Darkened Skies

He’d had to repress a silent wince of sympathy at her pained noise as his forward jolt jostled her, but she was a good listener to stories. She never interrupted, but it was clear that she was listening intently, much as she had in his lesson about blue flag on their first meeting.

At her guess, he half nodded, his progress in towing her reaching the halfway point, where he had to carefully navigate a winding trail. It was just wide enough for the end of the travois, but it took some fancy maneuvering to get it through, and a few scrapes of the travois against the ravine walls did occur.

As he pulled free into a straight stretch, he answered, “She did. She was also known for adopting lost ones, giving them a mother when they had lost their parents. That is how she came by her Adravendi name. But, that’s another story. I’m sure there were times where she might have held a grudge, but in the case of the war, setting that grudge aside for clearer thinking was the right choice.

“Isardis, however, had burned his bridges already, even with several of his own children. As has Dragon. He will have no welcome from Celestial, and his actions have shattered any interest I or my siblings have in considering him a member of the Ancora family. But. It was his choice, not his followers, to raid a pack he knew had members of his family in it.

“His followers may have had input, yes, but in the end, it is on the alpha to make the final decision. It was his choice to take my brother prisoner. And because of that choice, Valor doesn’t even know our mother died last Autumn. Because of that choice, it is his fault that Valor never got to say goodbye to our mother.”

He tipped his head over his shoulder to check on her, adding, “But you won’t be punished for the choices of your leader, former or otherwise. Nor will you be held against your will should you desire to leave and return home when you are well enough to travel such a distance. All we will ask of you is that you do not share information of our numbers, health, or any secrets you may learn during your time with us. I can promise you that this will be the one demand Regulus makes of you. He may ask that you help out with some duties once your ribs are healed enough.”

A faint, somewhat crooked smile crossed his features. “If you can accept those terms, you’re just fine.”