1/13/2026, 8:10 PM
the march drove them. the march sustained. one day, cen would be too old to travel as he did. he would miss his snap and therefore be forced to hand down the mantle. an ageing leader too bitter to surrender leadership was a weak creature. pride kept him from thinking overmuch of that day; he was a creature of the cold winds and the present, the ice in his teeth, the bite of snow at his nose, his eartips.
his children were not immune to the drive. he had two left to him, the rest scattered or dead, and it was through this forceful walk that they were tested for the first time as lanzadoii. caan had thrived long; he had fit himself into their number and his leg did not seem to deny his ability.
fa'liya was another thing.
cen heard her coughing and hardened his heart. his affection was limited to survival, and though he did not turn a cruel word or stare on his daughter, he prepared himself.
he told himself he must, but when another day broke and fa'liya had not rejoined them, long strides set to look for her.
she was hidden among the slopes of the land. his muzzle quested along each pile of snow, though for now the chieftain did not speak.
his children were not immune to the drive. he had two left to him, the rest scattered or dead, and it was through this forceful walk that they were tested for the first time as lanzadoii. caan had thrived long; he had fit himself into their number and his leg did not seem to deny his ability.
fa'liya was another thing.
cen heard her coughing and hardened his heart. his affection was limited to survival, and though he did not turn a cruel word or stare on his daughter, he prepared himself.
he told himself he must, but when another day broke and fa'liya had not rejoined them, long strides set to look for her.
she was hidden among the slopes of the land. his muzzle quested along each pile of snow, though for now the chieftain did not speak.
