Sina takes a careful spoonful, and is only just pulling the spoon back out of her mouth when Pel gives her the news. She blinks in shock-- not because she didn't know Pel was thinking about it, because she did, but because... this is the conclusion. She couldn't have guessed.
"Oh, Pel," she says in soft surprise, "surely I don't deserve that."
"To be honored by someone who loves you very much?" And remembered, but she doesn't want to say that. It has always been clear that Sina is unlikely to survive the shard in her chest for very long. But you don't talk to the dying about their death, for some reason. "To believe if I have a daughter that reminds me even a little of you, I'll be a lucky mother?"
Sina does have an inkling. How could she not? It's always at the back of her mind, and more than once she's seen it in her friends' eyes, the dread, the detachment. They all know. But she won't accept it. She smiles wanly, and gives a small nod. After an extended pause, she gives a weak laugh and adds, "perhaps her teeth will be a reasonable size, when she's old enough to say it. She'll have that leg up on me."
Bless her. Pel laughs. "I suppose I can't call her Sina, or people would confuse which of you I'm talking about. I'd call for one and you'd both come running. Unless one of you is Sina and the other is Little Sina."
"Da'Sina," Big Sina replies, smirking. "I suppose you'll just have to wait and see." She looks down at her hands, her expression softening. "Nari calls me da'halla. There will always be different names between us."
"I'm sure da'Sina will have any number of her own nicknames." A wan smile. "Maybe you'll see something of yourself in her, as well. Maybe we all will. She could be our own little halla."
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"Oh, Pel," she says in soft surprise, "surely I don't deserve that."
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She smiles wanly, and gives a small nod. After an extended pause, she gives a weak laugh and adds, "perhaps her teeth will be a reasonable size, when she's old enough to say it. She'll have that leg up on me."
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She looks down at her hands, her expression softening. "Nari calls me da'halla. There will always be different names between us."
I am so sorry this took so long