Ocean's Breath Plateau lonely times when i could not find a friend

His daughter had not been found. Dutch knew that he had failed her. Had failed to find her, had failed to keep her from being taken in the first place. Had failed her and the rest of their family for many months before this day. But he wondered, too, if this was a punishment. If she had been harmed in this way because the gods dictated that he must be harmed.

Empty-handed, he returned home, giving in to the urge to check in on the rest of his children, on his wife, on their family. Chakliux was still out, as were the younger seal hunters. Dutch took note of those who had stayed behind, mentally tallying the child-to-adult ratio, protectors-to-healers, able-to-weak.

He followed his nose to Aditya, who he was shocked to find in disrepair.

But — not that shocked.

"Father," he murmured in their shared tongue, belly-crawling the last few feet necessary to push his chapped nose against Aditya's outstretched paw. "Adi."

Fear and grief and desperation had fueled him for so long, now. Aditya's mortality was something that'd plagued him for even longer. He was not yet ready to face it, but, like many things he would rather not face, there didn't seem to be a choice.

"What do I do?" he asked his sire, his goldenrod eyes alight with misery. Not even Dutch knew exactly what he asked; what should he do about his father's failing health? What should he do about his missing daughter? What should he do about Simbelmyne's haunted eyes? The panther had so rarely sought the simple comfort of going to a parent with his worries, but he sought it now — at a time when there was little help to be had, and when Aditya had little time left to give it.