He'd waited for long enough. The white wolf had passed by - he'd hid away from her, trying to push the memories out of his head. Cloudberry had come, he'd hidden away, too ashamed to show his face. The owl from Rift's kingdom had come too and he'd watched from the bushes, wishing she'd hurry. He wanted to go in. But he also didn't, because Blackberry was in there.
He was wrapped in sorrow and confusion; hatred, pain, shame, and pity all wrapped up into an odd, confusing mess that not even Shiny, furiously grooming his shoulders, purring, and whispering soothing words through their link could calm down. Eventually, he turned back and, as gently as possible, picked her up by the scruff, and set her down in the bushes. She was so surprised by this act that she didn't resist at all and simply stared up at him, eyes wide. Huckleberry leaned over her, forcing a smile onto his face.
Even as he walked away from Shiny, he felt an emptiness settle on him. He knew that she was ignoring his senses now and it made him nervous, almost like he was a dog off its leash or a child set free into the world, without the supervision of its parents. He felt naked, exposed, and extremely fragile.
Grateful, he slunk under the tree roots and immediately spotted the cage of thick, sturdy branches and a familiar ragged form underneath. He froze where he was as the scent poured over him. It smelled like home. It smelled like Mama and Papa and all the siblings. It smelled like blood.
Automatically, he moved forward and sat himself down, eyes staring wide at the cage, before he finally managed to choke out some words.
