10/6/2025, 8:37 PM
He didn't know what it meant to be left. Not in the eyes of others, at least—he'd never admit to it. Their pitying words, the fret of a worry they knew nothing about; he was better than all of it. He'd been on his own for a while, relying on the earth's care to keep him alive instead of a warm tongue. His life was his, and his alone—it was freeing almost, even with only his pride to keep him company.
Though even in his most prideful moments, there were glimpses of what his future might've been like. Glimpses again of the cards he was dealt. On occasion, he'd find himself running across another family—be it birds, deer, or even wolves. He'd watch them until his eyes blurred or the night grew too long, until there was nothing left to watch and he was left alone with his wishes and thoughts.
The what-ifs were loud.
Taunting, goading, making him want for something he'd never even been given.
Oh, just quit 'yer whining!It was snarled on an irritating and weathered morning. Transitioning between slumber and consciousness, he'd all but woken up on the wrong side of the marsh.
There ain't any Ma's around here, so quit hollering.He huffed from his burrow in the snow, nose crinkled and eyes glaring.