Shadowwyn Moor Hydrurga

suliya’s eyes rested on sulukinak, her expression carefully neutral, though the girl’s words cut sharper than any icy wind. she kept her composure, even as her mind wandered to thoughts she dared not voice: that the current should have claimed the girl if she rejected their ways so fervently. but suliya was a master of appearances, and she masked her indifference with a quiet understanding.

i know, she said simply, her voice soft yet steady, as though the weight of sulukinak’s rejection was a burden she’d long anticipated. these ways are not for everyone.

there was a pause, deliberate and heavy, as suliya allowed the words to settle. then, she offered a faint, almost wistful smile, weaving a good lie with the ease of someone who had long practiced the art of deception.

but i don’t intend to abandon my lanzadoii band, she added, her tone shifting slightly, as though she were confiding something personal. they are my strength, my family. no matter the storms or trials, i will always return to them.

her gaze flicked briefly to the caribou before returning to sulukinak, her eyes softening as though she truly sympathized. you must do what feels right for you, sulukinak. but know this—strength comes in many forms, and it is not for me to tell you which path you should walk.

with that, suliya turned her gaze forward, her words lingering in the air like a gentle tide, meant to lull the storm that brewed within the girl.