Emberflame Ridge I sold my soul for this?

This isn’t right. He doesn’t know what it is but he knows it’s not right. It’s not Tavi. From the weird smile on her face or the strange giggles coming from her lips. His eyes don’t stop roving her face for some sort of clue, once or twice glancing around them for someone else, but he ends up empty handed. She declines the plea to talk to him and he closes his eyes then, knowing he won’t get the answers from her. He may never know them, if it continues on this way.

She says his name. It’s not his name, not from her mouth. This isn’t a woman he knows and for a while he doesn’t answer.

The silence lingers between them awkwardly and builds to the point Ukko thinks he might explode. The sudden new wave of confusion pushes him toward a few answers but there isn’t enough to grasp so that he can hold on to them, shifting a little so that he may still be solid enough for her to lean.

“What’s wrong?” he says softly near hear ear, nuzzling against her warm fur. Perhaps if he can get her back to the lair. Maybe Asterr will know what to do. His mate. Ukko stiffens again and breaks the embrace, shaking his head a little and taking a step back. “I can take you to help,” he adds, uncertain if she’d understand or even be willing to go with him at all.