Here's Chapter 8 of The Ram.

The Welsh Mountain Ram 8.

Briony Betrayed wife and mother.
Sion Her eight-year-old son.
Ellairy Her nine-month-old daughter.
Arfon Brionys’ unfaithful husband.
Dave. Welsh bachelor hill-farmer.
Jenny and Lassie Daves’ sheepdog bitches.
Laddie. Daves’ sheepdog.
Jessica and Pansy Daves’ sows.
Angel Daves’ mare.
Daphne Daves’ ‘girlfriend’
Cledwyn. Farmer further down the valley (Neighbour.)
Blodwen Cledwyn’s daughter.
Rachel Daphne’s TV friend.
Shirley Rachels’ GG wife.

Sion stayed with Daphne in the stable while Briony slipped away to make some hot chocolate and toast ‘for the men’ she told herself, then she had to mentally correct herself. As long as Daphne remained as Daphne, Briony would have to maintain the subterfuge. Though, as she picked her way across the yard, she concluded ‘that would not be a hard task, Daphne was every inch a girl even when dressed in skinny jeans, jerseys and a waterproof apron.’ Briony smiled to herself as she made the sanctuary of the warm kitchen and prepared the drinks. It was now seven o’clock on Christmas morning and the first fingers of the low winter sun were needling their way through the receding snow clouds to the east. Briony felt uplifted, she had never felt or seen a more inspiring dawn; ‘and Christmas Day to boot!’ She smiled to herself.

With the tray prepared, she braved the yard again and found Daphne explaining what the placenta was while Sion looked puzzled at Angel actually eating it.

“She’s eating part of her own tummy!” Sion squeaked.

Daphne explained that the placenta was very nutritious and sometimes, even herbivores ate their own placentas, especially if it was cold and food was scarce.

Briony smiled as she listened while Daphne and Sion wiped their hands on the sterile ‘baby-wipes’ Briony had brought then they sipped their chocolates and Daphne explained further.

“If food is scarce then that’s sometimes why they do it. I’ve only seen Angel do it once before and that was also a winter birth as well.”

Sion peeped into the feed box and frowned.

“But she’s got plenty of food.”

“Yes but I think it’s more to do with the weather and the cold, than the availability of food. Normally, in the wild, in winter, food is scarce. Animals tend to be more responsive to the seasons than we humans do.”

Briony loved the way Daphne qualified every statement to enable Sion to understand that everything was not a hard and fast fact; not an unbreakable rule. It enabled Sion to ask about things, and even disagree without fear of being bullied. Then Sion got excited.

“Look! She’s trying to get up. Let’s help her.”

Daphne gently restrained the boy as once more she explained.

“I think we should first let her try on her own. She’ll learn better that way. Like all of us, she has to make her own way sooner or later. Let’s sit and watch for a while. If she can’t get up after an hour, then we’ll help her.”

Sion settled in the hay beside Daphne while Briony returned to the kitchen. There, exhausted by the long night, she fell asleep again on the ‘saggy-baggy’ sofa. This time however, she made herself comfortable with some extra cushions from the Windsor chairs.
She was awoken at ten by Daphne and Sion returning. Sions’ excited chatter alerted her as they entered the back door. He was so keen to report everything that he was chattering even as he kicked off his wellies and removed his coat.

“She’s feeding her mummy, just like you feed Ellairy. I tasted some of her milk. It’s sweet! Sweeter than a cows’ or yours.”

Briony blushed. She had once let Sion have a taste when Ellairy had first arrived and his father had hit him. The boy was distraught and as she had cuddled him, he sneaked a nurse. She had let him continue until he fell asleep on her lap. Briony was surprised he had remembered the taste. She blushed even deeper when Daphne smiled enviously.

“What?” Briony whispered.

“You’re so lucky.”

“What d’you mean?”

“You girls are so lucky ... lucky to be able to have children and then continue with the intimacy by feeding them. You’re just so, so-oo lucky. I really envy you.” Daphne sighed as she peeled off her boots and jerseys to reveal a top blouse that rather revealed her own cleavage. Briony glanced at the cleavage and grinned.

“If you keep growing those, you’ll be able to feed Ellairy as well.”

Daphne blushed. The conversation had wandered too far down a road Daphne was afraid to travel. At least, not yet; not with a woman she had only known for a little over two days. She changed the subject by turning to tousle Sions’ hair affectionately.

“He’s a lovely kid, and very helpful. He’s been excellent with Angel and her new daughter.”

Briony could have sworn she saw Sion actually grow an inch with pride as his eyes lit up and the smile nearly split his face.
She reflected contentedly, ‘It seemed no matter whether she was Daphne or Dave; she or he; no matter which; certainly had a knack with children.’

Sion promptly confirmed Brionys’ feelings by clambering up on Daphnes’ knee for want of room on his mothers’ lap. There he snuggled in and rested his head happily on Daphnes’ breasts. Daphne looked up to search Brionys’ face for any sign of disapproval. At first Briony was wondering how to take it but when she recognised Daphnes’ need for acceptance she eventually smiled.

Daphne turned to hide a tear of gratitude; then she reached for a tissue from the box on the side-board to wipe it away. When she turned again to face Briony she was smiling.

“Thanks Bri’. That was kind of you.”

“What happens when he finds out?” Briony asked.

“We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“Which will be pretty soon.” Briony warned. “He’ll be wondering where your alter/ego is any minute.”

Although this conversation had gone straight over Sions’ head, he was a bright kid and immediately asked what an ‘alter ego’ was.
Briony was at a bit of a loss to explain without giving the game away so Daphne took the bull by the horns. If there were to be any revelations it was best to free Briony from any burdens.

Daphne turned Sion on her lap, looked straight into the boys’ eyes and explained.

“An alter ego is another side to a persons’ personality; as if they have two different sides or even more.”

“You mean like my dad?” Sion responded.

Daphne was stumped. She didn’t want to put her foot in it for she knew nothing of the family. It was Brionys’ turn to rescue Daphne as she explained.

“His dad has terrible mood swings and he gets very violent. It’s frightening.”

Daphne was about to comment when she felt Sion grab tightly as he whimpered.

“We’re not going back are we?”

Daphne casually moved her hand from Sions’ waist to embrace him in a reassuring hug but she said nothing, for she knew nothing. Briony replied instead.

“No darling we’re not going back. Not this time. We’re going to Auntie Nestors’ in Machynlleth and we’re staying there.”

“Can’t we stay here?”

His question left Daphne flummoxed and Briony somewhat embarrassed. They exchanged uncertain looks for secretly, each had realised they were growing fond of the other. Briony liked Daphne or Dave because she/he had been such a gentleman when rescuing her and later proven to be perfect when dealing with Sion. Briony had watched her son literally blossoming before her eyes.
Daphne on the other hand was hugely reassured when Briony had proved to be utterly unmoved by her unusual, transgendered lifestyle. Indeed, Briony had even shown support and that shouted volumes to Daphne.

Both girls felt there was potential and yet both girls wanted to take it slowly without ‘jumping the gun’. Sion’s question had somewhat pre-empted things. Briony replied to Sions’ question somewhat ambiguously. She felt they certainly couldn’t simply plonk themselves there and then on Daphnes’ hospitality but alternatively, she did not want to slam the door shut for eternity. Daphne swallowed nervously as she tried to reassure Sion without frightening or offending Daphne.

“Well darling, we can’t simply land in somebodys’ lap unexpectedly and then expect to stay there forever. We weren’t invited here; we ended up here by accident. I hardly think Daphne is expecting us to stay here forever. She’s not a relation and this house is not a hotel.”

“But there are plenty of rooms.” Sion observed.

“I know darling but it’s not a hotel. This is Daphnes’ house.”

Even as she said it, she realised she had made a mistake. Sion frowned as his brain clicked away.

“I thought it was Daves’ house. He told me it was when we were clearing the snow on the road yesterday.”

Briony felt trapped but she persevered.

“Well yes, it is Daves’ house.”

“Where is he? If I could ask Dave he might let us stay here. Daddy won’t find us here.”

Daphne could stand the tension no longer. The more Briony tried to avoid the issue, the deeper the hole she was digging and the bigger the lie would be when and if they finally had to tell Sion. She spoke softly and slowly for the boy was still nestled into her breasts.

“Sion look at me.”

Sion squirmed around and sat up to look straight into Daphnes’ eyes as Daphne asked.

“Can you tell me who you see Sion?”

“I see you, Daphne.”

“Very good darling now watch carefully. I’m going to take off my hair.”

Sion smiled disbelievingly then his eyes widened as slowly, Daphne peeled up the ear tabs of her wig then gradually eased the whole hairpiece forward. Sion was deathly silent as Daphne put the wig aside then removed the net wig cap to display Dave’s short light brown hair. The wig was the prime element of disguise and Briony tensed as she saw dawning begin to appear in Sions’ eyes. Daphne spoke softly.

“Yes, Sion, it’s not a trick you are seeing what you think you are seeing. I’m David.”

Sions’ jaw sagged but Briony was mercifully relieved that Sion did not scream or try to escape.

“Mummy, it is Dave! He’s a woman!”

Daphne re-secured the wig net then replaced the wig and turned to check in the oval mirror at the back of the sideboard as Sion simply continued staring in silence. Briony continued sitting tensely, still expecting Sion to suddenly react. Instead, Sion simply revealed his age by asking very personal and invasive questions. Firstly he ‘tested’ Daphnes’ breasts and demanded.

“Are they real?”

“Yes darling, and please, don’t prod them like that. It’s rather rude.”

Both Briony and Daphne were expecting the next question but Briony wasn’t sure exactly what Daphne had between her legs. The question came straight from the shoulder.

“What have you got down there?”

Daphne reserved her right to be coy.

“That’s not the sort of question little boys should be asking grown-ups, so I’m not going to tell you.”

To Brionys’ amazement, Sion accepted the reply and went on to ask more.

“So are you a boy or a girl?”

“I’m both Sion. Sometimes I’m a boy and sometimes I’m a girl. At the moment, and for the rest of Christmas, I’ll be a girl.”

“Don’t you like being a boy?”

“Yes; sometimes I do like it, but not always.”

“Why?”

“Ah, now there you’ve asked a question that I can’t answer. The truth is I don’t know.”

“Will you be a boy tomorrow?”

“Probably not. But the day after Boxing Day I’ll be a boy again.”

“How will you know, is it like daddy and the rows?”

“How d’you mean?”

“Well he always comes home angry after he’s had a drink.”

“Well it’s not like that for me Sion. Firstly I don’t drink and secondly it makes me feel better to be a woman most of the time. That way I know when I’ll want to be a man again. Being a woman makes me feel happy so when I want to be a man, I don’t get angry because I’ve had a good time being a woman.”

“Which is better, being a woman or being a man?”

“For me, I prefer being a woman. I think it’s better being a woman but most men don’t think like me. Lots of men can’t even understand why I like being a woman and then changing to a man.”

“Can you still do man things?”

Both Briony and Daphne froze but Daphne realised that Sion was probably thinking about work and strength, not the more intimate aspects. Daphne replied.

“Yes, Daphne can do all the things Dave can do like driving the tractor or all the other jobs on the farm.”

“Even the boy jobs like lifting bales.”

“Yes. No problem. If Dave can do it then Daphne can do it. But she usually leaves it to Dave.”

Briony smiled. That answer would keep Sion thinking for hours for it accurately demonstrated the duality that existed in Daphne and Daves head.