Moonspear ^_________________^

Told’ja! Also, I have no chill, so this is set on the 18th or thereabouts. :)

Everything fell apart the very first night in a new village.

Treepie realized—with a stark sense of horrible finality—that she couldn’t do this. Her dreams of leadership officially shriveled as she slunk to the fringes of the unfamiliar territory. That was where she stayed the next several nights, fighting with herself as her dreams continued to whither, then eventually died an agonizing death.

Sialuk and @Tikaani didn’t leave her to her own devices, though whenever they came to check on her, Pie only felt more and more like a miserable failure. To make matters worse, she could see they were enjoying this foray away from Moonspear. Her anaa in particular looked happier than Tiuttuk could ever remember seeing her, after striking up several easy friendships with the village’s residents.

Pie simply wasn’t a socialite like her mother. She wasn’t destined to follow in the High Sage’s footsteps. By the end of the week, a resigned Treepie came to accept these things about herself. She decided she would go home, hopefully taking Tiki back with her.

It grieved her to part from her anaa, though Pie would encourage her to stay where she’d finally found some semblance of joy again. Perhaps once Tiuttuk stopped dragging her down and left, it would free Sialuk to properly embrace this new chapter of well-being. She deserved to be happy.

I’ll help look after Moonspear, she murmured against a pale cheek as she kissed Sialuk goodbye.

Only days after leaving with delusions of grandeur, Tiuttuk came slinking humbly to the foot of the mountain. Despite confronting her shortcomings and missing her mother, she felt a flicker of joyous relief at returning to Moonspear.