Shadewood i was gone but not my love

@Cry or @Gwen perhaps?
he’s on the borders (:

why am I here?

that single question looped in his mind as he left the shore, as he entered the hinterlands, as he crossed that winding river. now he set his sights above whispering leaves and to the gods above.

he had to come back. a tranquil life could not be lead without seeing his small boy grow. his previous love would scorn him, fight him even. he wouldn’t blame her for it. but god be damned if she prevented him from seeing his son.

issun sent out a call to his family.

*waves*

Lumi wasn't Issun's family, but she did have a family. A broken and torn one, though nothing like the man's situation. Lumi believed she was the brightest and most compassionate of her litter, and so upon hearing the cry for a lost family, she came to check it out. She was 4 months already, hunting and patrolling with the adults but mother didn't want her to grow up. She had noticed her mother smothering her, especially after the kidnapping of Venamis who was seemingly taken by the traitorous Aries. Lumi's guess was that they were both traitors and should be left to rot out there without their family.

Venamis had always picked on her, so now she was enjoying the peace that came with his absence and stood more sturdy on her dainty legs. Hello. The forest spirit greeted the ashen man at their borders, planting her silver woodsmoke frame upon the dirt and curling her tail around her feet. I'm not the one you're looking for, am I?

edit; tacking on an ending cause I wanna get issun moving!

it was not deku who greeted him, nor was it minori. not even cry had come to confront the deserters. a young girl, likely around his son’s age, sat before him. issun was visibly dumbfounded by this. he wasn’t the most social creature during his time spent here, but who could forget the faces of the youth? many children were born here, but he did not recall seeing her. so who was this mysterious whelp? who were her caretakers?

um, no.  he scanned the area to see if anyone (preferably cry) else was trailing behind her. there were questions to be answered. are you new to the keep?

---

whatever the girl had said (if she said anything at all) was not heard. his dull eyes kept drifting off into the trees. each breath was long and deep. if his family were here, they would’ve approached already. yes minori would be furious, yes deku would be heartbroken, but curiosity would’ve drove them forward. they would ask ”has issun come home?”

right?

i’m sorry. issun was already moving backwards. i must go. he turned and ran.