Moonspear almost heaven

He was worried about @Treepie. Once a gregarious child, she had significantly withdrawn, sticking to the rendezvous and conversing only with those closest to her. She had stayed behind when others had gone to the pack hunt, which had both surprised and disturbed him.

Killdeer spent as much time with her as possible upon his return, and today, he left her sleeping place knowing that he'd put a smile on her face, at least.

Sighing, he paced through the many forest trails around Moonspear, too restless to sit still. Amalia was on his mind—those vivid green eyes, that infectious smile. He wondered if he'd made a mistake—

Fuck, he said aloud, shaking his head. His children, of course, were not and would never be mistakes. They brought him more joy than anything. But had he stayed away from women in heat, dedicated himself to Brecheliant, grown closer to his dark-furred friend. . .

Things might be different. Better? Maybe, maybe not. But they'd be different.

tags for ref

Sialuk had not exactly been avoiding Killdeer, but she also hadn't really sought him out in these past couple of months. What with his questionable inquiry into who she allowed to warm her bed and when, she had been less enthusiastic about the idea of pursuing him, so she had not. Still, he was the father to her children more than any of the others had been, and so she remained pleasant when he was around. There was no need to make the small world of the village a hostile one.

It was his voice that bounced off the tree trunks as she sought healing herbs for the medical ulaq today, and she changed her course to veer in his direction. She could not bring herself to pretend any longer that his comment had not weaseled its way into her very being. Perhaps telling him upfront was a better way to deal with things, even if it was not a particularly pleasant thing to do. Sialuk sucked in a breath and tried to catch his eye as she drew closer.

She caught his eye, indeed. It wasn't the friendly gaze she would be used to; rather, his stare was abstracted as he gave her a nod, inviting her along for his patrol before focusing on the path ahead.

Sialuk, he greeted, with the faintest smile. How are you? The hunt went well.

Killdeer was sure she'd received briefings on it already, given her place as Kukutux's daughter. He was happy to provide whatever information she needed or wanted.

But he longed for connection—longed for Amalia, it seemed—and he had begun to feel a bit sour toward his pack's leader, which he knew was not sustainable. Maybe his temper would cool eventually.

For now, he'd fake it until he felt it.