I'm coming back again
I want to live tonight
His visit to the common lands had eased some of the loneliness but Oceane’s absence had not gone unnoticed when he had swung by Loess on his way back “home”. He had found the children, wild and free as ever, making them a firm promise to bring them to Sylva soon for a visit. Of his twilight love there had been no sign but it had been clear from the others that she was wrapped up in kingdom affairs. For a moment his anxiety rises in his chest as he looks at his two children, the thought of them being unwatched bringing a thousand “what-ifs” to his mind. Eventually he soothes himself with the thought that Loess is well protected by the likes of Tarian and Cheri. Besides, he’s still not sure he trusts the quietness of Sylva. Not yet.
He spends the rest of his trip from Loess to the autumn land lost in thought. The Loessian Queen’s first duty was to the South, he had never doubted that nor wished to change it. Yet he can’t help but be bothered by her growing absence and leaving the twins behind feels like a stab to the heart. There hadn’t even been a chance to catch up with Cheri, if only for peace of mind regarding his iridescent Queen, knowing he had been away from Sylva for too long. Soon enough he finds himself among the familiar gnarled woods and follows the dried up riverbed through the eerily silent forest, admiring the fiery colors and catching the song of robins that break through the thick quiet.
It’s not until he is hock deep in a patch of wild strawberries that he finally comes to a halt with a frustrated sigh. The lonely days and nights, the constant gnawing ache in his chest that comes with missing his family, and the irritation of leading a land that seems to be hiding from him all seem to combust together as his temper flares and sharp bear teeth pop through his gums, replacing the herbivore ones he usually wore. “I know someone’s there.” He snaps into the growing darkness that begins to settle over the woods. “I’m not interested in your hide and seek games.” He grimaces slightly as he glances behind him, waiting to see if what lurked in this forest wanted to finally show itself today.
Ledger