Duck Lake Girl use me while you can, I’m all yours

the fault shifts to xan, or so the man claims -- leaving marten's ear to swivel in uncertainty. disbelief, maybe, but no shock was involved. 

it's not your burden alone, the yearling corrects swiftly. so did her father, and her mother -- and every single one of her children. marten used to not include himself in the list -- but he couldn't say now that he didn't belong. his gaze focuses upon the other pale wolf. their stature, by now, is almost identical. had indra not died, to see his father now... so similar to himself... it might've breathed a fire into one of his greatest fears. but he was already living it, wasn't he? 

his gaze flickers, once, towards the ground, thinking. now what? what was he supposed to say? he wasn't angry with his father. they weren't close, not to any degree, and marten blamed him for a lot of his mothers trauma... but he didn't call him down to fight... his nose twitches, suddenly pulling apart from his grief and his attempt at... god he didn't even know. 

you're injured, he says with a flick of his ear, his brow furrowing, why?