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The Whispering Bane
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The unusually slim young girl regarded Mortarion and his Deathshroud guard gravely from between two Barbarus stationed marines, greyish-green eyes unafraid.
"Lady Persephone?" she asked, looking vaguely put out.
His mouth quirked into tiny smile, "On campaign with one of my brothers."
The five year old girl mulled that over before nodding with seriousness not often found to those her age.
"You still haven't introduced yourself," Mortarion prodded lightly, his eyes almost unnoticeably amused.
Red suffused the girls pale cheeks while some of the surrounding marines suppressed faint smiles, and still blushing she curtseyed, "Morta, sir," she mumbled.
Mortarion shifted his now-faintly surprised gaze to the marine attempting to look the most innocent in the surrounding group, who gave an embarrassed shrug at being found out.
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Morta stared with wide-eyed, open-mouthed stupefaction at the sheer sprawling immensity that was the Imperial Palace of Terra as the hatches of the Thunderhawk hit the deck of the port.
Mortarion poked her shoulder.
"B-big," she squeaked, still goggling.
"Very," agreed Mortarion.
"Brother!" called out a delighted female voice
He strode forward, his long legs eating up the distance rapidly and swept up the dark-gowned woman into a close embrace, "Hello, Persephone," he greeted her, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the embrace.
"Nice to see you again after so long," she murmured into Mortarion's ear, "But I see you have brought somebody," the sable-eyed woman smiled down at the stunned Morta from over Mortarion's shoulder.
"Yes," he agreed setting his grown up ward back down on the floor, "Barbarus," and nudged Morta forward.
"Truly?"
A wordless nod.
Persephone knelt and hugged the slender girl, who hesitantly returned the embrace, "Welcome to Terra, little sister."
{oOo}
Pale mist ghosted from Morta's mouth as she exhaled lightly, careful to keep it well away from her teacher as they sat cross-legged on one of the many balconies on the Palace, said teachers pale lips hitching up into a smile, "You know it will not harm me," Persephone said, much amused.
The young girl only gave her a wordlessly patient look that said, 'But it will harm others.'
Persephone laughed quietly, "Such a considerate girl," and ruffled Morta's khaki green hair affectionately.
Morta sighed, more poisonous mist escaping.
{oOo}