Jade Fern Grove see how they run. see how they run

Swift had retreated upon their return - both physically and figuratively. It was understandable, but not doing him any good at all - if he was anything like his father, Bazi imagined he must be feeling the crushing weight of his own feelings now. And if he was anything like hear, he would feel as she had done when the isolation of the crater had nearly driven her insane.

Bazi crept to the edge of her child's Big Boy den. She paused there, watching the vague shadow of his chest rise and fall in an erratic pattern. What could she say? It'll get better? Because it wouldn't - not unless he distracted himself with hard work, suitable variants of which were in short supply for a wolf with no eyes.

Eventually, she broke the silence with a sharp clearing of her throat. "Swift?" she asked, trying to address him as she might her other children - without that cloak of fuzz and worry. "Can you come out? I stepped in something - it smells kind of sharp.. and it isn't washing off."

It's lemon balm - I picked something that wouldn't happen 'round here naturally so that it would stand out. :D