Bearclaw Valley new beginnings

mama? a quiet shadow had slid along her elbows, his eyes wide and filled with an emotion that pained indra to witness. was it fear?

for not the first time, indra marveled at the intuition of children - but before she could offer much more than a reassuring nudge, stigmata's disapproving gaze darkened the mood of the already grim group. indra felt something similar to a raw current outpour from his passionate form.

a hostile wrath threatened to move her; indra was surprised by the tenacity in which it roared to life from within her belly and ribs -- quickly she drew breath and extinguished it, but could not help the reproachful coldness of her eyes. it was a good thing laurel pulled no punches and held nothing back -- without ever needing to speak, indra watched as laurel plainly laid out for the male his options.

a new feeling settled in the pit of indra's stomach as she ushered the children along. she had already felt terrible for this move, but now a feeling of dread and burnt-out grief (extracted by stigmata's belligerent outburst) settled around her shoulders. for perhaps the first time, a twisted feeling that she wished she had never met the man burned in her quickly-closing heart.