Ghost Lion Crag tunilaaga ♢

soon (often too soon) their time came to a close. arcturus always dreaded this part; the lull in conversation, the sorrowed silence -- shuffling, looking away, thinking of things on the horizon:

and always, them -- back to that first day, back to when he had hurt her grievously and had been too self-involved to know.

his heart fell under hammer-fire as she moved close; something akin to want stirred deep in his breast, but he denied it. she was his brother's and he hers' -- it went against the very grain of arcturus' self-believed values to even think -- no, do not --

his throat was dry as kukutux pulled away. a solemnity between them that only she inspired.

he gave her one long, pausing look -- hoping earnestly he would see her again -- before his legs tore him away and he was running, running away from a grave and terrible thought.