Dragoncrest Cliffs it was still september

lucette came alongside her brother, sagely informing the small party that cayetano was dead. a deep frown worried Val’s face as he shooed the two twins from their fallen packmate. whatever felled cayetano better not jump to them — val was almost irritatingly protective as he wedged between them and cayetano — no, cayetano’s body, he reminded himself.

he was equal measures relieved to see chacal and etienne shortly after. val was an adult by all accounts but some days he hardly felt more than an oversized kid — and this was a situation he was hardly prepared for.

chacal called attention to the fish. val instinctively squeezed both lucette and Lafayette — here was another reason to hate the ocean. etienne offered to tend to the body and val nodded, looking to chacal for confirmation before he added in a hoarse voice  yes, that would be best.

sapphique’s grave site earned another body today — but at least this one hadnt been mauled by a bear. come on you two, val urged to both gently — we have some work to do. perhaps you would like to come with papa val, and pick some flowers for cayetano’s grave, hmmm? whoever finds the prettiest sea shell or flower will get a little treatie.

val looked back to etienne and chacal once, sharing a dark look only adults could decipher.