Swiftcurrent Creek Bonefish

The woman didn’t seem put off by his lack of enthusiasm for meeting new wolves. She went on to say that she thought his eyes were pretty.

The boy blinked at her, taken aback. He had never had someone compliment him so openly. The few he had received were like treasures. He kept them close to his heart. He thought often of Suzu and of his mother. Their words were what kept pushing him to learn more, to become more. The thought of their death weighed heavily on his mind. The longer he thought about it, the more he slipped into internal madness. Stingray’s bright blue eyes and sunny features caused a lurch in his throat.

It is.

The words were sharper than he had intended. It was clear the golden woman had never seen the sea for herself.

An’ bigger than anythin’ yer ever gonna see in yer life.