A Satyr's Mate Ch. 13

Faustus approached and nodded to Dolphus out of respect. "I am guilty of not showing how thankful I am that you saved my life. Twice, in fact. First, when I was born, and then later, on that cliff ledge with Shala. I know you called out to those hunters to keep them from spotting me."

"I, honestly ... You saved my life, too. Without you, I might've crawled up and died from depression. You made me see beyond our loss."

"Tell her your news, Faustus."

Faustus nodded. "I am taking over the flock from my father."

I shot an alarmed look up at Dolphus. "Aeron is stepping down?"

Dolphus nodded. "You mustn't make a big fuss over this, but Aeron and Lena are a mated pair."

"When...?"

"This past mating season marked two in a row of exclusivity for the pair."

I turned to Faustus. "Congratulations. I know you will lead them well."

"Thank you. Now, I must join my parents so we can spread the news together. We wanted you to be among the first to know."

I watched Faustus take long, effortless strides toward his parents. It was hard to believe that he was so clumsy once. He'd grown into such an elegant creature.

"So, Aeron chose Lena over the flock?"

"I don't think he sees it that way, non. He believes it was the path chosen for him by a greater force than himself."

"Is that what you believe happened with us? Was it a higher power that brought me to you? Or was it pure luck?"

"What do you think, little one?"

"A bit of both?"

"Did you ever ask your father about the dice game he lost that resulted in your slavery?"

"No."

"Ah, then let me enlighten you. The game had gone on for hours. Your father had gotten himself into Grachhus' debt and had nothing of value left to wager. He was to go on the auction block to repay him if he could not earn his money back. Grachhus offered him a final wager. If your father won, all debts were forgiven. If he lost, then you must go on the auction block in his place. Your father wouldn't even consider it until he heard the wager.

"As you know, a single dye has six sides, making the possibility of hitting that number on two dice, one in thirty-six. Grachhus' wager was that he would roll satyr eyes before your father rolled any combination of six. The odds were in your father's favor by a factor of ten."

"He didn't win, though."

"Non, he did not. Was that luck or some other force intervening?"

I pondered the question as the sounds of laughter and conversation filled the space around me. Could my life have gone any other way?

I used to think that my life's path was a series of zig zags, changing direction to accommodate the chaos on all sides. As I glanced around the lawn, I didn't feel that way at all. Perhaps my life had been on a straight line path to this all along. It only felt like it shifted left and right because I was fighting it every step of the way.

When I looked around me, all I saw was a meticulously planned miracle. Did I choose to head down that alleyway when the ogre was stalking me, or was I led there by another force? Would Dolphus have chosen me over his firstborn lambkin if he hadn't grown so attached to me first? And what of that attachment? He'd always said that he thought it chose him more than the other way around. What if Faustus hadn't needed me when he did? Would I have left Dolphus then? What if the arrow meant for Shala had found me, instead?

A thousand little details all added up to the same conclusion.

I wrapped my arms around Dolphus' waist as I looked adoringly up at him. "I don't believe in luck."

"I am happy to hear you say this because I have another surprise to share with you."

"What is that?"

"You are pregnant, little one."

The End

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Thank you for reading this story in its entirety. I do hope you enjoyed it. Please remember to leave a comment. I am interested in hearing your feedback. -Dakota Lynn