She came on four legs, not a form he had seen her in before, but it was her. He knew, even as she stiffened and assumed a dominant stance it was her. That scent gave it away. It was all her, though with New Dawn imbedded in her fur instead of D'Arte. And then her words, they were cold. He didn't want to fight with her. Even if he could go back to the last time he saw her at the border, being turned away, he wouldn't change how he'd reacted. She had walked away from him, and then disrespected his leader. He couldn't change how he reacted back then.
He swallowed again, wishing he'd followed his mother's lead and shifted to the lupine form, but he hadn't. He had expected her to be the same as she had been back then. She wasn't. He eased himself into a sitting position, crossing his legs as he looked at her. "It shouldn't have been so long. I apologize for that. I should have made the time to come up here, to see you..." Was there a hesitation? If so, it was so brief it could have been mistaken for an intake of breath, rather than a belated remembrance of the other offspring they shared. "Cody and Lena."
Myrddin cast a look at the woman who had given birth to him. He remembered something Tameri had said to him once about family. Family is who loves you daily, who teaches you and respects you. It takes more than blood to be family. He and the ghost were family. Even now he could feel the spirit at his side, watching this reunion. He didn't look at Sky again, just spoke to his dad. "I'm going to find Grandma, Poppa. Or uncle Noah." He didn't stay around long after, though perhaps the spirit lingered?
Tal felt a chill on his back, as if a nose had pressed into the nape of his neck in affection. One hand lifted to rub the spot while the other clutched the preserved rose. He swallowed again, his eyes finding her paws. "I brought this for you. I should have realized you'd take so well to New Dawn's customs... you always adapted well to new places and situations." Like finding herself being comforted by a stranger as she grieved for a love who walked away from her. Like surviving being captured by an enemy in times of war. Like losing a child to a senseless act of violence.
He lifted his eyes to study her face, to study her reaction. His voice was tired and soft as he spoke. "If you want me to go, I will." Unspoken was this: "Don't ask me to stay, not forever, because I can't. A day, a week, yes, but not forever. Maybe... maybe it's better if I go and save myself the heartache of being turned away. Maybe we should have followed you. Who knows how life would be different then?"
.talleftmark b {font-weight:bold; color:#d1bfd7;}
.talleftmark p {text-indent:0px; padding:5px 15px; margin:0px;}
.talleftmark {margin:0 auto; width:350px; background-color:#000000; background-image:url(http://i55.tinypic.com/e7feid.png); background-position:bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #c0c0c0; outline:1px solid #000000; padding: 0px 0px 140px 4px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size:12px; color:#ffffff; text-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.2em #;letter-spacing:.6px; word-spacing:.9x; line-height:13px; text-align:justify;}
</style>