Lady of the Veiled Vale

Secrets

Raiden took his newborn daughters out onto the terrace, hoping he would at least be allowed to introduce them to the residents of Sanctuary before She took them away.

   He stood where all could see, declared that the Lady of the Vale had delivered twin girls before the midwife could even arrive. The sentient creatures who could hear his deifically amplified voice laughed. Those who helped her in her duties nodded to each other. It was so typical of her to handle a difficult situation with aplomb. The mothers in the audience were doubly impressed. Kitta, having just finished with another delivery, paused at the edge of the clearing.

   :If you'll be kind enough to lower the basket, I'd like to check their health.:

   His laugh could be heard where she stood, without amplification. :These are second generation demigods. I doubt you'll find anything awry.:

   :That's as may be, but should there be a problem later, I'll need to know what normal looks like,: she pointed out.

   He half turned, and she saw the Lady's younger brother get in the basket. She strode forward, through the crowd, with purpose. Most knew who she was, and let her pass. Some teased her about being too slow. She merely replied that she'd been with a patient that actually needed her, which drew laughter as she went.

   Up on the balcony, Raiden waited with a stiff back, as though he anticipated a blow, but didn't know from whence it would come. Samantha sidled into his periphery, to avoid startling the man holding her nieces, before gently reminding him that her sister was alive.

   "I know," he said, his jaw tight.

   "Then why do you look like you're standing at the executioner's block?"

   He spared her a glance before turning back to the crowd. "Let's just say that there are worse things than dying."

   She gasped. "You know, don't you?" 

   Raiden turned toward her so fast her hand shot out toward her nieces automatically, before her brain caught up with the reflex. Of course he wouldn't drop them. He was a bloody god!

   "Of course you know," she sniffed.

   He mistook the sour expression on her face as disgust, even as he asked how she knew. She scowled.

   "I'd wager the same way you know. That strange owl woman told me. More like an order, actually." She stood straighter, glanced around. Knowing there were others near enough to hear, she didn't elaborate on what they both knew. "I bought you a couple of weeks. More, actually, because they won't be gone all the time." She paused, brow wrinkled. "Time... I don't understand what She meant about the time... How can we be gone for a month, once a week?"

   Raiden's face relaxed. So they won't be gone forever, he thought, almost weak with relief. Week... what had she said?

   "Ah, that's easily explained. Time moves differently in each of the worlds. If they go somewhere that time moves faster..."

   Her expression cleared. "Oh, I see! That's a clever way to--" she saw Kitta's head clearing the floor of the balcony and clammed up. She didn't know how she would have finished that sentence, with fairies and pixies flitting nearby.

   "Speed up healing, yes," he smoothly finished. "Isn't that right, Kitta?"

   The elf shook her head, puzzled.

   "By sending creatures somewhere that time moves differently, like Sanctuary, we speed up recovery time on their own worlds."

   Kitta nodded. "Aye, that's right--if their time moves more slowly than here, which is rare, from what I understand. Usually, it's the other way round. Isn't that how you ended up seeing the same gryphon thrice in the same month?"