Ouroboros Spine I'll watch the night turn light blue

Despite her baby babbling and sentences that didn't entirely make sense, Yuralria watched satisfied as Nutuyikruk backed away on trembling legs. Her confidence grew as the distance between them did, and soon the little girl sat firmly on her haunches as if to block her route back into the ulaq. Perhaps the presence of her mother or sisters would have rained on her parade, but without that feedback, she had no reference to the wrongness of her actions.

Her cousin's apologies sparked an uncomfortable feeling in her chest. "Bad man come back. Make Nan'a sad - he sneaky an' scawy." And now it was her voice that wavered as she borrowed words she had learned from Ajei; confusion and fear projected onto poor Nutu. "Dun' be sorry. Jus' go 'way."