Blackfeather Woods The notes I sing will set me free

The silence was not made to last long, her statement breaking it. That she wished to leave the woods was not so much unusual as it was surprising—then again, it really wasn’t. Although she was a Melonii by name, that did not tie her indefinitely to the shadows. Yes, those of her family would always be welcome there, but they were not expected to join or even stay—there were ones before her that had come and gone, so it was easy to not react to her decision. He did not even expect an explanation, yet he did not stop her, either, when she offered one.

As she shared her thoughts, he listened; he half expected her to say she wished to relocate to the pack that had lured away Potema before, but he quickly realised that was not the case. “Then go,” he said after she’d finished. “If you feel you need to leave in order to grow, then go out into the world. Just be careful—the world can be dangerous without a pack there to support you.” He was lucky, his youthful travels having never driven him into dangerous situations, but he knew not all were fortunate enough to have such luck.