Otatso Wetlands Break free and leave us in ruins

the ponderous chassis of mahler stalled in the snowdrift as stag made his debut challenge. 
wylla did not move.
in the eternal time between step and collision, the gargoyle heard the voice of takiyok, breaking upon the struggle of her last child's birth. it had been the only time she had let out a sound. she had brought stag into the world in silence and in peace; mahler remembered too starkly the cries the tiny mouth had admitted; a mouth grown into a muzzle long with fangs that closed on the edge of his haunch, drawing first blood and sending a swordblade of shock knifing through the gargoyle.
the tear of flesh dripped crimson again; he lurched away from the hard jaw of the younger man, suddenly flush with the scarlet blurring of rage before his lilac eyes. not humiliation; he had not wanted to face the boy, had meant to be away before this happened! — 
beyond the alabastrine shoulder of stag, wylla's face, etched with dread and with dismay; it was this that hauled back on the taut rein of his dissolving control, but lavender eyes had darkened.
of himself had the boy made a rival; mahler had meant each word spoken, and would honour whatever choice she made, but he had not extended that to the swift in-sweep that stag had dared. he would not tolerate it; he had not from praimfaya and he would not from a lesser man. 
love for son and the balefire means to punish stag writhed together within mahler; he whirled tightly, meaning to send his shoulder bruising into stag's own, while broad jaws clamped for the top of the younger's muzzle; if his gambit paid off, the would-be challenger might find himself shoved into the snow beneath the man, held there by the stay of teeth that tightened.
or perhaps it would not be this thing. thought ceased. he did not clash now with stag for wylla's favour, and knew dimly that this would never ensure its return. but at the forefront of his mind, only the hot quickboil of wrath, driving him to demand whatever respect remained in his son. if not affection, then wariness; do not dare again.
mahler would have preferred to descend here, throat torn by the other; it would be better than returning to rivenwood in full knowledge now that she would not be coming back. he could have chosen to run, to allow stag the glory of chasing him away; he wondered why he did not; but too late now; he had meant to meet stag and would not turn back upon his word.