Shadewood Bluer than a butterfly

father had not yet come to retrieve c'ede', so he was still bundled with sleeping siblings. sleeping, not for long, when drawn by the sound of ts'okhun venturing from their mother and her responsive growl that thunders through his body.

c'ede' had no clue these were not his real siblings. he had no clue sivaak was not his real mother. they were born days apart—the size difference in them was not so startling.

he wouldn't question, though, not yet. he had no reason to. and he was too young to understand any explanation his father might give him. he didn't understand what half the words his father said to him even meant.

he takes off bounding after ts'okhun's fading presence not long after the boy left the den. growling, barking, inciting play. catching up finally and barreling into the other boy, teeth going to tugging at his ear and legs pushing as they begin to wrestle.