He followed his mother's trail. Maybe he was too old to still be following her, but he was still just a boy, and he was immensely worried about her. She always seemed so strong to him, and she still did, but he could sense something off about her—a melancholy, maybe—but to Kyoami it was something he couldn't quite pinpoint. She seemed sad, and he wanted to fix that.

Mother? He spoke quietly as she sat at the edge of the stream, a small gathering of flowers at his grey paws. He knew she liked flowers, and he'd picked the ones he had thought smelled nice.

With a dip of his muzzle, Kyoami picked up the flowers and padded to his mother's side. He set them at her feet, looked up into her beautiful face with a gentle smile.

He considered her question. As a boy who had known the den in the woodlands, the beautiful wisteria island, and now this jungle, he found that home was with his family and was not a place. But among these strange new wolves, he felt terribly unsure of himself.

It's nice, he answered with a warm, albeit uncertain smile. I'm sure I'll get used to it. He was more worried about his mother. Do you like it?

There was no answer to his question—no true answer—and in her unspoken words, Kyoami believed his mother was not happy with this place. But, she wanted for a home and declared this would be the place. Kyoami nodded, acknowledging her words, her wishes.

His ears pricked at the mention of his father, his real father. Ichimonji Taro.

“...and for this he paid.”

His ears folded back, brows creased, lips grew tight into a frown. What—what happened? He wanted to know, or, he thought he wanted to know. He could sense that something bad had happened, and his heart quickened with fear and dread for a man he'd never known.

It was a lot to take in. So young, so naive, Kyoami didn't understand the strife that had begun when his grandfather declared his father and uncles were to rule together. As a boy who had not grown up in a pack, such concepts were beyond his comprehension entirely. Why couldn't they rule together? Why did they speak against each other? Would he speak against his sister if his mother told them to rule together? No, he thought. He would do what his mother said, of course. He would do anything to make her proud of him.

Such were the ideals of the child.

His brow furrowed as he wondered why his father and uncle had even fought against his grandfather. He didn't understand. He understood even less why his uncle killed his father… Maybe he had a change of heart, maybe he was just a bad wolf. But Kyoami's world view was too small to fully grasp the whole story. Ambition and cunning were things he did not yet know.

Kyoami looked up as his mother cupped his face. Would uncle kill me and Tatsuhime, he wondered? But he did not want to sound scared. He did not want his mother to be sad or worried.

I won't let anyone hurt us, he said. If anyone ever came, that was. Kyoami didn't see a reason why they would. And even if they didn't, he would protect his family. His mother, his sister, Rio, Layre. He would have to train.