Hoshor Plains Roadtrips

Sumac forced an optimistic thought into his mind: if he stayed with Easy, Minnow's aunt, then that meant they had a chance of encountering each other again, right? He lifted his head a bit, allowing his tail to swish softly behind him.

"I don't want to lose contact with you, either, Minnow. Yeah, I promised Easy I'd help her find Arjun," he replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "After that, I don't know. We'll probably stick together."

He tried to rally himself, knowing in his bones that this was just "see you later" and not "goodbye." However, it was apparent he found parting from others difficult. He'd never really had to part with anyone before until his family's demise. Now, it seemed he was hypersensitive to departures from his life, and it left him feeling a hollow ache in his chest.

"I hope we'll see each other again real soon, Minnow. Just promise me you'll take good care, yeah? And if you ever need me, I'll be out there, waiting. Just call," he said in firmer tones, craning his neck and tilting it to one side as if to plead, "Promise?"