From one sandy shore to another, Sacre travelled with his two fox partners west, to the coast of Helovia. His return to the Throat had triggered his duties to start once again and the colt happily obliged in his task, eager to make up for his brief departure. The journey was a pleasant one, travelling across the Thistle Meadow and skirting the borders of the dead land before coming across the Endless Blue. It felt colder than home, the wind whipped off the sea and lashed against his dark face, making his eyes water.

When was the last time he’d been here?

His gaze strayed to the small six-tailed vixen at his side; it had been the day of the birth of Ríona. A beautiful, miraculous moment in time that Sacre would remember for all his years, just as he would remember when Inari too had been born. There was something so personal and precious about the birth of a bond, like lighting a fire in ones own mind. The boy was privileged to have two fires to keep his thoughts warm through the dark days and the greatest. That wasn’t all he remembered, however. An image of tangled golden braids and a moon cradling beautiful black eyes; a fire dancer and a friend. Though Sacre often wondered if ever they could be more, his young heart skipped several beats to the dip of her head or the flick of her gaze. Yet, he found Tandavi so hard to read, he didn’t know where he sat in the hierarchy of her heart and he was not yet man enough to ask.

With a sigh, he started to patrol along the coastline as the sun dipped into the afternoon and murky clouds built on the sea’s horizon. Where was had she gone anyway? He wondered if she’d be mad at him for leaving without a word and his brain scolded him. ”Of course she would!” what kind of friend left so suddenly and begged her to be here upon his return, but he did. He selfishly craved her familiar company and the easy conversations and quietly he loathed himself for being so incompetent.

Feeling his thoughts turn mournful on him, Sacre pushed his face to the biting wind and tried to clear his thoughts. He set about looking for his patrol partner with hopes the company of another would aid in easing his restless mind.