[lestan hated to see kirain so distraught. no. no. it will not be, he sought to reassure, kissing the soft snowdown cheeks beneath the threat of each quivering tear. as she sought grounding magick from the land itself, he glanced about and sniffed the water once more. once, wh-when i was learning to t-track, i discovered a soured st-stream like this. i followed, lestan said softly, falling back into memory, its source up into the m-mountains. i f-found more poisoned st-streams and creeks. eventually, he turned, glancing to kirain, i f-found a dead g-goat rotting high in a peak at the s-source of all the other water. in a flourish he gathered kirain's paw, kissed her crooked wrist. i w-will go. but i — my love, i do n-not want us b-both to go, the mayfair said softly. it is n-not my place to forbid you. but it is m-my wish. he loathed the idea of being parted, but further rot upriver might well sicken him. he did not wish for kirain to suffer the same; he loved her too much for that.]

lestan hated to see kirain so distraught. no. no. it will not be, he sought to reassure, kissing the soft snowdown cheeks beneath the threat of each quivering tear. as she sought grounding magick from the land itself, he glanced about and sniffed the water once more. once, wh-when i was learning to t-track, i discovered a soured st-stream like this. i followed, lestan said softly, falling back into memory, its source up into the m-mountains. i f-found more poisoned st-streams and creeks. eventually, he turned, glancing to kirain, i f-found a dead g-goat rotting high in a peak at the s-source of all the other water.
in a flourish he gathered kirain's paw, kissed her crooked wrist. i w-will go. but i — my love, i do n-not want us b-both to go, the mayfair said softly. it is n-not my place to forbid you. but it is m-my wish.
he loathed the idea of being parted, but further rot upriver might well sicken him. he did not wish for kirain to suffer the same; he loved her too much for that.