It had been five days since he had heard his sister and mother argue outside the front of the house. They may have thought that he, Aleu, and Ahiga were asleep, but with how loud they were being, it was near impossible. Alaster had snuck and listened from below the windowsill inside, surprised--and not in a good way--at everything he was hearing. And then neither of the two had come back in, leaving him and his siblings worried and alone inside the hut.

Ayasha had not returned to the hut from that point on, and Alaster could see that his mother was reverting to the way she had been when his father had left: A lifeless shell who only went about the motions and cried when alone. Seeing her so depressed made the boy feel likewise--a strong empathetic reaction--and he was angry that his mother and sister should be fighting so. And so the alabaster boy did what he had never done before; he took the initiative.

Ayasha? he called into the stables, his young voice cracking a little with the tension he felt in his vocal chords. He had found his mother early that morning and told her--told her--to stay in the hut. She had complied, shocked by her shy son's forceful tone, and he assumed she was still there, likely taking part in her new hobby of weaving. But there he was in the north-western part of the village, looking for the final peace to the puzzle. Are you in here?

Shepherd walks. Shepherd talks. Shepherd thinks.

Alaster heard his sister and jogged up to her, his face set and brow furrowed. The boy was normally so shy that such an expression was unseen, and he felt his fists clench at his side as he steeled himself. He knew what Ayasha was doing, and...and it still hurt. He might not have felt as strongly as Ahiga about being abandoned when they were sent away, but he was still afraid of losing those important to him again--even by a small distance. He had always dreamt as a pup that they would all live together happily in AniWaya and live in peace. But Maska had ruined it all--no...there was some blame to be put on his father as well. He never knew what happened to the man, and although Alaster knew Ahiga would never forgive Kemo, Alaster felt that he would: Because, if he came back...they would all be happy again...

At least...he wished they could...

The boy reached out his grey paw to Ayasha's and began to tug her back to the house, his green eyes looking straight ahead. Come with me! he implored. Just for a little while! Please? He chanced a glance back at his older sister and begged with those puppy dog eyes. He was heartbroken that his family was being torn apart again, and he didn't want things to stay that way. He never wanted them to be this broken...!

Shepherd walks. Shepherd talks. Shepherd thinks.