! Promise me you won’t say something like that again!”

  Gavin grinned, “Fair enough. It was a bit much.”

  Dawn gave him a quick peck on the nose, and his fur rippled and churned. “There. Maybe that will keep you under control for a bit.”

  The pair laughed as they threaded through the crowd and made their way to the plethora of tables laid out with various refreshments. Finger food seemed the order of the day and Dawn braved a few exotic things and the festive mood caught up with them. Some were delightful, some were… not. A wrinkled nose and a good laugh chased away the occasional bad choice until the long racing portamento on a fiddle beckoned dancers to assemble on the floor.

  The first dance was a two to one line dance and the pair quickly searched for a third to round out their group. As they scanned high and low, Dawn caught sight of a young Auroran about her own age on the sidelines.

  “Who is she?” Dawn asked, “I don’t think I’ve seen her around.”

  Gavin glanced over in the direction indicated, “I don’t know her name, but their family moved here less than a week ago. Her First Mother is a silversmith. She looks alone. Do you want to ask her to join?”

  Dawn brightened, “It doesn’t hurt to ask.” The couple marched up to the lone girl. “Hello, I’m Dawn and this is Gavin. Would you care to join us for this dance? We could really use a third.” Dawn asked cheerfully.

  A smile flashed across her face, “I’d be delighted! My name is Lynette, but I go by Lynn. Hopefully I won’t slow you two down. I’m out of practice.”

  “No worries. This is for fun, it’s not a contest,” replied Dawn more than a little relieved. She hadn’t met many girls her age in town.

  Lynn looked over Dawn again, “That is a magnificent coat. I bet it’s easy to find clothes that blend well with black. My fur always just seems to be flat white rather than that shiny snow white of other Aurorans. To make matters worse, recently I always seem to be half way through coat blow. Half of everything I pick out makes me look either silly or ill.”

  Dawn flushed a little at the statement. She had never thought of that. Just about everything did go with black. Now that she thought of it, Maria’s wardrobe selection wasn’t all that varied in color.

  The three made it to their places on the floor just in time. The two outer lines were the girls while the central line was the boys. As the dance progressed, the boys would trade partners left and right in time with the music until the long run to the end of the sequence where the boys were spun side to side down the entire length of the line. When it was all over they were all a little dizzy and chose to sit out the next verse or two. Laughing amongst themselves, they beat a hasty retreat to the sidelines.

  “What were you talking about Lynn? You did great out there,” beamed Dawn.

  Lynn beamed back, “I’m glad you think so. I was just trying to keep up. We only had dances twice a year back at my old home.”

  “I think there are four big dances and six or so smaller dances during the year here. I’m not sure entirely, I’ve only been here three months myself. Adopted into a new family.”

  Lynn grimaced, “Adopted in… I’m sorry. That must have been really hard.”

  Dawn smiled as she tried to reassure her, “It was hard, but they are really good people so that went well. My First Mother is Ivy Stratford.” She motioned to the stage, “She and my Third Mothers are the ones doing the music.”

  “Third Mothers plural?” Lynn craned her neck and then lit up, “Oh! Twins! I should have guessed that. That must be pretty nice being surrounded by so much music. I don’t suppose…” Lynn trailed off hesitantly.

  “Ivy does teach if that is what you are asking,” Dawn offered.

  Lynn beamed, “Yes! I’d need to ask my mother of course, but that would be wonderful. I see her on flute. I would love to learn that.”

  “We are a little bit out of town,” Dawn warned. “But you do the trip a few times and it isn’t that far. I’m sure Ivy would be delighted to have more students. I’m learning piano and shawm myself.”

  “Shawm?” Lynn wrinkled her forehead. “Oh, that is like the oboe but without all the metal keys right?”

  Dawn nodded, “Yes, that’s it. And also louder, much louder. Good for outside, not so much for indoors.”

  “I bet it does well for dances though. Out here it needs to carry well over the crowd.”

  Dawn grinned, “Yes, indeed. But I’m a long way from being up on the stage with those three.”

  “Four,” observed Gavin, “Gwen is up there.”

  Sure enough Gwen was up on stage playing along on guitar and making good work of it. Dawn was amazed at her skill especially for her age. Not content to play the music straight, Gwen was adding riffs and grace notes left and right, and somehow they always seemed to flow well with the music rather than as ornaments for the sake of showing off.

  “Oh, she’s the quiet one about sixteen or so?” Lynn asked.

  “That’s her,” confirmed Dawn. “She is a quiet sort, but a really nice person.”

  Lynn rolled her eyes, “A far cry from Kate.”

  Dawn laughed, “Oh! You’ve already crossed paths with her! And you’ve been here less than a week.”

  Lynn shook her head, “I don’t know what her problem is. Her First Mother is so nice but she is so… well…”

  “Obnoxious?” offered Gavin.

  “I was going to try to be more diplomatic,” murmured Lynn.

  “He was being diplomatic,” said Dawn with a smirk.

  They all had a good laugh at that.

  “Oh! They are getting ready to do a singles dance. Go you two!” Lynn ordered.

  “You okay with us leaving you here?” Dawn asked.

  “I’ll be fine. You’re the one with bells on. Besides I don’t think Gavin has broken eye contact with you this entire time.” Lynn laughed.

  Dawn laughed, “Are we that obvious?”

  “If you two were three years older, I’m pretty sure you would have been attached by the mouth these last ten minutes. Now get!
Go have fun. I’ll be right here,” Lynn scolded.

  Dawn gave Lynn a quick hug and then grabbed Gavin by the hand as they headed out to the dance floor. It was so much more fun this time, partly, no doubt, because she was less nervous around Gavin than at that first dance, but part of it was from meeting Lynn. She seemed like a very nice girl, and Dawn was short of friends her own age. She was so bright and cheerful and easy to talk with. Dawn was sure Gwen could also make a good friend, but talking with her was a one way concept. Social or not, Dawn enjoyed Gwen just the same and the thoughts of all them made Dawn’s heart even lighter as she and Gavin danced. Round after round, verse after verse the song went on, but Dawn didn’t mind one bit. Tonight was going to be the perfect end to an already wonderful day.

  As the music finally came to an end, Dawn was both happy and relieved; it had been a wonderful dance, but now she was seriously thirsty! The pair laughed as they left the dance floor and quickly rejoined Lynn. But as the trio made for the refreshments, something caught Dawn’s attention. It was Maria. She was standing on the far side of the floor with the ever-hyper Heather and Gwen, who was holding Lily, like usual. When Dawn made eye contact, Maria beckoned her over.

  “Uh oh. Second Mother needs me,” blurted Dawn somewhat nervously.

  “Should we come with you?” asked Lynn.

  “Please!”

  The three quickly but carefully threaded through the crowd to meet her waiting Second Mother.

  “Maria, what’s wrong?” Dawn asked anxiously.

  Maria smiled and laughed, “Nothing is wrong at all! I was just hoping you youngsters could help Gwen with Lily and Heather while I have a dance with Father.”

  Dawn brightened immediately, “Oh, of course! We’d be delighted! I’m just glad you and Father are getting a chance to dance.” Suddenly aware she had just volunteered her friends to be stuck with small children, she turned and sheepishly asked, “Um, sorry, are you two okay with helping babysit for a bit?”

  Gavin grinned while Lynn replied with a smile, “It’ll be fun!”

  “Oh, I forgot. Maria, this is Lynn. Lynn, this is Maria, my Second Mother,” said Dawn apologetically.

  “Delighted to meet you, Lynn. Your First Mother is the new silversmith, yes?” ask Maria, radiant as always.

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m delighted to meet you, too,” replied Lynn courteously. “You look gorgeous, ma’am. I can never wear green like you do,” she continued with no small amount of envy.

  “I’m flattered. Don’t worry, your coat will get a lot crisper white in these next few years I’m sure. That made a big difference with me, as I recall. I used to only be able to wear burnt browns and the like. Time is your friend.”

  Lynn took well to the encouragement and smiled broadly.

  “Okay, here comes Llewellyn, so keep an eye on Heather and I’ll be back after this next dance.”

  Heather took Gavin’s hand, of all people, and started to slowly orbit Dawn, pulling the hapless Gavin along. Dawn and Lynn had a good laugh at Gavin’s expense as they watched Maria head into the crowd to the waiting Llewellyn.

  “Wow! She has the most amazing hair to go with that amazing coat,” observed Lynn.

  “Does she ever! I could never keep my hair from becoming a horrible mess if it was that long,” echoed Dawn.

  Lynn headed off Heather, giving Gavin a brief break, and knelt to the little three-year-old, “Did I catch that right, you are Heather?”

  Heather beamed, “Yep, yep! I’m Heather. Dawn is my big sister, and Lily is my little sister. I was afraid I was going to have a little brother! Eww, boys! But I didn’t!”

  Dawn laughed, “They aren’t all bad. You seem to like Gavin here.”

  Heather laughed, “Well, he’s big! And you like him. You never stop talking to Second Mom about him.”

  “Okay, enough of that, little one,” interjected Dawn, more than a little embarrassed.

  A short cry from Lily brought a much needed distraction. Gwen shifted the infant onto her shoulder and began trying to burp her.

  “She is darling! How old is she?” asked Lynn.

  “Right at two months old. She was born just before the last dance. Made things hectic for a few days.” Dawn smiled and added, “But Gwen here has been helping out quite a bit and we really do appreciate it.”

  Gwen smiled back at Dawn for the warm words and soon unearthed the errant burp from little Lily. They all had a good chuckle at the silly display.

  “Dawn, Lynn, would you like me to fetch you a drink while we wait?” offered Gavin.

  “Yes, please!” Dawn replied. “Heather, come here for a bit.”

  Heather complied and Dawn scooped her up, “Oof! You are getting too big for me to do that!”

  “You seem to have a wonderful family,” observed Lynn.

  “You haven’t said much about yours,” Dawn prodded.

  Lynn beamed, “Oh, they are great too! Just things are all a little weird still after the big move. First Mother has been extra busy. Second Mother got sick for a while and so Third and Fourth Mother have been having to take care of work, unpacking and me!”

  “Ugh, no fun when someone gets sick. Nothing serious I hope. What about siblings?”

  “Nah, she’s already doing much better. She just oughtn’t be out and around people for a few days yet,” replied Lynn. “As far as siblings, I have three older sisters. Two are married and the other is off in an apprenticeship. I’m the last one in the house.”

  “I had three older sisters and one older brother,” started Dawn absently. She fought back a single tear and then brightened somewhat, “But now I get to be the older sister for a change.” An unsolicited hug from Heather pushed a smile back onto Dawn’s face, “And you are just a handful! How do you have so much energy?”

  Heather just smiled back at her and held her tight. “My big sister,” she said possessively.

  Gavin returned with two large pitchers and a tall stack of wooden cups, “I got enough cups for everyone, but I forgot to ask what you wanted to drink so I just grabbed two different things.”

  Lynn shot Dawn a sly glance, “You have him trained well!”

  The girls had a good laugh at Gavin’s expense. “Oh, and that is the thanks I get.”

  Dawn gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, almost sending the cups to the floor, “Is that a better thanks?”

  Gavin’s fur rippled and went all but black for a split second as he tried to regain his composure.

  “Oh, he’s a Silver, too. Good catch!” teased Lynn.

  “Um…” murmured a thoroughly embarrassed Gavin.

  “I’m sorry Gavin. I’ll be good,” countered Lynn as she giggled at Dawn.

  “Anyway, grab a cup and I’ll fill ‘em up,” said Gavin. He quickly dispersed the cups and topped them off. Gwen beamed at Gavin when she got her drink and Gavin smiled back.

  “Gwen doesn’t talk at all?” murmured Lynn, trying to be polite but still curious.

  “Hardly ever, but she does talk. If she thinks it’s important, she’ll tell you.”

  Lynn nodded, “Oh, the dance is over!”

  Sure enough, as the applause settled, the dancers cleared the floor and Dawn watched with anticipation as Maria and Llewellyn returned. Llewellyn was still holding her hand as the pair arrived and what a pair they made. Dawn didn’t know how it was possible for Maria to look even more radiant than usual but she did, and her smile and glow were infectious.

  Llewellyn smiled broadly at the younger group and then gave Maria a firm hug and quick kiss before disappearing back into the crowd.

  “Thank you for watching Heather. That was wonderful!”

  “We were glad to help,” Lynn offered with a smile. Of course it was a smile. Who couldn’t smile? Maria’s smile was bona fide contagious!

  Heather released her grip from Dawn and sprang back over to the waiting Maria who spun the youngster high in the air before providing a giant hug.

  Gavin cocked his head to the Dawn and Lyn
n, “Back to the dance floor then?”

  “Um, no. Not just yet,” Dawn replied.

  “Something wrong?” Gavin asked, more than a little curious.

  Dawn furrowed her eyebrows, “I need to go take care of things right quick. Lynn, you coming?”

  Lynn nodded and the pair quickly departed leaving a confused Gavin in their wake. “Oh!” he said with sudden realization.

  Dawn and Lynn giggled and laughed to each other as they turned the corner to the public restroom. And when they opened the door, there was Kate.

  Chapter 17

  Kate glared at the pair as they entered. Her wrist was in a simple bandage and her otherwise beautiful dress was tussled and slightly out of place. Dawn didn’t think Kate could have looked any more displeased with the world without the mirrors in the room breaking. And honestly she attributed the current condition of the mirrors to their excellent workmanship. Dawn swore she could see frost as Kate spoke, “Oh what do we have here: the poster children for the chromatically impaired. It does seem odd that all the trash seems to gather together.”

  Dawn bit her lip and tried to remain calm. If she ran out of the room, Kate would win and Dawn wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. She fought for something to say and decided to be the better person, “Ouch, it looks like your wrist got hurt. Do we need to find someone for you?”

  “Oh, I can take care of myself, thank you very much. I certainly don’t need help from either of you two,” she sneered.

  For fourteen years of Dawn’s life, she had been the daughter of a well-placed diplomat, the ambassador for all the Highlands in fact. Surely something in all that history could help her say the right thing. “I am unaware of any way I have transgressed against you,” she said articulately. “I do not mean to cause offense; I am simply concerned for your well-being.” Whew! That was hard to say without baring teeth!

  Kate stretched as she approached Dawn and spoke with teeth flashing, “You can play stupid all you want, you drab monochromatic loser, just know this: Gavin is mine.”

  Dawn could feel her temper rising faster than her fear, “What of poor Tobias? I thought he was yours.” Dawn actually felt sorry for Tobias. What had he ever seen in such a hate-filled girl?