Totoka River Help me do it myself

Szymon had to fight his baser instincts as the silver-spined wolfling took a single step away from him, her attention immediately winging toward the inkdark creature who set herself in front of the child and regarded him with a distrustful air. The curl of her lip stung him, and he knew himself chastised — had he used the wrong inflection or pronounced the words wrong? The black-banded Cairn was not an eloquent beast and words did not come easily to him; her unspoken command, however, was easily comprehended and swiftly obeyed. Carefully he set more distance between himself and Chusi, the intrepid, spirited little creature that was to be his. That the tuft-eared one was an otherworldly creature sent by the Sea to guard Szymon’s quarry, he had no doubt. She streamed yet with water, her fur a living silhouette of squid ink, and he spoke again, doing his best.

“I m-m-mean no h-harm,” he said, his splendid bass timbre low and contrite. “I w-w-wished only to p-p-please the S-Sea, for She c-commanded me to c-c-come here. I w-w-would take you both b-back with me, for m-m-my Atoll can better hear Her voice.” He looked upon Chusi carefully. “Y-You are s-strong,” he repeated, “b-but She can m-m-make you s-stronger.” Surely, she would not flounder as Sharkbait did and deny the blessing of the Sea. “Y-You must b-bond with your s-spirit guide,” he breathed. He did not wish this small one to suffer the same fate that the golden child did due to her flighty insolence.