[private] I'm in the space between the spaces; Castile

[sochi]

SOCHI

Sochi has no reason to get involved. No reason to think her involvement would do anything but complicate an already impossible situation. Yet, there is something that pulls her back to Loess—something that drags her steps from going further and further into the depths of the forest and back to a place she had called home for years now. A place she had bled for and patrolled and raised her children.

It felt like a stranger now as she crosses the threshold.

Her face is neutral, washed clean, as she moves forward—looking for a form that was once so familiar. To her good fortunate, it is not difficult to track him down. After all, it is not difficult to find a dragon.

She approaches as a tiger and shifts when she is close, standing before him in her black and blue form. She presses her lips together as she studies him impassively, her silver eyes washing over him and head tilting slightly. “How dramatic,” her voice is dry, husky and she ignores the twinge of her heart—ignores the feeling of coming home, reminding herself that this is no longer home. That he is no longer home.

For a minute, she considers asking him why. Why he was in this form at home when he so rarely chose to shift but she ignores the instinct. It was no longer her concern. None of this was her concern.

“What you were trying to hide found me,” she finally says, her voice still empty and ringing without any emotion—any turmoil she might feel completely buried. “She’s in the forest giving birth to what I assume is your child.” This she is unable to keep the anger from rising up, her lip peeling back slightly on the acidic word to reveal feline fangs. “Rather, I assume she is still there. I assume still alive.”

She rolls her shoulder, frustrated that she was to be the messenger on this.

Was it because she wanted to look him in the eyes and tell him that she knew? Because she felt some responsibility to make sure the mare didn’t die? Because she knew how important it was to Castile to be there for moments like this in his children’s lives? She doesn’t dissect it, doesn’t dwell on it further.

“You should probably go check on that.”

She studies him for a second longer before she sniffs and then turns to leave.

she said a war ain't a war before both sides bleed

@[Castile]