Lakota was quick to seize on the purpose of her sister’s visits to the Cove, the taunting implication of her words twisting the palomino’s lips back to bare her teeth. It was tempting— so very tempting— to retort with a bite that would wipe that smug expression from the paling chestnut’s face, but Pike was reluctant to sign herself up for more trouble. Glowering at her older sibling instead, she peeled away from her with a sound of mingled rage and revulsion. ”That’s so gross, Lakota!“ The younger girl complained, punctuating her words with a snap of her debris-tangled tail. ”He’s just a friend. And anyway, he can’t even play nip-and-chase properly. Not like you and I used to.“ Clinging to this reminder of their simpler and happier days, Pike let the flare of her anger fade.

It wasn’t worth arguing with Lakota over something so silly and stupid— especially since the older girl always seemed to win wherever a battle of words was concerned.

They settled more easily into the unifying topic of their angst, though the pain that was evident in her sister’s words was enough to give the ever-bright Pike pause. It’s just what moms do, Pike. They leave. And they don’t come back. Though she wanted to deny the truth of Lakota’s wounded words, the young palomino couldn’t. At this point, Kvothe’s absence had stretched on so long that it had entered that indistinct territory of something that seemed to last forever. At this point, she could scarcely remember what it was like to have a mother— let alone dream about what she might do if Kvothe were to return to them. Pondering this with uncharacteristic soberness, Pike didn’t even smile in response to her sibling’s snark-filled whisper. Then Ironclad was there, the stomp of his hoof provoking a guilty start and a repentant glance from his rebellious young daughter.

She couldn’t help but to wonder if she was in trouble again.

Girls, we have some grown up things to discuss.

Yep, definitely in trouble. Shrinking in upon herself reflexively at the serious tone the pale stallion used, the golden filly risked a sideways glance at Lakota. Maybe she knew what this new lecture was all about? But the other girl seemed just as uncertain and guilty, though Pike was certain that she’d imagined the latter. Her sister was just too, well, good, and it wasn’t fair. No matter how hard she tried to measure up to Lakota— and in her younger days, the pale-tawny filly had tried— obedience was too much of a struggle for her. She couldn’t wear the chains that the rest of her Inlet family seemed to embrace willingly. Not when there was a whole world out there just waiting to be seen, and— and—

—And if Lakota was right, then their dad was about to take that all away from them forever.

”Do we have to?“ Pike asked glumly, pleadingly. She didn’t like the way that Ironclad was looking at her with— the expectation that lingered beneath his thoughtful blue gaze. But she hated the disappointment that she tended to put there even more, and hastened to avoid it by attempting to sidetrack the conversation with a different question. ”I mean— shouldn’t we talk about this as a family? When Mom comes home?“ Not that Kvothe would do anything but support whatever her mate had determined was best, of course.

But the possibility of delaying the inevitable was far more appealing than the idea of facing it.