Blackfeather Woods down in the river to pray

When his body collided against her's, the red of his pelt gave the impression that someone had ripped Maegi's throat clean through; he was the blood spilling down her front, for a moment. A frenzy of tongue-lashes and tears, then all was well again. Sobek burrowed against his mother's chest and nosed eagerly at her scruff, netting some of her pale coat in his teeth, but it didn't matter. She was here, he was home—and then he saw Anansi, and threw himself from one point of contact to another, a stampede of flailing limbs the only warning that he was about to pile atop his sibling for some cuddles.

When all the excitement died down Sobek was left panting heavily while squished up against his brother. He looked from Anansi back to Maegi a few times, and when he finally had his breathing under control he said, I'm sorry I got lost. I didn't mean to scare you. He felt so, so terrible about it—and besides the elation on his face, there was a weariness to his body, a slackening of his posture as he went from pleased to contrite.