Noctisardor Bypass souda

strained, heda stared at etienne as he answered in a musical language suffused with his own emotion. but she could not understand him, and frustration for all he had suffered stole over her again.
anselm was silent. heda lowered herself to the ground and regarded etienne. "i'm sorry. no one asked him to do that; no one needed it to be done. and i'm sorry to ask you to stay after all this."
the golden eyes in their cupping of moonsilver now turned toward anselm. "both of you. i know you'd rather be home."
a breath, then back to etienne. "she had four pups. so many. i think it's what made her sick." even as she spoke, her eyes were pleading, for she had little choice but to depend on him.