Lion Head Mesa socius

the small canine erupted.

germanicus turned his gaze away and kept it trained upon the far wall. 

inside the cage of his ribs rushed the ugly guilt, ice in a river already muddied by shame. he had not known these things because he had not wished to see them.

a long and pregnant silence seeped into the cold short distance between himself and gucci. there was a moment where he thought surely he must halt the anger or at least conceptualize it in his own words.

despair and then resignation, neatly folded into a crisp shape and placed to rankle on the organized shelf of his mind 

the imperator stood quietly. he would make no excuses for himself. there was no explanation which might justify the harm to crowfeather's heart.

germanicus experienced then a rush of loneliness.

"he is blessed indeed to have such a fervent ally." the eagle's shoulders were sharply held. the sungold eyes blinked once, and that was far more than he had wanted to evince.

"if you think of anything else regarding the queen, please inform glaukos. he will carry the message to me."

he chose to leave before dismissal, gliding around gucci. if the neb ordered his halt then for the sake of diplomacy he would, but otherwise germanicus meant to be gone from view.

he was heartstricken and the shadow's face filled his mind.