Stone Circle Bitter

Evergreen continues to stare at his oversized paws, even when Ira speaks. She might understand the reasoning behind his outburst, but he, nonetheless, feels guilty. Maybe he owes her now. No, he already did, for she helped save his life. Perhaps he should listen then, and eat his fill. His mismatched green eyes travel to the hare, only catching Ira's soft approach as he did so. The nose to his shoulder melts the tension from his body, but he is surprised that the roan wolf offered such comfort. His eyes widen, and his cheeks grew warm.

I... The bear starts, his voice fading seconds later. He feels like a fool. His gaze averts from Ira—not even realizing he had been openly staring—and back to the hare. If I went with her... If I showed up a minute sooner, maybe this wouldn't have happened. I can't... get it out of my head. His voice goes quieter until it's just a whisper in the end. "It's not your fault," Dawn's voice echoes.

I don't know what to do, Ira. Evergreen squeezes his eyes shut and buries his muzzle between his paws. Ears flatten. The whole idea for this was for the siblings to journey somewhere together, to stay with each other through thick and thin... and now, Evergreen is alone.