Title: New and Different Things
Fandom: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
Rating: G
Length: 446
Content notes: None
Author notes: Written for Amnesty, for the prompt scales
Summary: Sybel and Gyld talk about an interaction between Gyld and Tam.


Sybel was in her domed room when Gyld spoke to her.

The boy came to my cave today.

Frowning, Sybel set her book aside.

Tam should have known not to disturb Gyld in his cave. She had told him before that Gyld was not like the other animals; he required silence and solitude. Tam had always respected that in the past, but Tam was changing now, and it was no longer so easy for her to predict what he would do.

Sometimes, she no longer understood the turning of his mind or the workings of his thoughts. Among the village children, he had learned desires and ideas that were strange to her. There were times when she regretted letting him go down to the village, but he had been alone, and Maelga had told her that children were like wolf pups; in order to thrive, they required the company of those who were like them.

She looked up. Her eyes saw past the walls of her house to the stony mountains, to the dark cave where Gyld curled up, a great green shadow surrounded by his jewels and treasures.

Did Tam wake you? she asked.

Yes, he said. She listened for anger in his voice and detected none. He left me something.

He showed it to her in her mind — an impression of Tam’s offering, left outside of Gyld’s cave in the late afternoon. It was a glass marble; in Gyld’s eyes, it was almost small beyond noticing. But on the grey rocks, it had glowed in the sunlight like a gem; Gyld had thought it was beautiful.

It was, Sybel thought, the same bright green as Gyld’s scales. Tam must have seen it on one of his trips in the village and thought of Gyld.

She was not sure if she should be pleased or not, that Tam had visited Gyld’s cave, that he had chosen to bring Gyld a gift, that she had not known about it until Gyld told her.

I have received many gifts in my time, Gyld said. Gold and jewels from kings and princes and wizards, who feared my fire and my anger.

He paused, his voice slow and pensive; there was, perhaps, a trace of wistfulness to it. But this is the first time anyone has brought me a gift without expecting anything in return.

He was leaving her; he was growing sleepy again. But before his mind slipped into dreams, he spoke once more. Tell him I will treasure it. And that he may come inside to visit me next time.