the days were longer now. peregrine spent much of his time hunting; moonglow had many mouths to feed, and now the boy was responsible for a good chunk of them. hunts, however, did not seem to be going his way lately — today, a herd of mule deer evaded him as he'd chased them almost to the neverwinter, and now he returned empty handed and exhausted.
frustration grips him as he trails near the ulax, breath still catching up to him as heat begins to bead upon his forehead. the spring's brood were lively, he notes, as he is stopped abruptly by a gaggle of children who bolt straight in front of him as if he isn't even there.
his trudging takes him to the lakeside, as it typically did when the imposing thoughts swarmed his mind. he thinks of galana as he stares at his rough-edged reflection, a tightness forming in his throat; he wasn't worthy of her, or any child of the moonwoman. he was no husband. he was not even a hunter.
he wonders if the village would be better off without him.

a voice. not just any voice; he knew this one, the delightful timbre. ariadne?
a small, sheepish grin unfolds upon his features as he turns to face the pretty girl. she looked more grown up, somehow, radiant and newly curved with what peregrine could only guess was from motherhood. his emotions rifle from surprise to something like jealousy and then to confusion, but his expression remains still.
when did-- i mean, it's good to see you, he chirps, raising a hind leg to scratch behind an ear. are you visiting, or...?

she lived here! but then there is that dreaded word that no bachelor ever wants to hear from the mouth of a woman he trailed after — family. this, of course, came with the assumption that she had a husband.
yeah, i, uh, i moved here-- goddamn, i guess it's been a while now, hasn't it? i got kicked in the head by a bison a while back. kukutux saved me. been here ever since. he studies her with a sweep of his gaze from her limbs to her shoulders to her face, the soft glow of her cinnamon-dashed features something he now took the time to silently appreciate.
you've got a family, huh? his crooked grin grows. congratulations. i think. or my condolences, depending on how you feel about it, and, um, what brought you here. how'd you end up here? moonsong not work out? god, he was talking too much already.

honestly, i don't even remember, his brow furrows as he thinks aloud, mumbling incoherently under his breath. i'unno. but, hey, it didn't kill me. i consider that a win.
she had a family and she was happy. there was no reason for this bitterness which climbed up his throat; it's not as if he'd ever actually gotten anywhere with her all those moons ago. he hides his dismay behind his somewhat bashful grin, boyish and yet sharp with the cut of his teeth.
i'm all ears.

so much had happened to her. peregrine listened, his expression mildly shifting with shock and subsequent relief. an ex-husband who, seemingly, pumped-and-dumped; alone here with her children!
i'm really sorry that all happened to you, a thin-lipped frown finds his countenance, the sharp glint of the tangerine eyes softening. that's-- really tough. wow. i don't even know what to say.
he shifts to place an awkward paw on her shoulder. i'm glad you told me. it sounds like you're better off here, y'know? you've got your family, your friends... me.