I'll Be In Your Heart, Littlefoot

Satira had been dreading this day for seasons. Ever since the day she'd seen her mother tumble after the raid, she'd known what was coming. No matter how much she wished it could be different or how much time and effort she put into trying to find a way to reverse the sickness that was degenerating Aslatiel, deep down in her logical healer's brain Tira knew the truth. Asla's falcon had found the little wolf-dog girl out gathering herbs from the nearby rivers. Its presence was like the arrival of the angel of death. Tira dropped her basket of herbs and abandoned it on the riverbank, rushing back home to grab her medic satchel. The weight inside the bag felt like an anchor around her neck, knowing what it was and dreading what would come next. Satira had brewed the decoction specifically to help her mother pass if she couldn't save her. She'd never given up hope that she could somehow cure her mother's illness—but if she couldn't, she refused to let Asla die anything less than a proud and dignified death.

The walk to join Asla was emotionally grueling. Each step felt like wading through quicksand. Satira's mind still refused to acknowledge what it was now being forced to accept. It was only once she saw her mother lying there, basking in the spring sun with her brother there that it really hit her like a gut punch. Steel blue eyes took in the view of her mother one last time. She looked like a withered form of the strong and amazing woman Tira had known her to be. The woman that had led a pack, had steered their family through uncertain waters, who had always been there for her no matter what and encouraged her to love herself, mixed heritage and all. And now she was going to lose her. She'd never get to have those girl talks with her when she and Cináed were mated, never have those nervous chats as Satira prepared to start her own family and make Asla a grandmother, never reflect on how their little family would grow.

Tira was far less composed than Arcturus was when she approached, crystalline tears already welling up in big blue eyes. She padded slowly over to Asla's other side, sandwiching their mother between her and her brother. Her throat felt tight with emotion, her chest aching with the pain of what was about to happen. She gathered up her strength and looked into her mother's purple eyes, trying to put on a brave smile as she choked out, "Hi Mom." Pretending like this wasn't going to be the last time she ever said those words.

"Satira"