Northstar Vale Yioí

meadow was angry.

tamar turned surprised eyes on the healer, tensing as an ache rippled through her stomach once more. "antigone struck his father over reyson. your man has seen enough blows. my son must be disciplined. but reyson cannot be here for that."

meadow did not trust her.

her ears flicked. "towhee has just lost a child and now lies with new children. antigone has become explosive. reyson will face another break if he is strained. these things do not create peace for children."

there was a hurt to her words but soon it dipped beneath a cool distance. "so now they will both be kept away. antigone can come home. he cannot be home until he is ready."

"i think of us all, meadow. and no soul is welcome here if i do not care for them. it was you he came for, no one else."

tamar finally sat, spine stiff as the children roiled in her belly. "no, meadow. it was not fair. nor did antigone believe i was fair when i did not believe that reyson had struck him. i have a child born here who must be heard. and i have a man i respect that has changed since he has been in epoch. he is still healing." the pale eyes blinked. "there is no fairness. but perhaps antigone does not mean to come home."

silence.