Ashamin was joyful, it was true, but the moment Rein innocently called out that name reserved for their relationship, that Dad?, Ashamin felt his heart drop.

It was rare that he used his own magic on himself; now that he thought back on it, he wasn't sure he ever really had. He tried to twist his own heart up so it would keep beating as it had before, keep sending the right chemicals to his brain, but it was difficult to recover when he saw that purely innocent look on Rein's face. If only he knew what had really gone on in his son's life as of late, he might not have been so concerned about scarring his son.

What is it?

Well, what was it? Was he abandoning his son? No, he didn't want to think of it like that. But he was leaving the home they had shared together, even if only in passing. And that wasn't what he wanted but Ashamin knew, deep down, that it was what he needed.

"Rein, I..." the now former haruspex paused, his heart caught in his throat. That same shaggy mane caught in the wind for a moment and flipped over his neck, revealing a spot of crimson that the Bear God had left him with. He paused, looking over his son, and struggled to put together the admission of his departure. Luckily a faint mark on his son, some remnant of a cut, caught his attention.

Rein was not immaculate. Rein was not innocent, not entirely pure or clean. Perhaps he was young but the faint line of a healed cut on his shoulder (its origins unknown to Ashamin) revealed that he had been through something. Ashamin wished he'd been there for it, and he wanted to be there in the future. Suddenly renewed he breathed in deeply and came out with the truth.

"I'm leaving the Aurora Basin," Ashamin said then, his voice steady but his  heart wavering in fear. Would Rein turn and run? Would this just be another betrayal for his son?

No, no, it wouldn't be. Ashamin wouldn't let it.

"I'm leaving the Aurora Basin but I'm not leaving you, son," the Clovenheart said firmly. "I'll never leave you. Outside of the herd I can be happier. I can be free of the God of the Spark and the duties that took up my time, I..." Ashamin paused, looking first down and then back up at his precious first child. "I can spend more time with you. You're old enough now, you'll... You'll be grown soon. You won't need me, I know that. But I want you to know that I love you. I will always watch out for you, Rein, even if I'm not with you."

A crazy thought came to him, a fleeting hope. He knew he should have talked to Rexanna before leaving, Ashamin really did know that, but where was she? He hadn't seen her in so long, he suspected she'd moved far beyond him now.

Screw it. He could deal with her backlash later if the boy said yes.

"And if you want, Rein, you can come with me."

Beyond them and late in the night, the wind howled a song of forgiveness. Ashamin could only hope that his son would hear the tune.