Sleepy Fox Hollow Where I thought I knew it all before I knew what love was

her features gathered into something altogether familiar; he remembered how despite her size and age, wylla and her fire had always made him quail. today was no exception, though it was not fear that climbed the base of his spine, but longing.
all at once she had swung the point of the matter directly toward his chest; mahler felt a shocked chuckle burbling inappropriately, and clapped a halt to that particular cauldron with a desperate swiftness.
knowing he could not sidestep her inquiry, feeling the tug of instinct whisper he could not tell wylla, and the sting of his pride that she should spring for the jugular of the matter so soon, mahler was silent a long breadth of moments, lavender eyes softening despite himself.
”because —”
he struggled as was unbecoming, unlike himself, laying together the words for a sentence he could barely speak
”— i did not realize i loved you until you left grimnismal,” mahler mumbled tightly, lilac expression at last falling from wylla’s fierce countenance to the ground between their paws.