Chương 393: 11.2

Gem found managing her 'sister-selves' the most peculiar thing she had yet experienced. Even accounting for all the bizarre confusion that being her own mother entailed and having a memory that stretched back before her own hatching. She could not feel them as her other selves when the three of them were apart from 'Jewel', yet the amount that mattered was disorientingly little! Also she thought it was a little unfair how independent they already were! Even if she also felt relieved as well.

They could already toddle around, walk, and even when in the presence of her greater self make the sounds for speech if the knack for it had not yet settled in either of them! The twins were stronger, more coordinated and had clearer senses then Gem at their age. She guessed the extra time in the egg helped? It certainly had spared them the helpless flailing and blind-addled confusion she had experienced. Had she been forced from her egg prematurely?

Was that why it had taken so long for her to hold a thought in her head while apart from her larger self, or remember anything with clarity and consistency? None of herselves were sure, the answer would likely have to wait until whatever trigger reoccurred to make her, that is 'Jewel' gravid and lay more eggs. Because the twins certainly seemed to be proof that she would. That there would be more sister-selves in her future. But still despite even their precocious physical abilities the Twins were uncanny.

She could not feel or know their thoughts or senses or sights, not while it was just the trio of wyrmspawn. Yet she did not need to tell them what to do, she could simply reach towards one and a brush, book, knife or quill would be passed from one hand to another. It simply happened. She never had to wonder when they needed a chamber pot. Nor did either of them have to even cry for her to feed them.

And the memories which settled into herself when they rejoined their 'mother' did not make the conundrum any more sensible! From either of her sister selves' perspective it was just as bizarre and confusing! In that nothing between them was confusing at all! She could of course trick them, Gwenn had already taught her the trick of that with her larger self. But if she was not actively trying to fool her other selves, being with them was uncannily easy!

Gem and the Twins could spend an entire afternoon together doing basic spinning tasks and not a word or even sound had to pass any of their lips! It just was always obvious what any part of her was meant to do! Gwenn for her part had already lost interest in how well her newest sisters could coordinate wool and thread with her.

"Bored now, we should try something else! Like sword fighting! Or Wrestling!" Gem glanced at the twins, who barely even looked up from the way that one was handling the spindle while the other fed the thread to her sister self between her fingers. Yes, of course she was the one that had to speak, her memory for it was the best. But it still felt weird that they just knew that even though she also did!

"Gwenn... I'm only just over half your size and the twins are even less than that! You would dominate any one of us in a spar whether with a sword or bare of arms! And they only hatched this last winter! They haven't even earned their names yet!" Her sister sighed in exasperation and gestured at all three of them.

"All together you three are definitely a match for me in weight though! And besides I've seen the training that waif does every day! Being smaller is hardly a disadvantage when you can wield a spear Gem!" The twins put away their spinning, finishing off the smaller skein of wyrmspun wool they had been working on so they could join Gem in the particularly unamused look she was leveling. For the moment she ignored how eerie it was that they all could do that.

She just knew it was going to feel just as strange when they remembered it through each other's eyes.

"Gwenn, they are not even a year old! They shouldn't be handling spears until they are at least three!" Gwenn stuck out her tongue and blew hard in Gem's direction." Gem! None of you are supposed to be the proper sister! That's what Jewel is for! My tutors say I'm a match for the skill of boys half again my years! I won't hurt any of you, and the twins are up and about at least as well as four year olds besides the height!"

Gem didn't need to share a look with her sister-selves, but she glanced anyway and saw the same look in their eyes she felt on her own brow and cheeks. The same tired and worn down acceptance before in unison all three of them sighed." Fine, Gwenn. But we are using sticks, not training blades. And it's three of us against your one." Her sister smiled bright as the sun and jumped to her feet, the spindle she had started their session already set aside an hour ago.

Spinning in the wyrmspun wool dress she had been gifted last year. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work! Gem rising and brushing out the draping 'petals' of her traveling dress. The twins in their infant shifts.

Gwenn was still pleading with her parents and 'Jewel' for her next dress to be in Gem's style but the stitching and cutting for it was intricate and close fitting to make sure that everything fell in a way that conserved propriety, while also allowing the ability to not obstruct or restrict giving a swift kick with either leg or the use of her tail. It would have to wait until Gem's 'younger' sister finally stopped growing in height or build.

The girl's muscles were still filling out in a way that definitely would leave no one in doubt that she was what Imre's sisters would sneer at as being a 'Martial Lady'.

"Fine, to the training yard then Sister." Which had Gwenn groaning again.

"You're not the proper sisters! So cut that out, we've talked about this over and over! Only Jewel is supposed to be so stuffy!" Gem and the twins again sighed in unison, then gave guilty glances to one another in that same eerie synchronicity. It had been the entire winter together with them, being more of her selves, and still it didn't stop being uncanny. It was like finding her left hand reaching for something she was not aware of, yet always moving exactly as she would have moved.

All three of her just were so obviously feeling exactly the same, Gwenn was right, Gem and her two selves were supposed to be children. Well the twins definitely were supposed to be children, Gwenn and Gem were young ladies now. But as her sister but not sister-self put it so roughly none of her here were supposed to be 'stuffy'. It was the Countess of Viznove and the Shining Wyrm's job to be 'stuffy' to hold herself high, to not break down into a sobbing mess where anyone could see her.

She heard the twin on her left sniff, then the right, and finally after restraining the urge for as long as she dared Gem sucked in snot back into her sinuses and blinked hard. She wasn't the stuffy one but she knew none of her wanted to be the miserable one either. They didn't march in unison like levy in the army, well they could of course, at the very thought all three of them fell into rhythm, foot falls in harmony. Toes striking stone in unison.

But just as swiftly, the twins and Gem mutually fell back out of 'sync'. And yet they were never unharmonious, She never tripped, never stumbled, never even touched either twin unless she wanted, expected, needed. In the first few days after hatching all three of them would catch one another for balance before either could fall. Gem at first, but then the others.

None of them had needed to be taught how to feed themselves, Gem knew, Jewel knew, all of them knew, and unlike her own youth it didn't melt away in a moment! She was so jealous, she was so relieved, she remembered feeling both ways, in all the ways. But always separately even when she was in one place. Six eyes and ears seeing and hearing. Three tongues and noses tasting and smelling. Each twin, subtly different there.

All three of them avoided bread of course, memory of the tumult it made of her guts clear and ringing in all their heads. But it smelled much more enticing for the twins than Gem. The sun struck them and Gem took point to shade her sister selves before she even realized she was shading their still easily stung eyes. Lights were so bright, colors sharp, sights nearly painful sometimes.

"Alright, so just short stas-" Gem rumbled to interrupt her sister with as close to a growl as she could manage." Sticks Gwenn, I said sticks, not even staves. The twins can barely lift even a short club!" Which was not actually true but despite their acumen and grace seemingly on par with her now neither Gem nor she guessed the twins felt up for properly holding back a blow from their 'elder' sister.

"Ugh, fine! But those two extras of you had better not be growing up craven Gem! I won't have it! No sister of mine, especially not one who is sometimes a full blown dragon will ever live the life of a coward." Gem crossed her arms as the twins found sufficient arms for the four of them.

"You know what father says." Which got a scowl from Gwenn.

"Bravery is feeling fear and acting despite it. Alright, yes! Fine!" Gem reached behind her for the branch she barely heard being thrown. Catching it exactly where she expected. A sharp but wordless yell needed for the other twin's throw to catch Gwenn's attention enough to still catch her own. Which made Gem's sister consider her youngest siblings/nieces with a calculating gaze.

"That throw doesn't look like they are delicate flowers who can barely lift a short club." Gem grinned at her sister and slapped the slender switching stick into her hand just harsh enough to snap as it hit her scaled palm." Now, whose craven sister? Do we need to fetch Skullsplitter to make this a fair bout for you? One giant against three frail maidens? Does the ogress need her steed as well?" Gwenn gave her head a shake and grinned with a toothy look.

"A light switch seems just the tool for my impertinent and disrespectful sister-nieces I think." Gem took in a deep breath, she heard its echo and mirror whistling in the throats of her smaller selves. She could hear the dirt of the Rochford courtyard and feel the warmth of mid Fallow turn sun. There were a few of the gathering footmen uneasily circling them, Gem and Gwenn's bouts were well known over the years. But the addition of the twins gave them concern.

Not enough to interrupt, Gem thought the simple reedy branches in all four combatant's hands helped with that. But they were incredulous of the youngest of Gem's selves and their chances against a young woman their equal in mass and towering over them. She did not feel the sting of tears in her eyes now, but her chest clenched, Muriel's lessons flowed in her arms and legs. Gem lunged for her sister without a signal.

They were long past the need for a signal, they knew each other's tells, but now Gwenn faced three on one, and Gem saw the confidence in her sister's eyes faltering before she found true bravery. Good. If the war turned out for the worst Jewel's sister would need it.