Broken Boulder Roads go ever ever on

his placations do not soothe the other boy at all. his ears lay flat against his skull and his tail curls up under his belly, a dramatic sniffle escaping him. "can't," he says, looking down, "my mamas brung me n' my siblin's here. can't go back. m'sorree." it's a rule he has to break and he hopes mali will understand -- he's never really experienced punishment so he does not fear what the other boy might do, but genuinely wants to smooth over their misunderstanding so that they might get along.