Father looked at me angrily. “We do not take credit for other’s mistakes, Depths.” I opened my mouth to speak and he raised a talon. I closed my eyes and braced myself, but nothing happened. I carefully looked back up at him. He had slowly lowered his claws. Father took a breath, and relaxed a bit. “Walk with me, Depths.” Relief flooded through me like a rush of water when you’re dehydrated. I trotted alongside him, as he walked outside and along the beach. “I’m disappointed in you, Depths. “We do not take the blame for others.” He repeated, sour. “You will have to learn this to get places in life.” I nodded, looking up at him curiously, my fear forgotten for the moment. “This is why you will not take the punishment I had in mind.” Mercy? That was unlike him. Then, “You will take something worse.” Oh. That sounded much more like him. “The southern side of the beach is where we’re going for this next lesson.” I’d never been aloud there before, and it occurred to me there might have been a reason for that. “Father, please. I just didn’t want Ripple going home to Aunt Dew all banged up.” I protested, looking up at him with fear in my eyes. I didn’t try and hide it. Maybe I was going to finally die today. Father snapped at me. “Enough!” And stopped in his tracks. We’d travelled further than I thought. “Keep walking forward. Keep walking until you can’t." That was an excerpt from Depths biography-type thing. I sorta sketched over the old Depths and Ripple piece and used it as a template. Hehe Arion isn't happy.
