Moonspear i hope you dance

Nearly a month had passed since she’d quite literally stumbled across her father’s plans. It was enough time to fully process… and let herself be lured into a false sense of security that he might not leave, after all.

The sound of his summons pierced that illusion—delusion, perhaps—and Treepie’s first instinct was to refuse to heed his call. In fact, she emerged from her ulaq and began walking deliberately in the direction opposite the rendezvous site.

She didn’t get very far before she realized she wasn’t behaving like an adult, nor a leader. She slowed to a halt, let out a gusty sigh, then turned. Pie walked very slowly, though she did make her way to where her taataa stood waiting.

When her yellow eyes took in the look on his face, she felt a flicker of sympathy. It quickly morphed into sorrow, with a decidedly jagged edge. Tiuttuk’s throat tightened as she gazed at him, bracing herself in stoic silence.