Birth had drained Catori more than she had expected and she found herself more reclusive than she'd ever wanted to be. There was also the cruel spike of unexpected jealousy and concern; both Aviana and Pema were pregnant and while she was fond of both it was competition for resources. She'd whelped early enough that she hoped her own children would far without stress but what if they'd overloaded themselves? Worry left her more sensitive, and more despondent, and the Spiritwalker hated it.

She reclined herself in a patch of sun and watched her children playing, occasionally offering snippets of stories like the most sacred of treats. She couldn't help but relay the adventures she and Chelan had embarked on in their youth; their playful encounters in 'mystic worlds' of shadowed lairs and worn out hollows as epic as any fable she knew. She wished she could share her children with her brother, but, she doubted now she would ever lay eyes on Chelan again. With a little rapid blink she pushed the thought away as quickly as she could. She was tired of being melancholy.