In this fell clutch of circumstance
Leonidas is not brave.
The more he steps into the woods, the more the trees gather behind him. They crowd between the boy and his twin until the ivory of Aster’s skin is no longer a light amidst the green.
He had looked back, not once nor twice but every third stride as if he knew that the fourth would take her out of sight. Each time she is further, each time she is watching where he entered the wood. When he turns to look for the fifth time Aster is gone. There are only leaves and branches where she once had been.
Leonidas was not the only one to look for his sister. Teak has also been looking back. Even as he plays with his sister, as they tumble through the grasses and bound ahead and then race back to him, still the cub pauses now and again and looks back to where Aster waits. Nova leaps upon him and the cubs roll in the dirt together. Teak pushes his sister off, rolls and stands smelling the air. Leonidas watches him until the cub seems content that she is still near. The cat turns to chase his sister again and Leo lets out a breath and steps on into the wood, they would go until Teak could no longer smell Aster and then they would turn back.
@Aster
