Moonspear oceans & full moons, deep midnight blue

As she often did, he made him think, and Jarilo was humbled by the note of his likeliness to their mother that might have spared him from Wraen's schemes, unlike his brothers. He had not exactly seen it in that light before.. but, it was everything he had wanted to be as a cub vying for her attentions once, to be as strong and intelligent as her, because she always had some kind of answer, or quip, or at least the adaptability to rise when all else around her failed. Of course, the young Jarilo had idolized their father in many of the same ways, but Vela had captured his attention better and absolutely after Galaxy had gone from them.. so, he had simply worked with what he could and maybe that had impacted him more monumentally than he had seen. Maybe it was.. for the best..

But, though he had not come into this needing to hear it, Hydra's affirmations against Revui's barbed words soothed him into an agreeing rumble--it all taken to heart, and kept there. He believed Kukutux did realize. She could have easily left with his brother then to be spirited away, he knew, a paranoia he had not known to need then.. but she hadn't through no choice but her own. She returned to the mountain, her home here.. with him and the family that stayed, lasted, not Revui's promises of, what, exactly? Nothing? So that was a peace he was going to protect for her.. and the pups to come of it, for just as Hydra said, they were who they fought for.

From there on, his nod to her thanks deepened and in the instant after, she was inviting Dirge to the scene with a look that raised his suspicions. A bead of confusion then, one bigger when the agouti alpha came, prompting Jarilo into a low tail wag that stilled--congratulations? For..? he asked, shooting Hydra the glance after, quick to realize that they knew something he didn't--though none of it was too far off from where he had pondered at length prior to coming here in his efforts to pick up what his brothers failed to carry. Thanks to where his thoughts had been just mere moments ago, he mistakenly thought to Kukutux, though he could barely take all the credit there.. and that didn't seem quite right, either.