Redhawk Caldera intro to anxiety

Phox was impressive. He'd developed in the way he was supposed to - not been dragged off by fate the way that Tit had been. He had skills. Maybe he wasn't a warrior, but when the other boy boasted of his ability to track and to hunt, Titmouse felt intensely jealous and his smile faltered a little bit. He wanted to be able to talk about himself that way too. Rather than shouting at the world that he was a warrior (as much as he hoped to be one, he was still untested and barely capable), he wanted everyone to know it. To see him work for it and earn it. Titmouse had missed his chance, or so it felt.

Did you get lost? - what a question. Tit shrugged, but froze at the other suggestion. No, he hadn't been taken. Why would anyone take him? Is that what everyone thought? Either he ran away on purpose or he was stolen away..? Liffey hadn't stolen him! Had she? Tit was a bit confused now, and this showed in the crease of his brow and the small frown that took hold of his expressive, masked face.

I don't think anything really happened. I... I remember being in the forest with someone, and then in the meadow, and at some point I went beyond that. Liffey took care of me, and she introduced me to her friends in the mountains. Hopefully that did not insinuate that Liffey had kidnapped him, because that sounded wrong, and he was prepared to strike up a verbal defense if Phox got the wrong idea.