For want of heirs.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el nodded. The cub was still a cute, playful thing, but he was getting bigger and would need to learn how to be a bear. If the Sunsinger pavilion, gods forbid, should face extinction again, there would be no one to take him in, and he would have to have the skills of a bear to survive. Sama'el knew this better than most, having been the sole survivor of such an apocalypse. He couldn't speak to Denen's status; there were wives who bore no children, but they all had the mechanics to do so. Likely few among the horseclans would care what Denen called himself. He shared blood with Sama'el now, and was a Sunsinger. Other than that, the semantics mattered little. "I have Watch business in Riverfall again soon," he said and signed. They were sending him there more and more, not only because he was one of their best and fastest riders, but because he had a rapport with Kavala and the Sanctuary, and there were Akalak of note who knew his name and face and respected him. Such was not easily won from an Akalak. "When I get back, I will take him on some short trips away to teach him what he needs to know."

[Denen Sunsinger]

He did not want Sam to go to Riverfall, especially since that meant he would be left behind. His brow creased and he traced a pattern in Sam's side as deft fingers worked over the leather. Denen had vowed never to return to that city unless he had no other choice. The big, blue men terrified him. They lurked in the corner of every nightmare, tugging at his nerves. There were times when people touched him and surprised him, and he panicked. It was difficult to forget the torture he had endured at their hands, and more difficult to forgive the entire race for the act of an outlaw band. He frowned. "Ride hard and fast back to me," he signed. "You know he will be well cared for while you are away. I will try not to spoil him too badly, though I cannot make any promises." The young healer forced a smile and tucked his face into Sam's shoulder. "While you are away, I will take him with me when I gather herbs and roots. Bears eat those things, don't they?"

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

He knew, of course, that Denen was not a fan of Riverfall for obvious reasons, but his friendship with Kavala and repeated trips there had made him an obvious person to send when the Watch had business with the giant men. And so he was there many times every season, though quickly back thanks to the speed of Dohaina or Bigarren. "I always do," he said and signed, though now he was more and more worried that Oriana would not approve of the cub's upbringing. There was nothing they could do about it being accustomed to humans the way a wild bear would not be, but at least they could teach him to hunt and forage, and he supposed they would have to find some cave or den for him to hibernate when winter came, unless it was not cold enough near the Stardowns for his instincts to make him drowsy. "I think they do. They are omnivores. If you keep him from eating anything you know is poisonous, I imagine his instincts will make him want the things he can eat. Or they will taste bad and he'll spit them out." At that, he pulled the cub into his lap. He was the one who had to keep leaving, and had his own sort of separation anxiety. At least Denen got to stay within the safety of Endrykas.

[Denen Sunsinger]

Denen watched Sam with his child and felt his heart ache. Perhaps it was wrong for him to loathe Oriana for what she had done to him, but the punishment did not seem proportionate to the crime. He did not imagine the goddess would have punished a pregnant bear for murdering a carrying, Drykas woman. But what right did he have to fight against the will of the gods? He was but a mere mortal. A pawn in the game of a vindictive goddess. They all were. Not all deities were as merciful as his own. He reached out, and took hold of Sam's chin, turning his face towards his own. His gaze was tense, stern. "We will be all right. You are a good father. This baby is loved. We are doing all that we know how for him."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

He smiled and he nodded; Denen had a way of reading his mind. Then he went back to cutting the leather into thin strips, wanting to get the sharp work done before the bear cub woke up and got curious. That always made work more difficult, more distracted, because he always wanted to stop what he was doing and focus on his furry offspring. It was not professional work, but he began knotting pieces together, sometimes weaving thinner bits together for more strength. It was easier to do that in this light, too, rather than waiting until there was only firelight left. And the harness was going to be tricky.