You think I'd get better at this eventually

This couldn’t be happening. Of all the cruel twist endings that this journey had to take, losing his prize right at the finish line and failing in such a spectacular way almost felt like a personal slap across the face from fate. Kumiho’s panic seemed to set off Kitsune’s own worry as she frantically demanded an explanation from him and asked how she could help. Iho just shook his head, still reeling from this emotional whiplash as he tried to wrap his head around reality and process his thoughts and feelings. "I had it, Kit. A cure for your mom. For her eyes… I found one far across the sea," he began to explain, feeling his throat grow tight as he admitted to his success and his ultimate failure. "But it’s gone. I- I think I might have lost it in the storm and now it’s ruined and gone and… and…"

His words stammered off in his shock and disbelief. Iho dropped to his belly in abject defeat. He felt like he'd just been punched in the gut when only yesterday he had been riding such a high on the thought of coming back triumphant to be Kitsune's hero. "There's nothing you can do. There's nothing anyone can do. I don't even think I could find my way back to where I found those wolves and get the medicine again. I..." Iho's head fell to the sand, his eyes glassy and distant while he watched the waves before him, almost mocking him as they pushed more broken pieces of driftwood from his destroyed raft ashore. "I'm so sorry, Kit... I tried so hard. I saw how upset you were about your mom and I just wanted to help and... I failed." Saying the words out loud felt like he was retching up the words, it was so painful to admit. Now who knew if Venom would ever regain her eyesight? He'd not only let Kitsune down, but all of Ashen too. How could he ever show his face around the pack again?

"Speech"