Did… she even love me?

Jiro did not think he was one to dwell on trivial topics. He knew he enjoyed hunting and tending to the herb garden nestled deep within the maze. Being around the quiet of the bamboo or the lull of the bay was comforting. A place he could learn, soak up everything there was to know, without being judged. Fighting wasn’t his forte - even if he begrudgingly took the lessons pressed upon him. And sure, he may get lost from time to time because who really could tell which way was north when the bamboo was so tall?

But now… His expression tenses as he stops mid scoop of dirt with his paw. Now that mother had disappeared and Sedna had also ran off, would his father need him? Or would Fuji suffice? Would he be allowed to leave? Not to search for Kiriko, but to see Auster. To venture further in Boreas. Because… did he even belong here? In the bamboo? If he didn’t agree with everything his father stood for, was this even home for him?

As droplets of rain begin to fall from the clouded sky, dampening his coat, Jiro places his paw back upon the ground. Lowering his rump to sit in the patch of dried plants that needed removal for the winter season, he lets out a sigh. Turning muzzle up toward those droplets, he closes his eyes and lets them soak into his face for awhile. Maybe it would bring him some clarity.