Broken Boulder ten detected, nine in a wreck and

She wanted so badly to touch him, to reassure him, but she was afraid of him, too. That if she pushed her muzzle against his shoulder, he would explode, or at the very least, run away again. She shifted on her paws in a very uncomfortable fashion through this whole speech, eyes flashing up then down, up then down. When he had finally finished, Lily fixed her gaze on him, blinking softly before shaking her head.

It's not you. Her eyes were soft. I love you, Ali. You're family. All the words she wanted to say, but couldn't, fluttered through her mind like autumn leaves picked up on an icy, blustering wind. Instead, she hoped that her face conveyed everything she felt, that the openness she had always offered to Alarian carried through now.

Finally, she dipped her muzzle in a gracious bow, coming inches away from brushing her nose against Alarian's shoulder but stopping just short. She didn't know how he would react to her touch; she would only give him that kind of love if he allowed it. Otherwise, she waited for him to reply, gaze completely and utterly guileless.