Moonspear polaris

There was no good time to visit her taataa, yet Tiuttuk decided today was the day. She asked @Tikaani to come with her, then set off for the caldera. As much as she wanted to see @Killdeer, much of the trip was spent in pensive silence as she thought of Glaukos, then Pala.

Halfway through Bramblepoint, Pie spotted a familiar figure bent over a stream. She stopped short, blinking in surprise. Bushtit had gotten so big! She might not have recognized him if not for his distinctive coloring. For a moment, she just stared while he drank.

Then he raised his head, tongue lapping at the water dripping from his chin, and their eyes met. Pie started to smile, though it faltered when Bushtit spun on his heel and ran away. His hasty exit might’ve been comical, if it hadn’t hurt her feelings so much. He’d looked right at her, then fled the scene in a display of avoidance as blatant as it was inexplicable.

He’d run in the direction of the caldera too. Feeling humiliated and rejected, Tiuttuk suddenly felt she could no longer go that way. Moving jerkily, she swiveled and walked stiffly back toward Moonspear. Her jaw clenched so hard it creaked and tears stung her eyes. She refused to let them fall, instead swiping at them between rigid footfalls.

Her vision was still blurred when she arrived at the mountain’s foot and saw a white figure skulking there. Aana? Pie thought, her heart leaping into her throat. It sank a moment later, when she realized she was looking at a stranger.

She intended to call out, move closer, but her throat only worked uselessly and her legs felt leaden.