Pride watched him go, quiet.

And what was ever in any parent's chest, when a child at last left the nest for the first time..? Hope. Warmth, a well-wishing for Azizos to do well. Fear for his well-being. Racing thoughts--had he given him all the warnings and all the advice that he could..? Was there anything, anything at all, that he had missed?

He realized, after a few moments, that he'd been standing silently staring at the bushes where last he'd seen his son. He blinked and shook himself, silvered tines catching the dim light, then slowly made his way after. There was no reason to rush; he could graze his way back, rather than interrupt what was undoubtedly a talk between Azizos, Arsu and Mercurius. No need to force a second, awkward goodbye.

And Arsu? ...Would Arsu go, as well? Pride hoped fervently that they'd go together; Arsu was too dreamy, he felt, to be alert enough, safe enough, alone. Or was he? Perhaps he was more keen than Pride gave him credit for--but he somehow felt that Azizos' intellectual, logical presence would be a benefit for Arsu, and that Arsu's emotion would help keep Azizos on the right path. Not that the latter seemed, if his silly, warm goodbyes were anything to go by, at all prone to cruelty or coldness.

No; if they went off alone, they'd each be all right--he hoped. He'd try to keep an eye on them, regardless; it wasn't like he was confined to Eridanus, after all. And if they went together, they'd certainly be all right. There was no reason at all to worry.

So why do I feel this faint fear?