Lost Lake truth be told i never was yours

Chan chuckled. It hadn't been so awful since he'd been young enough to heal pretty quickly, and it only bothered him on his absolute worst days.

"Surprised Mom never told you," never used it as a warning or something to keep Nash and Staryn safe from the bluffs. Obviously it hadn't really been needed, as far as he knew his younger siblings had never been severely injured. It only just then occurred to him that whereas his brother hadn't known about his broken limb, maybe bad things had happened and just hadn't been brought up.

While speaking they continued along the ridge, and ahead it could be seen that the trees thinned until there were none at all, just stone and sparse brush.

"What about you? Ever gotten like, big hurt?"

Nash frowned as they walked. Had their mother never mentioned it before? That didn't sound like her. She had been a good mother, looking out for her children's safety. She must have mentioned the danger at some point, right?

"She must have, knowing her, but I don't remember it," Nash decided. That seemed more plausible. He watched his paws carefully as they left the trees and headed to more exposed terrain. It wouldn't do to have a repeat of Chan's accident.

He glanced up at his brother's question. He'd been lucky, living on his own the way he had without a major accident. But hurt was subjective. "Not physically, no," he said quietly.

In a way Nash's answer was good, but it's implications did not pass Chan by. The smile he gave in return was intended to be understanding, empathetic. There was no good to be done in prying into those memories, it was solely his brother's decision if he wanted to delve further or not.

Ahead, the ground began to disappear, giving way to more and more sky as they walked. A lone, dying pine stood alone against the deep blue, nearly horizontal as gravity, over the course of many years, had worked against it's roots. At it's scraggly, needless top was an expansive nest, spanning several branches. From this distance, it couldn't be known if it was inhabited or not -- excited to see, Chan picked up his own pace. 

This was much better than sitting alone.

Fade