Arrow Lake trauern

his eyes closed; he gratefully leant into ketzia's touch, allowing himself to lower the exhaustively alert  upholding of his inner veils. she had given much to him this morning, and mahler would repay it by becoming less of himself somehow. her sorrow had changed to be for himself, and in that he felt selfish, for he had come to share in her own grief.
ketzia shuddered; he grunted, lying his muzzle across the ruff that smelled of earth, of milk, and now of salt. until her words came again he held fast, and drew back only to seek the teary glint of her eyes with his own.
"no," mahler muttered, with an emphatic nature only reined by his unwillingness to wake the slumbering babes not far from them. "it vas stigmata's decision to be father to both your litters, and it vas a beast of prey that killed him." for she had not joined them in the bloody place, she did not know. 
relieved that she had not seen the man she loved in such a state, mahler turned toward the dawn again. "he vould be proud to see them continue to thrive, and you as vell, ketzia."