A flash of spatial magic twisted the air, and moments later, Quinlan and Kaelira appeared just outside the edge of the Dogkin royal palace.
Kitsara stood waiting for them, having already been notified of their decision to come visit. Her foxkin ears twitched in confusion when she saw them.. "Quinlan? I didn't think you'd come visit. Aren't you busy in the forge with your new teacher?"
"I came to see how you're doing," he said simply.
"I'm… okay," she said after a pause, though her soft voice betrayed it. Her tail barely moved. Her smile, once natural around him, felt forced now.
It wasn't hard to guess why. She'd been warmer, lighter, and more mischievous in their home. But here, in her childhood den… she looked smaller. Not physically, but emotionally. And he could tell what cast the long shadow.
"Take me to Darius."
Kitsara seemed even more surprised by this than his unexpected decision to come visit. "You want to see him?"
"Yes."
