Northstar Vale I wrote in blood

She practically withered under his stern eyes. His response was swift—bereft of emotion spare for a coldness that mirrored the tone Germanicus had used upon her also. Tamar gathered her—paws seeking her own to hold on, and Meadow pressed down to the ground now, feeling the weight of the emotion the past weeks had given her. Her forehead leaned down to press to the Morphe’s knuckles—a harsh breath released and a shudder.

“Whatever I can do,” she murmured, despite Tamar’s talk of being strong, she felt so very frail and useless in that moment. The sheer idea that she had placed Epoch upon the radar of a place of such corrupt history to them—she could try to remove the traces of her home from herself—find some of the members of Akashingo and casually mention Epoch had gone by the time of her return… would they fall for such an antic?

It felt unlikely.

But she was so desperate.

And numbed. “It’s because you are my family that I will do whatever it takes. The things he said...” She had foolishly taken a viper for a garden snake.