Whitebark Stream All my fears could be Irrelevant

the tears might have been kept at bay, but the sadness in her voice was clear. surya took a few stumbling steps after her as she pulled away, ears slicked back against his skull. aphrodite, wait, he called out, his voice breaking boyishly on the last word.

please don't be upset, the yearling begged her, looking quite hangdog. you didn't do anything wrong. i really like you. i want to have fun with you. but all this about love, pups—? i'm not ready for that yet, yaar.

now it was his turn for his gaze to skim the ground. he felt utterly dejected, but then, what choice did he have? he was barely more than a baby himself. i'm sorry, surya said quietly. i didn't—don't—want to make you sad.

he wanted to continue to learn about herbs and healing, to have fun fishing capers, to explore the territory with aphrodite. all of that, without the rigidity of a future he wasn't sure he wanted. . .or for which he was even equipped.