Coli slowed her pace, stumbling to a halt as the terrified child in her arms refused to speak. What was wrong now - had she misunderstood? He looked too horror-stricken to have been playing, but her sensitive ears did not catch the sounds of another crashing after them. Her chocolate-brown ears fell back apologetically against her silken mane, ready to accept the blame for whatever wrong she had unwittingly committed. "D-did I hurt you at all? I'm sorry if I spooked you, I was only... trying to... help," she murmured, breathless voice faltering as she finally looked at him, really looked. His wispy puppy fur was an earthy blend of brown laced with copper, glinting gold in the sun's light. His wide panic-stricken eyes were a cool shade of silver-washed-violet, shiny with fear. His multi-hued pelt reminded her of Emwe, who also had silver-mixed eyes... This had to be none other than her baby brother, Conor.
Since Emwe had seemed so happily oblivious to the turmoil in his family, Coli had blithely assumed that his littermate was the same, and her presence was not required or wanted. It seemed she had been bitterly mistaken. With their mother banished, the pair had been all alone with their father, subject to his unpredictable mood swings and inappropriate behavior. She had hoped, or at least wanted to think, that his new status as a leader would have some bearing on the way he treated his scions - especially now, that he finally had sons! But the memory of Haku's leering face, threatening them as he threatened her in the snowy vineyard, was indisputable. He had been telling the truth after all. He didn't care, not unless she was trying to kill them. And gazing now, meeting the sadness in her frozen sibling's stare... she knew she could never harm a hair on his body.
Swallowing nervously, Coli settled gently down to the ground, still holding him close to feel his fluttering heartbeat. If she set him down, surely he would take off again, and she would never get the chance to meet him. But he would feel less threatened when they were both concealed beneath the blades of the tall grass, close to the earth. "C-conor... don't be scared of me. Did Emwe mention meeting me? M-my name is Colibri..."
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