by Mark Spriggs

Created on: September 18, 2009

The mewling above her head seemed both close and very distant there seemed no logic to what her senses were telling her.

The distance she had to travel to traverse the rocky outcrop on which the unusual sound seemed to be originating seemed massive yet around she came, her son, Tristram, hot on her heels with all the childish curiosity manifest in his wriggling barely contained walk.

Finally able to see over the shelf of stone which sat over looking the vale Daana was shocked to see the biggest lion's body she had ever imagined, it was lying on its right flank obscuring small movements that shadow seem to hint at. The little cries stopped all at once

Be still little ones your new mother comes

A small head with a single yellow and jet eye leant out almost to briefly to see from around the side of its mother's vast shape.

Pink, momma, fur-less, tall

A growl rumbled from the depths of the creature's belly, fearsome, yet desperate.

Who are you, what do you want here?

The words shot through Daana's mind like a blade of ice, the sound terrifying yet full of the desperation only a mother could understand.

My name is Daana, this is my son Tristram, we were out gathering raspberries for jam when I heard you reassuring your babes and you sounded so desperate I knew I must help the fact she was talking to what seemed to be a lion barely registered in her mind and the absurdity certainly didn't touch her.

With unseen encouragement she clambered up the last couple of feet and standing over the family group she silently gestured for her son to remain below the rocky edge, gasping with the awesomeness that she beheld she started to move around the mass of fur to kneel beside the great golden beasts head.

If the surprise of a great cat in the mountains was not enough the first sight of the glistening beak and the auburn feathered head caused Daana to step back in wonder, hands rising to her mouth.

Mother Mother, what is it, is everything ok

You have a small one to, you need not fear me, nor mine, you are the foreseen mother of my little ones and the mother of the future.

You're a Griffin, but you are just legend, how can I care for you and your little one Daana's mind so full of berries and jam and children not a quarter of an hour earlier was swirling with the enormities of what she was seeing and feeling now, the addition of the care of someone else's offspring seemed to cause her mind to shut down

Momma, brother see

Timpa, calm,

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