Ocean's Breath Plateau star shell

"it is all bad, wife. yes," he murmured hoarsely in assurance of this beloved woman, that he heard her pain and her plea. "i am here, and i am well. and there is help; raiyuk and taggak. take time, tullik. if you must be away from moontide, i will understand."
but he could not go with her.
"marina — i want to take her to the sea ice. i am not certain she can travel so far. but perhaps if it was only us, i —" but it was so much more to ask of his mountainwife, to be here alone with five pups.
and so he let the words go, and tightened his arms around her, and stroked a soft kiss along her throat, burying his crown there for a moment. "whatever will bring your heart some relief, wife, only say it."