Emberwood Walking and the sky keeps falling down

Takiyok did pry, but in a place he was quite comfortable talking about. He relaxed again noticeably. He felt her teeth gentle on his fur again, and smiled, remembering fondly. Hehe, yeah, they weren't mine, he clarified. Kiyoshi as well had been an interesting boy who had seemed wise far beyond his years. Taikon remembered well the way he had spoken slowly and calmly, the way he asked questions and had gotten him to even talk about his mother and why he had left his pack.
In Whitebark Stream, there was little Juniper. She was aspiring to learn about herbs and healing and all that from my friend. She had her own thing going on, fiery. She would have grown up fierce. Maybe she will, he paused. He tried to remember what he had called her. Little... bush? Twig? My little scrub, he remembered, smiling wide, fast, joyfully. Even though Artyom and Dawn had taken their children far away, he hoped she might one day return. He loved that little girl.
I was really attached to her, and to Aphrodite, before things fell apart. I really thought I was home there. When Aphrodite died and the floods came it was just... I dunno, he said slowly. His eyes watered a bit as he told her, but he felt comfortable. It felt good to talk about it.