Duskfire Glacier Illusions of the sunlight.

Malachi jerked at Njal's sudden approach and drew back as if to run. But before he could sweep around into the woods, the man came to a tearing stop and the boy froze, deep confusion rooting him in place. Njal's fervour did not pass to his words, nor did it correspond with the seemingly regular announcement he gave. Malachi had no qualm with Njal leaving - the others came and went as they pleased, so why shouldn't he?

But as Njal continued and the youth listened on, Malachi began to get a sense that the man had in mind a leave much longer than a few hours. The youth shifted in place, stricken by the pale man's confessions, and felt a weight pass on to him as Njal spoke of the burden he bore. The youth had convinced himself that Njal had enough help in Arabella and Danica in caring for Maera, but perhaps that was not the case. He felt a trickle of shame and he passed his gaze over Njal's at that moment, only to promptly turn away, skin prickling at the ghastly look that plagued the man's sunken eyes.

Njal was right: Malachi had no knowledge or wisdom to deal with what the man placed before him now. The situation had been fragile enough, and Njal's desire to leave only pushed it closer to breaking again. What if the pups returned? What if Tuwawi came back? The family was in shambles, and though he'd held hope they could fix this, Malachi was beginning to doubt that anything could heal this mess.

The youth remained quiet, eyes gently fixed upon the man's crushed form, and shifted again on his paws. He knew what his father would do, for he had seen him do it before: carry his family away to a place that would let him forget his grief, and yet even that hadn't been enough. And they had left no one but the dead behind. That wouldn't be the case here. Malachi drew his eyes away from Njal, thoughts overwhelmed. "How long have you been thinking of this?"