[/html]She was still awake. She had never suspected anything sinister from Eris and had only ever thought to be intrigued by the strange female, so now she felt as though these suspicions had been altered in a way she had never predicted. So, she was still awake. The entire world was dark, but she was still, still awake.

After speaking with Eris, she had returned to her den. She had mulled over their conversation, rolling it around in her head and teasing out the details very slowly as she tried to fall asleep. She’d lain, silent, in her small corner of the world, but sleep evaded her. Unlike her life before, it was not out of a disinterest in sleep: tonight, she had too much on her mind, and if she weren’t so upset, she would have otherwise been glad about this.

She had decided to leave her den and make her way to where she believed Eris slept. She wanted to stand over the dark wolf and observe her, but halfway to the woman’s home, she remembered that Eris – unlike herself – had a mate and children and would therefore not be sleeping alone. Suddenly, her plan had no focus and she had no direction, so she just stopped. She sat down abruptly and waited for a strike of inspiration, but it never came. She was just sitting in this vast place without a real plan or goal.

She continued on her way to the woman’s home because she didn’t have a backup plan. She wanted more answers, but she didn’t know how to get them.

The second time she stopped, it was due to a scent. There was a child – a puppy, almost two months of age – awake and out of her home for some reason. Tayui frowned and trotted closer, hoping to help the child find its way home. As Tayui approached, she saw that it was dark-furred and lime-green-eyed. Its eyes shone in the night as a stark contrast to her pelt. Tayui frowned again and called out to the puppy.

“You should be asleep,” she explained.

The puppy was silent and staring. Tayui flinched in its gaze. The puppy then began to walk away and Tayui trotted closer to follow it.

“Hey!” she called out. The puppy glanced over its shoulder, looked at Tayui, and then began to run. Tayui chased it and eventually looped around the puppy.

“What’s your name, child?”

“Solanaceae Eternity,” it replied at last. It stumbled over its name and Tayui cringed. She wasn’t sure quite what the child said, but it had to be incomprehensible to begin with. There were far too many sounds for the child to reasonably make.

“Oh,” Tayui replied. Her expression darkened, but the puppy did not notice. “Who are your parents?”

“Eris,” it replied, “and Larkspur.” This time, the words were understandable. Tayui frowned again. The puppy began to walk away, and so, Tayui followed it.

She followed it as it went north, heading farther and farther from the territory. As the girl walked, Tayui pondered the journey she was making with his child. She was a scion of Eris and Larkspur, and while Tayui had nothing against Larkspur – she had never met him – she was not too fond of Eris. That was a gross understatement, and Tayui wondered if she could make it up.

“Wait,” she demanded. The puppy turned, perhaps startled that Tayui had spoken after hours of walking. “Come here.” The puppy frowned and trotted toward Tayui. Tayui reached out with a paw to beckon it further and the child obliged. Again, a dark expression crossed her face and the child flinched. In that moment’s hesitant, Tayui reached out and struck the puppy, taking out a piece of its ear. The child fell backwards and then stared up at Tayui, horrified. With a sickened feeling, Tayui realized what she had done: punished a child for the sins of its parents.

“I’m sorry,” Tayui said. Sadly, but not tearfully. The puppy watched her, frozen.

She backed away slowly. As she retreated, she saw a pair of grey eyes watch the puppy from the bush. Tayui frowned, wondering who else might be up; it was not quite dawn, but it would be soon, so it was a strange time to be awake. There was still over an hour left of the night.

Tayui trotted closer, hoping to distract the other creature. If it had seen what she’d done to the puppy, then she would be outcast from Salsola as one of those, well, outcasts. They had a name for it and the procedure was rather barbaric. Quietly, the creature slunk from the brush and approached the puppy. It was then that Tayui realized that the creature was a large cat, the sort she’d never seen in Nova Scotia before. It was a pale tan covered in spots and its eyes shone intelligently. It kept one eye on the puppy and one eye on Tayui. Tayui did not move; instead, she observed the large cat as it brushed past her and then pounced on the puppy. This time, there was far more blood. The puppies shouts were silenced quickly because the cat’s attack was graceful and precise: it went right for the neck and only a slight misstep made it rethink its attack. Moments later, the puppy was dead and the green eyed child was no more. Whatever its name was, it was no longer alive.

She let out a long, shuddering breath. There was nothing more she could do. Quietly, she turned and left the scene of her crime. She returned to her den, collected her things, scant as they were, and then left Salsola for once and for all. This cat thing, whatever it had been, had done what she had been too weak to do. As the sun rose, Tayui finally let herself cry after what had been a year since Noir’s death. She could not return to this place and she hoped she never would.[html]