Honeyed Pasture oh, the river

his mouth parted to offer an immediate response to the first of his sister's words, because of course they missed us! but when the sudden weight of the conversation fell upon his chest like fallen bricks he snapped shut his jaws and just listened. listened to the hurt, to the anger, to the betrayal she felt. listened to the way her voice became thick and her words somber. 

she turned from him, and he pressed his forehead to the space between her shoulder blades. "i don't remember much of that day," but he paused, a lump in his throat being swallowed before correcting, "i try not to remember it." that day was a blur of colors, of black, of red, of two soulless voids of blue consuming him whole. "but i remember you. i remember you fighting for me, defending me, confronting the brecheliant wolves." and it dawned on him then that it had not been any of his parents to do so. 

he buried himself further into the fur of her scruff. "i don't want another anaa or anânsiak. you've always been more than enough just as you are." and if his family could not see that then they were blind to the diamond hidden amongst pebbles.