Qeya River [m] horn lance

"men who have tasted power are forever dangerous," sun eater murmured. she committed to him! she lay before him soft and yielding, whisper upon her lips, his progeny in her belly. how could he doubt? how could he ever doubt?

but still he remembered how red leaf had been when they had come to moontide.

he was foolish to have said such a name? suppose star eater repeated it — no. no. he must trust. he would trust, and gathered all his strength to open once more to the woman who had given much of her own to become his.

the remaining eye rose hot with his want, his need to connect them and thereby be soothed; he cooled the heat of his own veins by lying down placidly beside star eater, muzzle preening her shoulder as his body curled around her own.

"i have his head. you are right."

trust. trust. mercy. 

were not these things weakening?

a woman. a nameless woman; yes. it was what he needed. something to dull the whetted edge of all his knifed emotions. but she would not care for that. she was not lanzadoii, and even lanzadoii women shouted at their men about such things. yet their band remained their own, between he and she; no others might inherit a moiety than the children of his wife.

he would not stress her in such ways, despite the selfish urge. sun eater drew them close, sighing soft as he closed his eyes for a rare moment of complete respite.