Shadewood water petal

for @C’ede’ Ghatggehi! continued from here <3

c’ede’s puppy teeth tore furious at the dark pelt of his father. tail thumped dully on the sand behind kusax̱asaa; he smiled in spite of himself, lowering his broad muzzle to flash much larger teeth, a growl rumbling through the fibers of his son's being.

and there before the boy, kusax̱asaa faltered in expression. anguish swam to fore on his face, for three pieces of the spirit he had given were lost to him, and he felt the pierce to his soul keenly.

some hours the struggle grew so great within himself that almost he went back. yet this for now meant certain death. the saatsine had traveled a gigantic distance and washed their feet in countless rivers, lakes, creeks, streams — sun ghosts.

lips twitched as he returned to himself, to his son, and now he sought to nudge the boy over onto his side. "del yaen' 'unse dilta'."

the chieftain had a responsibility to all of sun clan; it did not change the pain of remembering caan's cry nor fa'liya's disappearance. and he had simply never seen ghe'naya again.

her face he did not allow himself. not yet. not when such anger would fill kusax̱asaa before the eyes of his son. his son. his son.