Duskfire Glacier Oh, how they tear at you now

He noticed her gaze slide from his, and a shot of apprehension went through him, the hope of her remembering fading slightly away. Yet it bloomed in his chest again as her slim ears perked at his voice. The name she called him made a strange feeling fall over him. Strong, she had called him. A warmth spread through him, but it did not last long as she stumbled to her feet as if a newborn deer trying to stand for the first time, and his feet propelled him forward a couple of steps, his eyes watching her closely, ready to assist if she needed him.

She came towards him, his green eyes locking onto her pale ones, and he stood still, the openness of her expression catching him off guard. Incredulity rested in her eyes, and they stood in the glow of the red moon for minutes on end. The restlessness left, pushed out by..what, he did not know or understand. She spoke, and guilt seeped into him again. The thought of how many wondered that exact thing whispered in his head. A slight heaviness settled in him at the thoughts. Her gaze dropped, and his eyes blinked, as if he were awakening from a dream. It was then that he saw her in the light of the night.

Concern and alarm came over him like a heavy blanket, his gaze going over her. His bright eyes turned darker, softer yet discerning. She hadn't eaten. Had anyone checked to see if she was eating? Looking at her, it didn't seem so, and he suppressed agitation. She was part of the pack. Why hadn't anyone checked? Scars seemed to have grown on her, the light making them seem bigger yet. A sense of protectiveness pricked at him, surprising him. It was usually only for family that it rose in him. Yet it was there, and he did nothing to suppress it.

Her fur against his made him close his eyes for a moment, a ghost of a smile appearing on his maw. As she stepped back, he hesitantly nuzzled her, a gentle movement from the giant, one which spoke the same back to her. As if not to break the moment, he spoke low, the rest of the world forgotten for a moment. I have always meant to come back. I did not mean to make you concerned. You have not eaten. Why not, Uki? What is going on?