Dragoncrest Cliffs throwing off his purple cloak

when chacal inquired, it set a harsh weakness spreading through erzulie. or perhaps it was not weakness at all; suppose it was only the way that things must be, the way eternal of children succeeding their parents.
but her gold-caped girl did not ask for the fringe details. her eyes asked for that which was in her mother's soul, and as she glowed in maternal light, erzulie knew that she could entrust these to chacal.
"it be hard," she said, a tight smile to follow. "i have always led. an' i have always done so wit your mot'er. it was always us, for years an' years." 
strife. war. bears. relocations. injury. they had worked together. the stepping-down of rosalyn had finally ensured that erzulie realized such chapters were ending, and with this came specific fears. wonderment. resentment. anger. sorrow. she drew a long and careful breath.
"i am happy sapphique will go forward. dat is what i wanted. an' bringing your brot'er into de leadership — it means dat de pack will progress differently. wid more newness." more than she could give. and perhaps that too was part of it. 
"an' mot'er, well, i —" voice trailing, throat tightening. "i want to devote each of my moments to her now, wit no distraction." she was uncertain how many of them they might have. 
and still with all erzulie had said, she still could not say that aloud to chacal.