Stone Circle Doubts will try to break you

for @Siarut <3
set directly after this thread

He was still in a fair amount of shock, but as it started to dissipate and the fog began to lift from his brain, guilt and fear set in. He knew he shouldn't have been that far from the den—he knew it. But he had been curious for the first time since mom left, and it had felt good to feel something other than sad. But he had broken the rules—and what if something had happened to dad or Valette? What if they had never come back?

Along with the guilt over it all, his heart fluttered in his chest at the very real possibility that dad was angry with him. Initially, he had seemed relieved that he was okay and that Polaris had comforted him, but once they were alone and heading back to the den, he had suddenly become quite—too quiet. 

The little bear was the picture of remorse, walking directly behind his giant father with ears plastered to his skull and head hung low. Occasionally, he would risk a glance up, but dad was always looking ahead, his face stony and expressionless. But the anger had to be coming soon, and Kallik was a mess of nerves as he waited for it.