Spenta watched his brother leave as if chased by demons. Perhaps he was being chased by the monsters that haunted him. "Yes," Spen whispered, "I am your brother. I will always be your brother." He choked on the last word. This impasse between them was slowly driving Spenta insane. What could he do to fix it? Could it even be fixed? Spen doubted it.
For reasons unknown to him, Spenta's thoughts turned to his father. He hadn't seen the lion since his departure only days after the birth of the twins. Was he even alive still? Did he think of the sons he'd left behind? What were his reasons for leaving? And his mother... he remembered her cool pelt, the growls of pain she tried to silence... the birth of his brother and her subsequent death.
It had been a straining day. Spenta curled up once more beneath his ragged bush, no longer feeling the heat of the afternoon. Too many troubles pestered him, and when he slept that night it was a restless and fitful sleep.
