A young orphan's pet has passed on, their mentor, a very kind giant who guards the orphanage, soothes the young human when they don't understand why their pet won't wake up. -- Anon Guest
Feslas found Allyl in the stables, cradling one of the barn cats. Which was limp and unresponsive and... very dead. Nobody had killed the beast. It had been an old cat before Allyl took a liking to sitting still in the sunshine and straw with the animals.
"She's not playing," complained Allyl. "She won't purr."
Feslas could easily hold the both of them in the palm of hir hand, and offered it to Allyl. Ze sat carefully, making sure ze didn't cause harm in the action. Allyl was four. These things could be devastating.
"The kitty cannot be helped, my little. She was very old, and has gone into the forever-sleep. She is dead."
Allyl didn't understand. "Can you wake her up?"
"Nobody can wake her up. It would be a cruel thing to do. You know how Nanna Borrin complains when she has to get up? Or when the weather pains her?"
Allyl nodded. "It all hurts, she says."
"Yes. If someone were to... wake... the kitty. She would have all of that pain and more. She's beyond pain, now. It's all right to be sad about it. And we can bury her in the quiet patch."
Death comes for all things, and knowing this is never a gentle experience. Feslas helped Allyl plant catnip on the kitty's quiet patch, and then made sure to show Allyl some of the new kittens in the loft.
Life moves on, no matter what anyone's emotions are. Sometimes, that hurts. At least here, there was comfort for the pain.
[Photo by Jem Sahagun on Unsplash]
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