~ Gothel and the Baby
Gothel was looking at the body of the goat. She had stolen that goat to feed the baby. It looked like it had fallen down and broken its neck. How could that happen? Goats are supposed to be able to climb anywhere and eat anything.
Just then the baby started to cry. Now what was she going to do?
The baby was hungry and she was going to cry until she got something. She just didn't have anything suitable for a baby to eat. The only thing the canyon had for food was a patch of rapunzel. She found it very tasty, it was the best rapunzel she had ever eaten, but babies just find it too bitter.
She needed food and not just for the baby. She had found the tower a few days ago and was still trying to settle in. She had explored the canyon a little, but she needed to do more.
Gothel walked around the tower and climbed the stairs, the cries of the baby echoing down the stairwell.
What was she going to do now?
They had water at least. She had lugged up a bucket of water from the stream, primed the pump in the kitchen and gotten it working.
Food was an issue. She had a little money, but it wouldn't last long. The hair could keep them healthy, she'd had to do that to survive a few famines, but the hunger pangs were terrible. She'd eaten grass and mud to stave off the hunger pangs, just so she could function.
She still had the garden at her old place, but she didn't dare go back there. It was too close to where the flower had been. Someone might be looking for her to come back. Besides it would take of a day to walk there and back. She couldn't leave her flower alone that long. Something could happen to the baby. It would attract too much attention to have the baby screaming from hunger as she walked there.
What was she going to do now?
Gothel clambered up through the trapdoor and rushed over to the baby. She picked up the baby, who calmed somewhat, expecting to be fed.
"What am I going to do with you?" asked Gothel of the baby. She ran her hand down the long golden hair. The baby looked up seriously.
"I didn't want this...you. All I wanted was my Flower. They stole my Flower. I would have been happy with just a piece to keep me alive, but it didn't work. I have to live, I just have too. I promised." Gothel was pleading with the baby.
"What am I going to do with you? I'm no good with babies. I've never had one. I was saving myself. I have to take care of you. So you can take care of me. But I don't know how." Gothel all but wailed hugging the baby close.
The baby groped at the neckline of the dress Gothel was wearing. Gothel pulled her away, and the baby began to cry. The baby was hungry. She reached out toward the bosom of her kidnapper, again.
Gothel was puzzled for a moment, then understood what the baby wanted. The baby wanted suck.
"No, no, no, no, no." Gothel put the baby on the bed, swished the curtain aside and walked onto the balcony overlooking the main room of the tower.
How could she do that? She would have to expose herself to that baby. She put her arms over her chest.
She turned to look at the crying baby, who was reaching out toward her. Could that work? Mothers gave their babies suck and so did wet nurses. She was a woman, she should be able to do it, shouldn't she?
"Why couldn't things have remained easy?" Thought Gothel. She hadn't stolen a flower, she had kidnapped a baby. A baby looking at her crying big tears from big green eyes.
Gothel turned from the baby, who screamed louder. She could just lock the baby in the room below them. She would be safe there and the screams muffled a little. Then she could go looking for food, and do all she wanted and needed to do. To go to her waiting place and watch for Jonathan.
But that wouldn't be right. She had cared for the Flower, brought it muck to feed the roots, water when there was drought, and watched over it while it got plenty of sun. Even if she did keep it hidden from everyone.
To lock the baby, her Flower, away would be wrong.
She still needed to take care of the Flower, even if it was in this baby. It was what she had to do. It was what she had always done.
Gothel turned back toward the baby and reached behind her and unbuttoned her dress. She blushed a rosy red down to her navel as she slipped the dress off her shoulders. She picked up the baby and held her close and the baby latched on.
Gothel gasped at the intensity of the sucking. "This had better work soon."