The early morning hours had granted the moonlighter time to search the outer reaches of the valley for small prey animals. Though he had left the confines of the Bearclaw world, stretching out on narrow limbs, Tadec had not been gone long. Upon reaching the meadow just outside of the dale, the stilt-limbed crow had quickly captured the trailing aroma of hare on the land. After some short tracking, he had drunk in the scent long enough to follow a trail to a small warren. There, the dark prince had chased and chased until he found purchase in the tender neck of a limber rabbit.
 
The crow trotted back into the valley with the catch clasped delicately between his teeth. The narrowness of his muzzle was accented by the pale plumage of the prey animal. The thief had been keen on filling the cache for Indra’s sister and her children. He had only wanted to show that he would care for her as best as he could. Even though the common tongue was often difficult for the fire-touched halfling to grasp, there was no doubt in his mind about the love that was shared between Indra and Laurel.
 
Approaching the mouth of the family’s den, Tadec issued a soft yip to announce that he had returned with a gift. The embers of his gaze searched the opening before he lowered his rear to the earth and waited.

The spindly moonlighter was careful to keep his distance for the new mother. He did not wish to cause any sort of commotion that would cause Laurel to feel antipathy for him. Tadec only wished to provide for the family that Indra had cared for; he wished to feel the connection that was shared between the sisters in the same manner. Their kindness had been more than he could have ever desired.
 
Dropping the rabbit so that she could collect the prize, the thief fixed her with a pair of sparkling lantern eyes. The tip of his tail twittered about on the earth, and he felt his paws itch with a need to move. Still, the subordinate held his ground and remained respectfully low in comparison. She offered him thanks and he afforded her a slight twitch of his muzzle and curling of his lips. Pleased that she had accepted his boon, Tadec lifted his rear from the ground and allowed the dark tip of his tail to flair behind him, jittering back and forth rapidly. “No need for thank,” he assured her, still bowing his skull. “Laurel important to Indra. How are pups?” the thin-limbed crow then inquired with a slight tilting of his narrow skull.

Indra’s sister remarked that her children were well – sleeping – to which the charcoal crow offered a soft smile and dipping of his crown. Then, she measured him with a sharp glint in her gaze and released a question that carried so much weight, Tadec feared his spindly limbs would give away if he dared to answer it. There was a fearful glittering in the fire of his gaze; he did not want to shine a bad light on himself, or his intentions for the Redleaf’s sister. The thief knew how close they were to each other and how much the bonds of familial ties had latched to their spirits. He would never have dreamed of stepping between the two of them.
 
“Tadec…” he began in a soft voice and found that he struggled to say it in a tongue that was still so unfamiliar to him. “Tadec only want Indra to be happy,” he then admitted with a careful casting of his gaze to the female’s chin. He was careful not to overstep his boundaries and leave her with the means to scorn him for disregarding proper submission. Still, the long-legged crow wanted her to know that his intentions were nothing but good. Had he not shown that already?

Tadec was pressed to the earth in an attempt to make himself as small as he could. His gaze was latched to the underside of her neck, flickering over her chest as she demanded a response from him. Fear flooded through his system like icy water, and his nimble limbs trembled with the touch of it. He feared the wolf; the intensity in her gaze was enough to send him running. Even in her imperfect form, Indra still cast fear into him on occasion. When faced with Laurel, the crow felt himself wither beneath her and fumbling to provide an answer in Hedgerow that would satisfy the dragon that loomed over him.
 
For a moment, his mouth gaped and closed repeatedly. The difference in their language was enough to cripple him in that particular conversation. Tadec felt as though he stood on the edge of a terrifying drop and had only his claws to keep him fastened to the earth. The tip of his tail danced nervously against the earth. “Indra is… like sun to Tadec. Indra chase away the darkness. Indra is good, and kind. Indra is-is beautiful. Indra is loved.” When the words left him, he felt his body quiver. These were words that were only ever intended for the russet-hued female that he had found a longing for. He had never wanted to share it with another soul.
 
“But… Tadec does not know what Tadec is to Indra.”
 
There was a sadness there.
 
The crow felt a realization sink into the pit of his stomach as he spoke this. Initially, he had wanted Laurel to know that he did not speak for her sister; that Indra had all the capability to express her own feelings and emotions, without the aid of a nervous shadow. When it had been said, though, Tadec felt a forlorn emotion that had crept its way into the marrow of his bones. Perhaps, he was nothing to the Redleaf girl. That thought was enough to cripple the nimble-limbed thief. Why would someone like Indra ever feel anything more than friendly toward a desolate crow like Tadec?

It had never once occurred to him that he might have made a mistake. At least, it had never done so before that moment. The burning in her gaze was enough for him to understand that she was not fond of him or his kind. He did not fully understand that it was man that had done that to her and not simply his breed. All that he felt was fear and pain. The thought of his own realizations had been enough to silence him. Laurel’s warning was not necessary. The jittery coywolf did not know what he was to Indra, and that stung like the bite of a wasp. For all that she was, he should have known that he would never be enough. How could he? 

Peering at the underside of Laurel’s chin, Tadec felt the strength leave his legs and he bobbed his head softly to the superior that stood over him. He could not think to defend himself. There was little that he was capable of enduring socially - in their tongue - even though she was wrong. All of the words had jumbled inside of his head and he felt the sinking of fear. ”Yes, he sputtered softly to her.