We'll Make A Name For Ourselves

It was still dark when Aslatiel had come to get Satira and her brother to leave their home. Granted, the days were always dark now, with barely any light besides the eerie glow of the moon coming down from the heavens, but still. Dark. Early. Tira hated early. The tiny fawn pup yawned her head off as she followed her mother and brother out past the Armada borders and into the Soulless Forest with a cartful of supplies and belongings. When they'd left, Tira had lingered to glance back at the Armada, wondering what had happened between her mother and the rest of their family to force them to leave like this? They hadn't said goodbye to anyone, just up and left.

Satira was left with more questions than answers in her mind, and the biggest and most pressing one was what would happen between her and her father? Would she not get to see him anymore? Was Asla taking her away from Mojito for good? The little girl felt stuck in a hopeless situation, caught between two warring factions of her family. She didn't understand the fighting or the animosity in the Fatalis family, but she felt it. She didn't understand the rift between her mom and dad, but she felt it. All she knew was that she was adrift in a tumultuous sea and she was following her mother like her North Star.

The trio stopped and Asla began to explain how they were free, and Tira cocked her head. Free? Were they trapped before? She hadn't felt trapped, but would she have really noticed it if she was? Then her mother dropped the biggest bombshell of all—she was abandoning the Fatalis name. Satira gasped in horror. You could just do that?! Give up your family name like that? Tira was so proud of her lineage, but if her mother wasn't, maybe she shouldn't be either? She was still so young and impressionable, she didn't understand the ways of the world. She looked to her mother for guidance all the time and wanted to be just like her. So if Asla didn't want to be a Fatalis anymore, then maybe she shouldn't be either.

"I wanna be like you, Mama," Satira said resolutely. "I'll be an Indarra too. But... I'd also like to have Daddy's name too. I wanna be like him too, Mama. Can I do that?" She looked up to Asla with curious and hopeful pale blue eyes. Was it possible to combine two names? The child didn't know, but surely her mother would. Her mom was so smart and clever. When Asla scooped them up and kissed their heads, Tira giggled and tried to squirm for freedom, shaking out her silky fur that was already starting to show traits of her canine heritage. "I love you too, Mama," she said, trotting alongside her mother while she pulled the card.

Asla mentioned meeting up with her two adult friends that she snuck out to see a bunch. Tira still didn't know what they were all sneaking off to do all the time, but she was determined to figure it out. She didn't like being left out on secrets. She also didn't know how she felt about the two wolves her mother ran around with, but if they were going to be traveling together, at least she'd get the chance to maybe become friends with them too.

"Satira"