Blacktail Deer Plateau something in my heart

Ying remained to protect them. But protect them from what? “Who wants to hurt you?” he asked, more concerned than curious now. “What if we get rid of the one trying to hurt you, then they won’t need protected.” Was Aningan even capable of doing something like that? He never did before—but he also never had to.

“The ocean got very angry,” he explained when asked. “It attacked the coast and wanted to drown us. Our home was pulled underwater. We had to leave it.” Back then, there were only two options: stay and die or leave and live. Rusalka needed to leave the shore behind them so that they would not perish with the sound.

But those dismal thoughts weren’t allowed to linger for very long, chased away by her scowl—and then eliminated by her words. “Not a friend?” If not a friend, then what? “What’s more than a friend?” Did she mean like family? “Just stay here,” he said. “If you stay, then you won’t have to come back because you’ll already be here. We can get rid of anyone that tries to hurt your sisters.” He could fight. He could keep them safe.