Ouroboros Spine aakaga

She rests inside, which is not something he is used to seeing. Shikoba had, and always would be, a hunter and warrior; it was strange to him that she should be bedridden, waiting for the next chapter. It was sensible, of course - she was heavily pregnant, due any time now - and yet, Mojag had not seen this side of her, and wasn't comfortable with it. She was welcoming, as always.

Anaa, he began, letting a sway come to his tail, although that stalled as he thought of what he wanted to say. He shifted weight from paw to paw, softly, and couldn't hold his gaze upon her face.

I... I am sorry for not being around, much, of late. That was not what he'd wanted to start with. Even if he'd meant it, he did not want to stress his mother out or weigh her heart down. Um, I... I was speaking with Rodyn. He came to visit, to gather things.

Best to be quick about it, right? He invited me to his new village. Before she could say anything, he rambled on and barely took a breath: He says he does not know what crabs are! Or the eggs of sea birds, or turtles. That he fishes more from rivers than the sea! And he hopes to provide for his wife, but doesn't know these things. I want to show him, and his village. I know these things. I -- I learned them, on the island. As he came to the end, his voice dwindled.

The implication was there, of course: that he wanted to go, and that he might not be here for her. It pained him to think about so Mojag could not voice this outright.