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-1stMoon: Waning Half-

The fire crackled, embers escaping it. Tai glanced down, confirming that his catch was still in the basket, wriggling despite the spear wounds in their sides. Wily beasts, but no match for a fisherman with his Dad's training. Especially not him.

Around the fire pit, dinner preparation was well underway. A cooking pot hung over the flame, bubbling as Hana prepared the tubers. Soon, he'd join her in preparing his own contribution.

For now, though, his gaze wandered to the side. There, a familiar scowl rested, a single blemish against the beauty of the feline sitting next to him. If only it didn't suggest something more concerning.

A far cry from the glow she carried when she worked out Pops's tricks with the foundations. Every curve and contour to her smile was genuine, and a vibrant energy rippled through her body. "I'd give anything to see that again," he thought, "and I'd give it twice over for the reason to be me."

Though, the ramblings from the other side of the fire pit were perhaps of greater concern right now.

"And as soon as the water's boiling, I'll have the cassava ready to go." Hana raised one of the peeled tubers, then gave a flick of her wrist. "You've got nothing to worry about, Avi."

"Good to hear. Honestly, I'm still surprised that the bushes were ready so soon, but it's a welcome break from eating around seeds and cracking open coconuts."

"Then sit back and relax, okay? I'll take care of everything." As she spoke, her hand came to rest on Avi's outer thigh. It lingered for just a blink too long before she returned to peeling the cassava, a smirk teasing the edge of her muzzle.

And Avi returned to watching the children play with a smile on his face like nothing had happened. Tai raised an eyebrow, then chuckled."Lucky I didn't take after Dad and Pops, I guess! Dense as the mountain, that guy."

He glanced at Ferrah and caught her rolling her eyes. Apparently he wasn't the only one who noticed. She rose from her seat and stared straight at him. "Avi, come on. Dinner'll be ready when it's ready. Might as well go over some things until then."

"Hm? What do you..." Avi's ears perked, and his eyes glimmered. "Ah, right, that's true, we hadn't really--"

Before he could finish, she narrowed her glare further, gestured to the far end of the plateau, and walked away. Well, that was one way to get him to come quietly. Avi jumped from his seat, snatching up the satchel he'd left beside it. "O-Okay, I'm coming! No need to get testy!"

As they walked away, Tai watched Ferrah's tail flick. Rhythmic, stiff, maybe even a bit forced. Ah, well. He sighed, then turned back towards the cooking pot. Though he tried to focus on the cooking, Hana's pouting caught his attention instead. Her cuts were getting sloppier, and she kept glancing down the plateau.

"Well now, I wonder what's gotten you in such a mood? Water not heating up fast enough? Or am I thinking of something else going too slow for your tastes?"

Her glare grew as sharp as the knife she held. "Like you have room to talk. You've been just as occupied with your own little daydreams." Another stroke of the knife separated a large section of peel. "At least I get something done while enjoying the view."

"You do more than admire from afar, Hana. Seriously, it's not subtle."

"Try telling him that, then." She slouched as she reached for another tuber. "One moment it seems like he gets it, and the next? You'd think I'd never tried in the first place." Each stroke against the peel came in rhythm as her gaze grew half-lidded. "At least it's sort of cute, I guess."

He chuckled, but his gaze soon drifted back to the basket of fish, then to where Avi and Ferrah were talking. He sighed, then looked at Hana again. "Okay, look. I've been meaning to ask you something. R-Related to Ferrah."

The knife went still. Hana locked her eyes with his. A tilt of her head, a raised eyebrow, and finally a half-lidded glare met him. "You're not getting another practice round out of me, Tai. You got plenty a couple years ago."

"W-What?!" His hackles shot straight up as he recoiled, and he raised his hands in defense. "No, t-that's not what I--"

A young voice hit his ears. "Practice? What's Tai practicin'?"

Tai froze. Slowly, he twisted to the left. There, the sight of an innocent otter child made his blood run cold. He flicked his eyes to Hana, silently pleading with her to do something, anything at all.

She returned his begging with a smirk, then turned to Iris. "Oh, just a bit of cooking I taught him. You were still getting used to walking around, so you missed it."

His spine finally unlocked. He leaned back, crossed his arms, and put one leg over the other. Hopefully his own smirk looked half as convincing as Hana's. "Y-Yeah! Helping with dinner. And stuff. Not much call for it when everyone else was here to help, but it was a good experience to have." His eye twitched.

"Ooh, really?" The girl whipped around to face her sister. "What'd ya teach him, Hana?"

"Well, let's see now..." She turned the knife over in her hand, pressing it to the peel of the cassava. "For starters, stroke technique was all over the place." She sliced away another length of peel. "He needed to learn some consistency,"--she sliced again--"some precision,"--and again--"so we worked on that a fair few times."

He blinked. The chill from earlier slithered down his spine again.

"Not to mention his prep work, which was... Oh, perhaps the word is 'lacking!' Had to figure out everything he was missing, and that took an eternity and a half!"

The glimmer in Iris's eyes shone bright, their iridescence appearing gold from this angle. "Ooh, what else?"

His mouth fell agape as his claws gripped against the log tighter and tighter. "Hana, w-what're you--"

"Hush, Tai, your mentor's talking. One last thing he studied..." She pointed the knife up. "That had to be the most important. I mean, he always had trouble getting the meal's flavour to peak, you know?" She flicked her eyes to Tai, and her wry smile gouged deep into his soul. "So I taught him to be more efficient with his effort. He's learned so many things by now. It's really quite impressive, Iris!"

"Yeah!" The otter pointed straight at him with a giggle. "Tai's gotta be great at it now, right?"

"Oh, he's passable, don't you worry." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "Now run along. The boys might like some help searching for new critters, and we still need to work on dinner."

"Okie! Got it!" Iris bounded over to where Cress and Milo were digging around in the treeline.

At last, the muscles in Tai's hands remembered how to do things besides crush the log beneath him. He hissed his words through gritted teeth. "What. Were you. Thinking?!"

The capybara went back to peeling and chopping as though nothing happened. "Simple. I was thinking I should make my stance clear. You've learned enough, and neither of us would enjoy the other's_company_ very much."

"One, that wasn't my question. Two, you seriously just spouted all that off to your little sister like it's nothing? Three, since when were you a 'mentor' in that? You were just as clueless as I was!"

"Sure, sure. And who was it that was at the center of almost every issue we ran into, I wonder..." That knowing glance from earlier returned.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He put a hand to his chin, glanced to the side, then grumbled and shook his head. "Gah, whatever. Just listen, okay?"

"Eh, fine. Nothing better to do while I'm prepping the cassava, anyway."

He sighed, his tension finally melting away. "I wanted to ask what you think I should try. With Ferrah, I mean." He gestured to the basket of fish. "All I could think of was teaching her what I know, sort of as thanks for what she's been teaching me. Best I'm not the only person able to keep half of us eating what we need, too."

"As if those are the only reasons you want to teach her."

He pinned his ears back. "Not the point. Answer the damn question."

Hana gave him a quick glare, then adjusted the grip on her knife before carving the tuber into pieces. "That's not simple to answer, Tai. She gets irritated whenever you make an advance, but who knows why. No idea what about you she's so annoyed with, but I'm biased there. Too much to pick from if you ask me. Try something new on occasion, I guess. See what happens. She seems to know what we're after, at least." She sighed with her whole body. "...and that's a high bar to clear, apparently."

A chuckle escaped him. "It's not like you know what's up with Avi, either. Do you even know what he is? 'Cause I've never seen anything like him."

She stopped slicing, then looked down towards the pair. "Well, n-no, but he looks a bit like Mother and I. A little. Just that his ears are a bit bigger, and his face is more pointed. And he's smaller than her, rather lithe, too."

As they watched the two talk, Avi slipped his tail into his satchel. It seemed to nudge around a bit, then reemerged, coiled around one of the broken wooden slats from the farm. Without looking, he caught the slat in his hand as the tail dropped it.

Tai had no words for that. Neither did Hana, apparently. They shared a glance for a moment, neither of them moving.

She was the first to break the silence, gesturing towards... whatever just happened. "And I don't even know what's up with that tail."

"Maybe we should, uh, just ask him. Unless you have a better idea."

"Fine. I'll handle it." She shrunk back a bit. "W-When it feels right, anyway. It just feels so weird to me to ask 'Hey, what's up with your tail-arm-thing' out of the blue like that." She set the knife to a tuber again. "I'll ask Avi, and you ask Ferrah. Deal?"

"Oh, I don't have to ask her anything." He straightened up, crossing his arms with a smirk. "I know exactly what she is."

"Oh? How?"

He closed his eyes, the smirk giving way to a smile. "One time, when I was little, I asked why Pops didn't look like Dad and I. Way shorter than Dad, full of spots, and that fluffy tail... All of it was so different. Turns out, Dad and I are panthers. But Pops? Pops is called an oncilla." He leaned his head back, then opened his eyes, taking in the blue expanse of sky above. "Then, they took it a step further; they told me about all sorts of cats, all of them different in plenty of ways. Jaguars, ocelots, cougars, kodkods... So many of them to meet, out there in the jungle beyond our village."

"Alright, and which is Ferrah?"

"That's the best part. She's none of them." He glanced over to her once more, examining that vibrant pattern of orange, black, and white. His tail began to curl and swish. "She's one of the rarest. I thought I'd never get to see that fur pattern until I left the village someday. And yet, here she is." He locked eyes with Hana again. "Ferrah's a tiger. Or, more accurately, a_tigress,_ and her fur's more beautiful than anything I could've imagined from Dad's stories, let alone the rest of her."

"Yeah, yeah, big guy, I'm sure it's--" The capybara stopped herself mid-cut, then raised an eyebrow. "Wait, until you left? Tai, no matter what stories your fathers told you, they'd never have approved of you leaving. I mean, I'm curious about what's out there too, but..."

"I didn't plan to be gone forever. Just long enough to--" He clenched his jaw, and his tail stiffened. "Never mind. Besides, that's not an option anymore."

His ears perked; he looked down to find the pot was at a full boil. On cue, Hana began dropping chunks of cassava in, the leaves set to the side with the bowls. Her eyes flicked to his, but darted away just as quickly.

The only words spoken anymore were the little ones' shouts by the treeline. Tai looked to his wriggling catch once more, then back to the tigress down the plateau. His tail began to curl again, and his smile returned. He grabbed his knife, then reached for the first of the three fish.

"If none of us can leave, her included, then she ought to have nothing but the best."

*

---

*

"So that's it? Just some basic wooden slats?" Ferrah leaned close, examining the shard of wood in Avi's hand. "Yeah, I can getcha those. Just a bit of cutting and carving. Bigger question is how much you need, and in what arrangement."

Avi sighed, a weight lifting from his chest. "I can take you to see it some time, then. That should answer any questions you have." He smiled as he stowed the slat in his satchel. "Thank you for all this, Ferrah. I'm sure Hana will be happy too, with all the worry you'll be taking off her shoulders."

In his brief investigation into the destroyed irrigation system, he'd managed to get the layout worked out. But the mechanism that controlled the flow of the water was missing. Hana described it as looking like a spinning flower of wood, but he hadn't seen anything like that. Starting from scratch would be difficult, but they didn't have much other choice.

Ferrah raised an eyebrow, glanced back down to the fire pit, then refocused on Avi. "Speaking of Hana, I've been wondering. Those two, what do you think of 'em? Noticed anything?"

His thought process ground to a halt. He tilted his head, then flicked his whiskers. "Hana and Tai? They're both taking their roles in stride, even if they need support now and again. They seem eager to get to know us, so I think we'll discover anything else important in due time."

"Can you be more specific, though? What makes them seem eager to you? Hana especially."

"Oh, that's easy. When I was asking her some things on our first gathering trip, she asked me something in return. She was curious whether we were mated, of all things! I suppose we never mentioned it, so it was a fair question." He gestured to the fire pit. The tigress stared at Avi with her mouth agape, her arms hanging slack. She blinked hard, seemingly snapping out of her stupor, then gritted her teeth. "She asked you what now? And you just--you just took it like nothing?"

He stepped back. "Well, yes. It was easy enough to explain when I recovered from the surprise. Now she knows that no, you and I aren't mated." He clasped his hands together. "She's likely passed it along to the others, too, so everything's squared away. I'd like to think you'd rather not deal with that question yourself, eh?" He chuckled to himself.

A glare took the place of the smirk he'd expected from her. She sighed, then put a hand to her head and leaned back. "Ya know what, never mind. Let's get to what I really wanna know." She snatched a loose stick, then crouched down and began to draw. One long line, several arrowheads along it, with a cloud on one side, and a droplet on the other.

"And this is...?"

She pointed to the cloud. "That's the main Skygrazer village. The droplet's where we are, and the mountain range separates us from them." She gestured to the empty space around them. "How close are the other tribes? 'Cause if we're getting visitors any time soon, we're not gonna stand a chance if any of 'em treat us like an easy mark instead of remnants in need."

His tail went stiff. He skittered over to the map, crouched down, and looked it over before making his own additions. "Alright, so, this whole region?" He scratched out a line from the mountain range, then added a line down the middle, the dirt caking under his nails. "I'm pretty sure this region has the Morning Stars"--he drew a star in the half nearest the mountain--"and the Rosebriars." He finished tracing out a flower in the other half.

Ferrah nodded. "And if what I've heard is right..." She added another section, carved in half, then drew a monolith in the seaside half and a crescent moon in the other. "Head past the area where you said the farm is, and you'll eventually reach Earthshaker territory, with the Astral Crescents just around the mountain range. The good news is that they're still fighting over the space between their territories, so they're not gonna wander down here." She sighed, staring at her map. "Their leaders shoulda quit when they had the chance a decade ago. It works out for us, but what about them?"

Avi collected his thoughts, then sat down. "Insightful. Who told you all this?"

A glint returned to those brown eyes alongside a warm smile. "None other than the chief's eldest, if you can believe that. All those siblings at home, and still she finds the time to check with me on how construction's going, what we need, and if I could use some help talkin' some sense into those stubborn lugs. Way more than the chief's ever done for us. And in return, I get to hear current events. Even the juicy stuff that people go their whole lives without hearing." Her brow furrowed. "She does all that and more for the village. Meanwhile, the chief sits on his ass and plows the nearest mate when the mood strikes him. Come to think of it, with all she's done, I don't know why she's not been evaluated as being of age yet."

"What?" He tilted his head. "Isn't she only fourteen, though? Why would she be of age?"

Never before had he witnessed a reaction so sudden, so visceral from her. The recoil, the subsequent stiffness in her frame, and the sheer contempt on her face. She thrust her finger at him. "What the... Fuck's sake, Avi, what are you talking about? 'Of age' has nothing to do with--" The tigress deflated as she sighed. "Ya know what, no. I'm not havin' that talk. The important thing is, Velta's damn good at what she does, and she's more responsible and fit for leadership than anyone in the village, let alone her old man. I'll vouch for anything that came from her mouth."

" __So her name's Velta, then?" His thoughts turned to the girl from the feast. The fire in those eyes, the grace and poise in every movement, and most of all, how she tried to wave to him. Her reasons, whatever they may have been, vanished along with her when she stayed behind. "_ Trying to talk? Getting my attention,_ maybe? But why?" He narrowed his gaze on the map, putting that thought away for another time. "Alright, then. If she's right--"

"And she is."

"Then we're safe from that side. The other two nearby tribes, though..." He glanced towards the areas marked with a flower and a star.

"Got me there. We get our building materials locally, and Velta's not had much to say about them besides some gossip about leadership changes in the Morning Stars." She tapped the stick against her knee. "The Morning Stars got the worst of it on the Day the Sky Split. They were right in the middle of the storm."

"And from what I've heard in the clinic, the Rosebriars had a plague sweep through right after. No one mentioned how bad it was, but..." The mouse scratched at his head, his gaze darting back and forth between the two symbols. With a flick of his whiskers, he paused, staring closely at the flower symbol. He traced a claw along the shoreline of the map. "Ferrah, when was the last time a merchant wearing an emerald came to the village?"

"Like I said, I don't... Huh. Actually, there was one when I was little, pretty soon after the Day the Sky Split. He even stuck around. Why?"

"Every merchant I've gotten coconut oil from on runs for the clinic has had a ruby. Not a single emerald in sight. All of them are from the Morning Stars. And those coconuts?" Avi turned back to the fire pit. "Hana told me they grow exclusively on the coast. And who's supposed to be on the coast?" He pointed to the flower.

Ferrah hissed through her teeth. "So, best case scenario, they're weakened and have to settle for getting our stuff indirectly through the Morning Stars. And in the worst case..." She clenched her jaw, crossed out the flower, then turned away from the map. "Guess that's a relief, of sorts. Dammit..."

"Ferrah, there's something else." He gestured across the entire map. "On one side, we've got squabblers who are too distracted to come down here. On the other, we've got a pair of tribes who can barely leave their territory, assuming they even exist anymore. They'll never come here." He gripped his wrist tight. "That means no conflict, sure, but no one's going to find us. We're on our own. The Skygrazers didn't even know this place existed. I don't think they're going to come this far out."

Her eyes went wide as her gaze snapped to his. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She brought a hand to her chin as she stared at the mountain. "Eh, we found this place, right? There's no way we're gonna be the only ones to find the cave. Yeah... Y-Yeah, someone'll notice. Someone's gonna want to know what's down here, right? Right..."

Avi's ears pinned to the back of his head as the tigress's breathing grew erratic. But before he could say something, a fragrance wafted under his nose. To his stomach, a forbidden temptation. To his nose? The savoury smell of roasting fish could leave him walking on clouds.

The mouse gestured his head towards the cooking. "There's no need to fret over that, Ferrah. You'll just worry yourself sick. Remember back in the cave? How you said we'd find something at the feast to take my mind off things? I can't offer something that grand, but..." He shrugged as he grinned from ear to ear.

Ferrah snickered, then stood tall, her tail flicking and curling. "Alright, I'll admit it." She stomped out the map, then strutted towards the fire. "When it smells that good, I might as well take my own advice!"

He followed her, and as they approached, both Hana and Tai waved and called them over. The smells of dinner grew stronger as they closed in, with the boiling water adding its own scent to the mix.

Perhaps they could afford to let things be for a while yet.

*

---

*

Avi set his bowl down, leaned back, and sighed. How long had it been since the feast? A week? Far too long to go without cassava. A shame they were at the whims of a single farm to decide if they got to partake of it or not, but the smaller scale couldn't be helped.

"Enjoying yourself, Avi?"

The mouse snapped out of his tuber-induced trance. "More than I ought to admit. We did gather enough for a few more days of this, right? Please say yes."

The capy's smile deepened, and her gaze narrowed. "Oh, don't you worry. There'll be plenty to come!" She put a hand to her lips, muffling a giggle as her ears flicked. "If I'd known this was going to be your reaction, I'd have tried to get a few earlier. Just precious~"

He rubbed at the back of his neck, his own chuckle coming out much shakier. Avi scanned around the fire pit; Tai and Ferrah were still seated across from him, and the younger kids had already started playing again after nearly inhaling their food. He cleared his throat, then began. "So, Tai. Is there anything else to take care of today? We've still got some daylight left, so I wouldn't be opposed to lending a hand."

The panther looked down, eyes wandering, then straightened up again. "Not much. We finished surveying the more important buildings already, and as for how that went... Ferrah?" He nudged her with an elbow, to which the tigress grunted and crossed her arms.

"Storage is fine, just a few holes. Tradeswork buildings are fine enough, though I dunno which ones we can use ourselves. For living space, I'd normally want the easy ones fixed first, but that green-haired shrimp keeps ducking into the wrecked one, so who knows. Then there's the big one." She stood, then pointed far into the distance. There, at the village outskirts, sat a building that seemed none the worse for wear. "The clinic's fine. Just some debris we can clear tomorrow. Supplies have seen better days, but you can take care of that just fine once we clean it up, Avi."

His hands balled up so hard they vibrated. As his tail began to tense, though, he breathed deep through his nose. He allowed the tension to move to his chest, then expelled it all as he exhaled. His hand tapped the digits against his knee as they were freed from their stranglehold. "Alright. I can do that, yes. Nice to put that labour to good use for once."

"Tomorrow. Getting that place cleared out is its own project, and I ain't leavin' it half done."

"Then is there nothing left for today?" A tap at his shoulder drew his attention.

Hana clasped her hands together, that wide smile no dimmer from the discussion of work. "There's one thing, yes. How about Tai and I show you two somewhere rather important to our little village, hm?"

Tai stood from his seat. "Wait, Hana, there? You're serious?"

"Absolutely! It's just past the waterfall, so we'll be back before dark for the kids. What do you say, Avi? How about it?" The girl leaned forward, batting her eyes, channelling some part of her little sister's usual methods when treats were at stake. Perhaps Iris had learned from the best in that regard.

As a warmth kindled in his chest, it was hard to say it wasn't working. "Alright, then. Whatever it is, I'll be glad to have you show me. Ferrah?"

She grumbled, her tail going stiff. "If it's got a building, I'd need to look it over anyway. Lead on, I guess."

With that, the group made for the trail up to the waterfall. What used to be eclectic foliage had begun to establish landmarks in the mouse's mind. The blue cage flowers, the occasional fallen tree, and, as of late, some bushes near the waterfall clearing with oval-shaped leaves and tiny red berries. Strange little bush; nothing like it existed back home. "Well, if it has a medicinaluse, Kanna will have left some notes in the clinic. Hopefully."

Once they entered the clearing, Hana took the lead, waving them over to walk along the river. The girl carried a spring in her step, occasionally spinning around and urging the others to keep up. She hopped across a narrow stretch of the stream, then headed towards a gap in the trees. She spun around once more, spreading her arms wide. "And here we are, the..." Whatever awaited them in the clearing, Hana's enthusiasm crumbled at the sight of it.

Avi's whiskers flicked, but as the group caught up with Hana, one thing became clear: there most likely was more of a building here than a side wall and a scattering of debris doing its best impression of a lovechild between a tree and a briar bush. One whose existence drew nothing but pity.

A low whistle sounded, and its source stepped forward. The tigress began her work, stepping over and around debris to reach the wrecked frame. "Wow. That's one way to get perspective on how sturdy the foundations at the beach are, huh?" When she reached the frame, she crouched down, brushing stray shards of wood aside in her investigation.

Tai nudged the capy with his elbow, a wry smile wide across his muzzle. "Not what you were hopin' to see, eh, Hana?"

"Shut it, you." She huffed and spun to the side, crossing her arms. "Of course. Of course this would happen. Why wouldn't it?" Her furrowed brow withered a bit, and she gazed off into the distance. "This place was important to them. I-I just wanted to... Oh, what are we supposed to do?"

The mouse padded forward to comfort her, but his attention drifted to Ferrah's efforts. The tigress had shifted to the inner area of the building. Her eyes darted everywhere she touched, and her arms moved with purpose despite their bulk. Whatever she'd learned, her face scrunched up. She lifted her hand, rubbed two fingers together while staring at them, then stood with a grunt. "Bedding, flower petals, pottery, and--and damn coconut oil, of all the crap? Tai, what was this wreck?"

"Hah, well..." He leaned on his spear. He kept fiddling with the grip, and he wouldn't make eye contact. "The coconut oil was free for anyone to use, but mostly Dad and Pops. Y'see, the flowers were morning glories, a vine flower. A few even latched to the hut, which was pretty appropriate since, uh..." He gulped, and his eyes flicked to Ferrah for a moment. "If two people put those flowers in each other's hair, especially the morning after a night together up here? They're mates, from then on. I don't think I need to explain what the place was for with a tradition like that."

Hackles raised, nostrils flared, and chunks of debris went flying as Ferrah stormed out of the hut. Her glare could carve through stone, and Tai got the brunt of it, though her gaze flicked to Hana every so often. "Oh, I can guess, alright! And all it tells me is this place is at the absolute bottom of the list for repairs, got it?!"

"B-But!" Hana clasped her hands together and skittered toward the tigress. "What this place meant, it's... Y-You have no idea! I still remember Mother and Kanna's day when they returned with the flowers, and I... I was--"

Avi sighed, then walked up behind her. When he set a hand on her shoulder, she flinched, and her torrent of reasonings came to an abrupt stop. "I'm sorry, Hana, but Ferrah's right. Your parents aren't here to use it, and there's far too much we need to do already. If we get the rest of the repairs done, I promise you we'll see this place restored. Alright?"

The girl's tension flared up one last time, then melted away as she leaned into his hand. "A-Alright, Avi. I guess it can wait, but... Mmph."

"That's it, dear," he thought. "Just relax, however you need to. It'll be fine." Though her smile had yet to return, perhaps a cloudy mood was the best he could hope for here.

"If that's all, then..."

The mouse's ears perked, turning to the last person he expected to speak further. Tai had already begun heading back toward the waterfall. "I'm gonna go on a quick patrol. Better safe, and all that." He leaned the spear against his shoulder and waved without turning around. "Rest well, all of ya. I'll be fine."

Avi opened his mouth to speak, but he found no words. He sighed, the panther far off by now, and turned to the girls. Neither had shifted from their moods of gloom and frustration. Perhaps he could keep the kids distracted from Ferrah more often until she calmed down? Hana he was less sure of, but maybe him spending time with Iris would evoke the joy in her it usually did.

He shook his head, and an awkward smile formed on his lips. Keeping the peace around here would be just as much of a job as fixing everything, it seemed.

*

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*

-1st Moon: Waning Crescent-

"Aww, come on! I'm not even tired yet, Avi! Neither's Milo!"

The maned wolf popped his head up from the bushes. "I kind of am."

"N-Not now, Milo!"

Avi shook his head. "It's plenty dark, Cress. All of you should be turning in for the night already."

Cress tried to object, but only managed to sputter nonsense. He gave up, then kicked at the dirt by the fire pit. "We barely did anything today... Hmph." Despite nightfall, the boys had been looking for critters in the bushes as fervently as ever, and Iris was playing with her doll in what little light the crackling embers of the fire pit provided.

Avi sighed, running a hand through his hair. _"Funny you're the most vocal about this, Cress. Last I checked, your night vision's the least effective among you three."_He went still. Soon, his tail began to curl, and he brought both hands together. "Alright. You won't have to turn in just yet."

"Really?!" He whirled towards the treeline, his legs barely containing the new burst of energy. "Save some for me, Milo, I'm--"

"But!"

The bat skidded to a halt, then looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll have to keep watch over you." Avi smirked. "And if we're all up here anyway, what would you say to hearing a story tonight?"

"Huh? Well... I guess it's been a while. Mom and Dad always had some good ones. I'm up for it. Milo?"

The maned wolf lifted his snout up from the treeline. "Sure. Those are nice. New one might be neat."

"I-I wanna hear! Umi too!" He glanced to Iris, who stood as tall as her little legs would let her. She had one hand raised, while the other held her doll, her thumb holding its arm up. "Pleeeeeeeease!"

Avi chuckled, then sat down. The kids swiftly found their own spots around the fire. Milo's ears flicked as he stared, and Cress remained a jittery bundle of energy even while seated.

"So, what kinds of stories have your parents told you?"

Cress's hand shot up. "Oh, oh, Mom and Dad always had stories of tough warriors, against the odds! Never giving up, never holding back! Milo's mom, though, uh..."

"Weird stories." Milo tilted his head. "Little creatures I've never seen, everything happening suddenly. Like a dream."

"Mama has Umi help her with stories." The little otter hugged the doll tight, nuzzling it. "He's good at stories. Mama always told him to help me remember 'em, too!"

"Oh? Then maybe you can tell me his stories another time, Iris. As for you, Milo, I can't promise it won't be odd and dreamlike, but I'll do my best regardless." He leaned forward, and the light and warmth of the embers gave what he hoped would be the proper mood for such a thing. "Alright, then. This is a story about a young, curious boy. Every day, he'd bound around his village, seeking every little thing he could find. He didn't often play with the other children, but that didn't matter to him. Everything was so wondrous and new, it could hold his attention all day. Every rock that could have a new bug under it, every flower he'd yet to see, even the adults at work. All of it."

Cress chuckled. "Sounds like Milo!"

"A kindred spirit perhaps, yes! Now, then..." He waved his hands over the fire pit. "This little boy, he overheard his caretaker one day. Many others in the village, too, all saying the same thing. 'Did you hear? The chief's son has found a mate!' He didn't know why it was so important, but the adults seemed to think it was. They were so excited, too, especially for the ceremony that would take place next moon! All that time leading up to it, he just kept wondering. What did the mate look like? He'd heard the chief and his son were rams, but he didn't hear a thing about her. They just--"

"Ram?" Iris gave a tilt of her head, and her brow furrowed.

Avi's eyes went wide. "Oh, you haven't seen one, have you? Well..." He gazed into the embers as he worked through the words. Then, snapping his fingers, he turned back to her. "Hana said Enki's a bull, right?"

"Yeah! He's big an' grumpy, but I like him. His horns are neat, too."

"Imagine that, but smaller. Thicker fur, a short tail, and the horns? The horns grow around in a spiral!" He traced the curls of imaginary horns next to his own head.

"Ooh..." She began copying the motion as she stared, seeming enraptured all over again.

"Right. Now, the boy hadn't heard much about the mate. Everyone just said she was beautiful, that she was a lucky woman to catch the eye of the chief's son. So when the day of the ceremony finally came, he paid no mind to the celebration. The food, the dancing, the games... None of it could compare to satisfying his curiosity."

"Oh, what'd she look like, Avi?! Was she pretty, like they said?" Iris nearly vibrated in her seat, though Cress made clear his own thoughts by sticking out his tongue and gagging.

He raised an eyebrow at the boy, then turned back to the fire pit. "I'm getting there, Iris. It took a while, but eventually? He found her. Resting in a seat of honour, at the foot of the chief's estate. With the ornate headdress and vibrant clothes she wore, a bright pink ceremonial gown and a deep purple sash, it could only be her. He had no idea what all the adults considered beautiful, but even then, her hair, spilling over her shoulders and flowing like cacao... If anything were beautiful, that must have been it, he thought. He couldn't stop looking at her."

"What's cacao?"

Avi tripped over his next words, then sighed. "My bad, Milo. It's a hot drink, made with the insides of a large, brown bean. It's smooth, a bit bitter, and the spices give it a lovely kick, all in a brilliant shade of brown!"

Iris leaned ever closer, face beaming. "Pretty..."

He ruffled her verdant hair, snapping her out of the stupor and receiving a few giggles for his trouble. "Very much so. Though, he realized something else about her. It was a grand celebration, and one for her mateship, yet she seemed so sad." Tension coiled in his chest. "He couldn't find any hint of a smile, and her eyes seemed vacant as she stared at the ground. Seeing that, the boy had a thought: 'Why? Shouldn't she be the happiest of all tonight?'" Her expression resurfaced in his mind, and both his head and heart began to sink. "So once again, he decided to indulge his curiosity, and kept watching her. For the rest of the feast, all through the night."

He paused. Staring into the fire. Staring like he had that whole night, at someone carrying less vim than a weed-choked flower, yet still made to live. At the time, he didn't quite understand. The children wouldn't, either. No, they shouldn't. Mustn't. His claws scraped against his palms, but the pain only distracted him a moment. "Why did no one help? Why was I the only one? That other woman tried something, but gave up so fast. Why? Why...? Why did no one care?! Why--"

"Avi...?"

His ears perked. Something tugged at his arm. No, some_one_. Iris. With a deep breath, he cleared what haze he could. A fragile smile would have to do. "S-Sorry about that, just distracted a bit! It's nothing, really."

Iris clutched his arm, hugging it in place of her doll. "Really, Avi?"

"Of course, dear." He patted her head, but instead of her usual reaction, she just kept holding his arm tight. Ah, well. At least he didn't need it at the moment. "Anyway, where was I, boys?"

Cress crossed his arms. "She was bein' all sad and stuff. Dunno why. It's her party, so why couldn't she enjoy it?"

"Well, Cress, the boy couldn't say. Through the whole night, she didn't move from that seat. She glanced up at times, and she talked briefly with someone the boy assumed was the chief's mate, there to support her son's soon-to-be mate, but otherwise? Complete stillness. She even poured out her drink next to her without taking a sip. The other woman left shortly after. Seeing that, the boy couldn't sit still anymore. He hopped down from his perch, then walked up to her. One tug at her dress, and he got her attention."

What little haze remained in his mind began to dissipate. "He asked if she was okay. And for the first time that night, he saw her smile, no matter how small. She set him in her lap, ran a hand through his hair, and assured him it was nothing he needed to worry about." His eyes drifted shut, experiencing their talk all over again. "They spoke a long while after that. Little things, but no less precious to the boy if it meant getting to see her smile. Even more than her hair, that smile, he thought, must have been what was so beautiful about her. He didn't want to leave, but the evening was growing late; the ceremony would begin soon. She sent him away, promised she'd be fine, and he obeyed... Well, he obeyed a little. He returned to his perch, still keeping an eye on her. However, before the moon could cast its light upon the festivities, something he never expected happened."

At that, Cress perked up at last. "Ooh, bad guys? Did she have to fight her way out, taking the chance to escape?"

Avi stifled a laugh, barely. "Oh, something like that, Cress! A wave of dark, thundering clouds rolled in, blotting out the light. Just as suddenly as they arrived, the rain began with them, along with thunder ringing out and lightning striking other areas of the village. Everyone began to leave, and the boy was sad to know he'd have to go as well. The woman's eyes, however? He saw a glint of hope in them as she gazed up at the storm. Contrary to the stillness she'd shown the rest of the night, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her!"

"Really?" The otter nuzzled into his arm, her grip loosening. "Where'd she go?"

"Off towards the outskirts. The boy ran after her, but she was faster. The only reason he caught up was because she stopped to take a breath and look around the village square before she'd truly leave the village. As the boy got closer, she finally noticed him, and she gasped. His pace slowed until they simply stood there, only a few steps apart. The boy still worried for her, and it must have shown on his face, because her eyes went wide as if she realized something. Perhaps why the boy had followed her."

His smile grew wider than it had all night. "Neither said a word. Instead, she smiled, crouched down to him, and brought a finger to her lips. He nodded to her, a-and then... She ran. Into the jungle, disappearing past the trees. He never saw her again."

"Aww, really?" Iris looked up at him. "He never found where she ran?"

"Not for certain. He never stopped searching, though. Every day, he'd search the place she disappeared as part of his morning walk. Determined to find her, to be sure she found her happiness at last. But that"--He clasped his hands together--"is all that exists of this story, for now."

"Okie. I hope--" Her own yawn cut her off, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. "I hope she's okie..."

Cress grumbled. "Fine. I guess that was alright. There's gotta be more we can do, though. No way I'm sleeping yet."

A shout came from down the slope. "Oh, I think you _will_be, Cress!" Hana marched up to them, stopped at the fire pit, then crossed her arms with the kind of look she normally reserved for her spats with Tai.

"B-But--!"

"No buts! Avi's indulged you long enough, even been your storyteller this whole time. The others are tired, Cress. I doubt you'd be so eager to stay up if you were all on your own, now would you?"

"Huh? But..." His ears folded back as he turned to the maned wolf. "Milo?"

Milo didn't yawn, but he gave a big stretch, and his eyes blinked just a bit out of sync as he stared off blankly. "I dunno. I just wanna think. The story. Wanna figure it--figure it out." His eyes drifted shut for a moment in the middle of his response, and he jolted before finishing.

Any energy Cress displayed until now left him as he stared at Milo. He shuffled his paws in the dirt, then stood, soon helping Milo up as well. "Okay. I'll go."

"Good." Hana nudged Iris up, then guided her over to the boys. "Watch her closely, now, we don't want her getting lost. Though, I doubt she'll go anywhere like this. Did you have that much fun, Iris?"

"Mm... Mmhm. Was good. A-Avi's... good. It was--" Another yawn interrupted her, and she leaned into Cress's side.

Avi chuckled to himself, then placed a hand over his heart. "Well, thank you, dear. Go on, now. The boys will get you back safe and sound, alright?"

The girl only managed a nod before she leaned into Cress further, and he began escorting the other two down to the village. When the trio were out of earshot, Hana sighed, then ambled over to where Iris had been sitting. A smile soon showed itself, and she nudged him with her elbow. "Someone's quite the storyteller, hm~?"

"Oh? Erm... How much of that did you hear?"

She shook her head, still smiling wide, then brushed a curl of blonde hair out of her face and looked into what remained of the embers. "I heard enough. Enough to know the little ones were having a wonderful time. Even Cress, though he'll never admit it. You have quite the way with them, you know? All of them, not just Iris."

"Maybe. I just did what anyone should for them. That's not a big deal. Pulling a story out of thin air wasn't the easiest thing, though, I'll admit."

"Mm, if you say so."

The two sat there in silence for who knows how long. Where was he supposed to take this? They should be getting back as well, so why had she sat down?

When he glanced over to try puzzling that out, she gazed straight into him. "She was like a mother to you, wasn't she?"

He recoiled, his eyes flying open so hard they strained in his skull. "W-What, how?! I mean, what do you mean? And how?" He collected himself, forcing the panic down deep. "How did you know, Hana?"

She glanced off at the embers again, and her smile gave a warmth that could rival that little flame. "I'm no stranger to this, Avi. Growing up with stories like that, getting older, better understanding the people who told them, all of it teaches you one thing: there's a part of the teller in every story." A giggle rolled through her. "Though I'll admit it was a bit of a guess. The connection's normally buried in prose and fantasy, you know!"

He sighed, leaning back and looking to the sky. "Alright. I suppose she filled that role, yes. Looking for her is why I was in the cave above the waterfall in the first place. I just wanted to know she was happy. Maybe get to share that joy, too, that feeling of being cared for."

"What? Didn't you have your parents to turn to for that?"

"That's..." He clutched at his wrist, rubbing at it as he spoke. "No. I'm afraid not. My mother began dreaming shortly after I was born, and my father? All he saw in me was her, and not in a way that would make him care what happened to me."

Her ears perked. "Dreaming?"

His own ears followed suit, and he straightened up. "Ah, Hana, that's... I should've expected this. I've been explaining things I took for granted all night, and this is no different." He gazed up at the night sky again, looking for stray clouds. "That's what the tribe believed. That those who pass on dream among the clouds, watching over us. That it was a precious gift to see them again in our sleep, if only for a moment. That the best way to do right by them was to live to our fullest." His tail flicked. "In that regard? I suppose I'm making up for lost time. Few days were worth it up there."

"A-Avi, that's..." She glanced to him, then averted her gaze. Her hand rested over her heart.

He watched as a wisp of a cloud floated across the night sky. "And if that wasn't enough, my father got himself killed in a construction accident not even a year after that night in the rain. Not like I missed much there." His eyes narrowed, then softened. "I had Ferrah, at least. Just her. An adoptive sister to call my own. Maybe her older sister as well. Her parents, though? I didn't get much from them besides a cozier roof over my head than the communal huts."

A thunk came from the side. He glanced over, finding Hana's fist pressed against the log. It unfurled, and her claws dug into the wood. "I... I think I might know why Iris clings to you so much." She turned to him, her smile soft despite her hand's stranglehold on her seat. "I think she knows you've been hurting. Iris can't stand seeing people in pain. She has a knack for these things. Not a bit of the obliviousness you'd expect from a toddler, even when she could barely speak."

He blinked, and his whiskers flicked. "Really? You think so? How can you be sure of that?"

Her smile widened as she tapped her chin, then narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I know so. And I know just the way to tell you: a little story of my own, from a few years ago..."

*

---

*

"Aaaaagh! Stubborn, crabby, absolute pain in the..." Hana clenched her fists at her side, hunched over and marching back to the main village. Her claws dug into her palms as she did, but the pain was secondary to her incensed feelings towards her mentor.

" __Does that bull think I'm stupid?!" she thought."I can handle a dumb cassava bush just fine, if he'd just_ let me touch the darned thing!"_ She kicked at the sand in the middle of her stride as she stormed across the beach. She didn't slow down until she approached her home at the edge of the village. Once she ducked through the curtained entrance, the tension dissipated at last. "Mother, Kanna, I'm back. How's...?" The question died with only furnishings to ask it to.

She scratched at her blonde curls. She and that stubborn old man were the only ones who went to do any gathering, and nobody was at the clinic when she passed it, so where was everyone?

Her ear flicked. Someone was shouting? She jogged to the other end of the village, and the voice became clearer. That was Kanna, no doubt about it.

"And why, exactly, are you all still here? Are Ori and I gonna be the only ones looking, or are any of you gonna suck it up and grow a spine?" The river otter's stance mirrored Hana's from earlier, and she was berating most of the village. Few of them were willing to look Kanna in the eyes, aside from Milo and Cress's mothers.

"I'll take my common sense over whatever you think your respect is worth, frankly." The bat woman turned her nose up at the otter. "I'll not be the one to find out what exactly has latched onto that girl. It's no gift of the stars I've ever heard of. Maybe that cursed body will guard her until she returns, have you thought of that, hm?"

Kanna stomped the sand as she turned to her. "She's a child, Leto! I don't care what load of boar sh--" She glanced at Milo and Cress playing not far from the square. "...boar dung you've come up with as an excuse. We need to find her this instant!"

"Kanna? What happened?"

The river otter jolted, then whirled around. "Hana? Why are you... No, never mind, have you seen Iris? One moment she was sitting around, watching the boys play, and the next she was just gone! I swear, if this is what I have to look forward to as she gets even better at running around, I--" She paused, took a deep breath, then released it slowly. Her eyes locked with Hana's again. "Please, hun. Did you see anything?"

A chill shot down Hana's spine. "What? No, I haven't seen her, but I wasn't looking. Where's Mother?"

She ran a hand through her long, black hair. "Already searching. She's covering the jungle above the plateau." The locks grew taut in her grip. "Though she'd be doing better if someone had gone with her!" She glared over her shoulder. "Seriously, not even you, Pom?"

The maned wolf shrunk back where she was sitting. "I'm, I-I was just--I'm watching the little ones, so..." She glanced back at the boys.

"Everyone else is here to watch them, Pom, and you're still not gonna do anything but twiddle your thumbs? Not even for Ori?"

Pomare flinched at the name.

Kanna's glare sharpened. "Now, what would you do if it was Milo missing? All alone, wandering who-knows-where..." Her jaw clenched down. "Do it for Ori, if not Iris. Prove that she mattered to you. Or is that too much, hm?"

Pomare turned away, clasping a hand over her heart. Soon, though, she looked up to the plateau and began to stand. "You're right. You always were. I never should have hesitated, no matter the excuse. Orielle deserves better than doing this alone." With that, she walked, then jogged, away from the square.

"Right! Anyone else?" Silence. Even as Kanna bored holes into them with her glare, no one moved. "Alright, then. If ya want something done right, I guess--"

"What's wrong with you people?!"

Several of the quiet ones flinched as all eyes turned to Hana.

"My little sister is missing, and none of you care? None at all? You don't even have room to talk, Leto! Don't think I forgot how we first met Cress!" Her frustration rekindled, a roaring flame in her chest. "We're in the same situation, and you'd rather keep spewing garbage like that than help?" She turned on her heel, marching back the way she came. "Then I'll find her myself! Sit on your hands some more, if that's all you know how to do!"

Before she knew it, she already re-entered the jungle. Around every tree, every rock, every bush, nothing went unchecked in search of the little otter, but she was nowhere to be found. How far could she have gotten by now? What if she hadn't come this way at all? How was Hana supposed to cover the whole area herself?

A familiar, rumbling voice sounded in the distance, and she stopped. She sighed, then stood up straight before heading towards it. As she got closer, she picked a few words out of the mutterings.

"...you doing, little...?"

Hana's eyes went wide. Her resigned approach became a dash towards the voice. The edge of a clearing came into view, and she leaned against a tree at the outskirts. There! A little otter girl, waddling from flower to flower. She wasn't the only one there, though.

"Your ears plugged or something, little sprout? You didn't even look at me when I asked!"

Of course. Of course Iris went to look at the flowers. Why wouldn't she? But if she had to pick a place, why did it have to be where Old Man Enki had apparently gone after Hana stormed off? Why, of all people? She tried to step forward, but something locked her in place. "Iris, no... Oh, please just run over here..."

"You're not gonna pay me any mind, eh, little sprout? Alright, then." Old Man Enki sat on a rock in the clearing, then lowered his staff, the many charms strung to the head clinking against each other. "Maybe this'll be of interest to you?" The bull pointed his staff at the girl, then shook it, the charms rattling even louder.

To Hana's surprise, Iris turned toward the staff and stared at the many shells and carvings making the racket. The girl ran toward them, but as she got close, Enki lifted the head up, and Iris tumbled past as she tried to grab them. They did this several times, Iris giggling all the while.

The bull smiled, a sight that made Hana raise an eyebrow. "Well, would you look at that. I've still got it." As they continued their game, Enki slowed down, and Iris got closer each time, until she finally grabbed onto one of the charms before he could lift it. "Ah, my mistake. Guess I've lost this one, sprout."

Iris stood there, a tiny hand wrapped around a charm. "Sh... Sh-ell?" She pointed to the shell in her hand as she stared at Enki.

"Yes, yes. You like that one?" He got up, walked up to where Iris had latched onto the staff's charm, then began untying it. "Guess it's yours, then."

With the shell freed, Iris sat down, feeling its every groove and face with her little digits. She laughed and hugged it against her chest.

"Can't say I guessed that's the one you were after. I thought you'd..." As he trailed off, he rested one of the charms in the palm of his hand. No matter how much she squinted, Hana couldn't quite see it. Whatever it was, it glimmered a pinkish-orange colour in the sunlight. Maybe it had a gem? "Well, never mind that. You take care of that one, understood?"

Iris smiled and nodded, then slipped the shell under her arm, where it disappeared.

The bull flinched. "Eh? What did you--"

Iris lifted her arm, then pointed to where she'd stashed the shell. It was one of those odd pouches she had. If something small went missing at home, odds were good that Iris had it.

"Eh, ah well. No stranger than the rest of you, little sprout." He returned to his seat, the staff in his lap as he continued to examine the charm.

"Now, we'll get you back to your mother soon. I know you're not gonna get most of this, but you ought to hear it anyway." He ran his thumb over the gem. "Try not to worry her so much, eh? She's got her hands full with you."

The girl rocked back and forth, eyes wandering.

"Oh, it's not too hard, sprout, don't you worry. All you need to do is grow and thrive. That's all any sprout needs, plant or animal. You make her h-happy just by--" The bull's deep timbre caught in his throat. "J-Just by doing that, sprout. Your sister's well on her way, already, so perhaps follow her example." He clutched the charm tight. "We protect you, until you--until you can protect yourself. Until the day you find your place in the world. Maybe even have a family of your own." He hunched forward. "So, don't worry so much. It'll be fine. I'll do my part. We'll make sure you get there, I-I swear."

Iris looked up at him. In those iridescent eyes, there was no fear, no joy, but something Hana didn't understand. The otter occasionally shuddered, grasping at her head when she did, but her gaze never left Enki.

"Again?! Oh, Iris..." Kanna spent many sleepless nights trying to soothe those apparent headaches. Nothing seemed to help when they flared up, though.

"W-What's wrong? What're you looking at, sprout? We're heading back soon, that's all."

That odd look never left her face. The otter got up, hobbled over to the bull, and hugged his leg close.

He jolted back, clutching the charm even tighter. "What are you... That's enough!"

Hana watched, bewildered by both of them, but especially Old Man Enki. This was the man who'd just berated her for her shortcomings with the farm's plants? The man who never stuttered, never choked on his own words, and especially never looked like he was on the verge of tears?

What little remained of his stern expression melted away as he stared at the toddler. "You... Sprout, you're..." A shuddering sigh left him. "You know, you're almost as big as... I mean, you're almost as old a-as..."

Whether she understood or not, Iris nuzzled into his leg, clutching even tighter to it.

And that finally broke him.

Tears fell from the bull's eyes, and sobs wracked his bulky form. His body seized up as he wailed and tried to speak. Eventually, amidst the blubbering, clear words fell from his lips. "S-Sprout, I... Oh, Ereshkigal...!"

"Who?"

Enki yanked the charm to his heart, and the cord it hung from snapped. His tears shimmered just as the gem did earlier. Hana clutched a palm over her heart, unsure what to do. But one thing came to mind. She slipped back into the treeline, getting some distance away. Then, she shouted into the jungle. "Iris! Iris, where are you?"

"Ha-na?"

She rushed toward the clearing again, and the patter of tiny paws met her ears, along with a squeaky little voice.

"Hanaaaa!"

Hana crouched to meet Iris's run, scooping her up once she got close.

"Hana, Hana!" Iris reached into one of her pouches, then held a green- and gold-striped shell in Hana's face. "Sh-ell!" The green matched Iris's hair, and both colours matched some of the swirling hues in her eyes.

"Aww, it's just like you, isn't it? I hope you thanked him, Iris!" She shared a nuzzle with her sister, then continued into the clearing. Enki stood up, and she locked eyes with the bull, who acted like nothing happened.

"What, came back for more, brat? Finally gonna shut your trap and listen for once?" Though his posture showed no sign of sorrow, he couldn't hide the tint of red in his eyes, the streaks in his facial fur, or the dark spots on his cloak's collar. He began retying the charm to his staff. Now, Hana realized it was a flower carving with a shard of quartz lashed to the center.

She kept a straight face. "Hmph, you wish. I came looking for my sister. Kanna's in a frenzy, and nobody but Mother and Pomare have been helping. So if you want something done right, well..." She booped the little otter's nose, to which she received giggles in response.

Old Man Enki raised a brow at that, then scratched at the streaks left in his fur. "Fine. We'll get back to it tomorrow. Maybe you'll finally treat a plant with some respect. Go on, get back home. I'll be behind you two, so hurry and get that one to her mother. You hear me?"

Though such words would've normally left her in a sour mood, something inside of her had changed. She glanced between her mentor and Iris, then to the flower carving hanging from his staff. "Loud and clear. We'll see you at dinner, then."

As she turned back into the jungle, the carving stuck in her mind. Perhaps that old bull wasn't so bad after all.

*

---

*

He blinked, the rest of his body still as stone. "My..." His arm broke free of the stillness, reaching up to rest a hand against his cheek. "She could tell all that? She couldn't have been more than two, that's... Goodness."

"I wasn't kidding in the slightest. Hard to forget after that sort of sight. I suppose I should call him Elder Enki, but..." She stifled a giggle behind her hand. "He'll always be Old Man Enki to me. Far too grouchy for that formal title!"

Avi's whiskers flicked, and his eyes darted away. "Sorry if this is too much, but did you ever figure out who he was talking about? I can guess, I know, but it's--it's not right to assume."

Her eyelids drooped as she seemed to ponder the question. "I couldn't bring myself to ask, no. And regardless of what he meant, I think Iris has done some good for him in that regard. It's good she had at least one person besides us she could turn to, as well."

His fist clenched again. Not digging in this time, but it may get damn well close if he let it.

All that fuss over Iris just looking a bit different? It was odd, sure, but to go so far as to hesitate when she could've been in danger? Ridiculous. He was right to be so close with her. She had a lot to catch up on in regards to kindness from those besides her family. If that was going to be him, then--

"Er, Avi?"

He jolted from his thoughts. "O-Oh, sorry. Bad habit."

"No, I mean... Um..." She pointed down at the log, an awkward smile accompanying the gesture. He tilted his head, then looked down, all too quickly understanding what she meant; his tail had coiled around her wrist.

"Oh, oh my, that's--apologies, i-it has a mind of its own sometimes if I don't stay focused." He tried to withdraw his tail, but she grabbed the pink tip in her hand just as he freed her wrist.

"Neat little thing. Actually, I'd been meaning to ask something, so I hope you don't mind explaining one more thing tonight." She pulled it towards her, flicking her gaze between his tail and his face. "What are you, exactly? You're a bit like Mother and I, but the differences are too much to be a capy."

He reached forward, plucking the tip from her hand. "A mouse. Related to capybaras, but different. Aside from what you can see, our tails are able to act like another limb, if a bit limited." He rubbed at the tip of his tail, then sighed. "You really haven't left. Or gotten visitors, apparently. This whole night has made that sink in, I must say."

"Afraid so. Anyone who came, stayed. Nice to have a word for all this, though." She gestured to all of him, then chuckled. "Back to my point from the start of this, however... I meant what I said, Avi." She leaned towards him, her hand right near his thigh. "You're wonderful with the little ones, at every turn. That's not something I can say of all of our parents, and you still manage it. Don't forget that."

Warmth pulsed in his chest, and he finally smiled. "Well, thank you, Hana. I'll keep it in mind, then."

He gazed off at the rolling waves down at the beach. The sound hardly registered anymore, and yet, there was something calming about it if he focused. His eyes wandered further to the village, though, and he remembered just how long they must have been talking."Hopefully we're not missed, but... Oh, Cress isn't going to like this." Before he could speak, there was a tap at his shoulder. "Hm?"

"Avi?" Hana drew her hand back, twiddling her fingers together as she struggled to maintain eye contact. "With all that said, have you... Have you ever thought about being a father?"

His ears shot up, and the panic from earlier lodged in his chest again, if only for a moment. "What? That's... Hm." What tension remained oozed away as he brought a hand to his chin. He closed his eyes, letting the words come as they pleased. "I suppose I hadn't. If I returned to my village one day, though, then--"

Pictures flashed in his mind. Pictures of him working, only talking to Ferrah or those in need of help. Of being surrounded by others in the communal hut each night, yet being no less alone. Of sitting on his own at the feast, waiting for the one person he would have talked to. And of that young girl, Velta, waving to him from above. Whatever she wanted, it was left behind with her. An opportunity, maybe. One he'd probably lost by now, in his obsessive search for the missing woman.

His brow furrowed, and he opened his eyes. He stood, then walked towards the slope. "No. That won't happen. There's nothing left there for me, anyway."

"B-But...!" He turned around, and Hana leapt from her seat, starting after him. "Even so, couldn't you..." Her steps faltered. "C-Couldn't you, you..." Her eyes seemed to gaze off at nothing. Glazed over. "Yyyouuuuu..." A knee buckled.

Before he knew it, he'd bolted to her side, just in time to catch her fall. Both knelt as he held her steady. Her breaths came ragged, and still her gaze remained hollow. Eventually, she blinked, then brought a hand to her head. Her breathing steadied, and with it came a deep sigh. "I'm s-sorry, that wasn't supposed to--"

"Faintness. I've seen it plenty." He shook his head. "I'd no reason to think you had it, though. How long?"

She grumbled, looking away. "Look, it's normal. Always been around. Just happens when I don't get enough water, stay up too late, get up far too fast... Some combination of the three in this case, I suppose. It's nothing."

"No, it's persistent, Hana. Meaning you should be more careful about this. Promise me that much, at least?"

She sighed, then leaned against him, using the support to stand. "Alright. I'll try." She crossed her arms. The clouds passed by just enough to let the moon shine uninhibited, its half-crescent waning. Not long before the new moon would begin to take its place. As both stared off at it, Hana's eyes narrowed, and she tilted her head. "Oh... Maybe..." Her usual smile took its rightful place again, then she giggled and bounded toward the slope with a spring in her step.

"Is there something about the moon, or...?"

"Oh, nothing! Don't you fret over it, really!" Even more giggles graced the air, to which he shrugged, then followed behind her. Hopefully Cress had fallen asleep by now; they'd never hear the end of this excursion otherwise.