Kyu woke in the night to find a safe place in Sampson's arms somehow it felt like if Kyu stayed very still none of it would be real. Kyu could feel Sampson’s hart beet in his arm, it was so alive and hot Kyu could almost see it even in the dark. why did it look so good so warm so inviting! Sampson gave a deep rumbaing growl, his first clinched and his muscles tensed. the the cables of dominance rose from his muscles as again he growled a challenge. Kyu was so close it shook all of Kyu! snapping Kyu out of whatever that was, so taking shallow breaths holding as still as possible Kyu waited as far from sleep possible. Sampsons breathing slowed down and he rolled over. Kyu crawled out of the loft grabbed the phone and typed to Cypher 

“should I come home”

then set the phone back down and went to the river 

Rook flew down and landed on Kyus shoulder 

“Hello Rook” Kyu absently stroked the bird “if I wanted to leave here would you help me?”

the bird made a crocking laugh and pecked at Kyus hart. 

with a thousand yard stare Kyu slowly whispered “I think there is some thing wrong with me. I’ve been noticing it more but I think Sampson is too. it’s like he is angry at that part of me and, and I know I’m not safe…”

Rook begin running its beak through Kyus hair. 

“I don’t know if i can make it out with out a guid I was hoping  you could?”

Rook pecked at Kyus hart again 

My hart hurts enough as is it doesn't need you adding to it” 

Rook seem aggravated and flew away Kyu not knowing what else to do rolled up pant legs and started fishing for gold. As the suns rays started peeking though the trees Kyu was bone cold again and had a little pile of gold. Kyu collected it and headed back to the house to their surprise the phone had a message “No”    

“that makes three against one. how can I go against clan wars wen i’m so easily defeated here.” Kyu muttered 

 Sampson came in with the smoked leg.

"you look half frozen” 

“i don’t want to be warm. i don’t want to feel the life mom can’t any more.” Kyu snapped dully 

Sampson scowled “Don't spend too much time in that river she lies in her loneliness.”

“what dose that even mean!” ‘Too much!’ Kyus world had change and they were striking out to find anything solid in the ever changing tided that promised to swallow them.

“Your Rook isn’t the only spirit out here and some have been lonely far too long.”

Kyu starting to dry off thinking of that first dunk in the water, how much it felt like not coming up was the answer “oh OH! the river is a spirit too!”

Sampson was in the cellar hanging up the venison but smiled to himself 

wen he came back up Kyu was outside slowly boiling the now congealed blood and with two big rocks smashing the older bones from the smoker. Sampson was so confused he tilted his he’d to the sided and blinked trying to sort out what he was seeing!

“I’m making blood and bone meal it’s a fertilizer i’m going to grow some of the potatoes and beans you brought the whole you dug is deep enough to get some of the earths heat and when it frosts I’ll cover it with the canvas we have plenty of that but it lets the light through so it will be something with the extra boost from this. we will get fresh shoots at lest. I also started collecting the gold. i’m hoping i can melt and shin it to a mirror for a candle. so when it is dark all the time i can still read…

Sampson nodded “I’m to hunting”

Kye nodded and continued to bash the now very brittle bones to crumble.

once the blood was a sludge Kyu stirred in the bone meal and stuck it in the line for the smoker. then set about mashing the rotten apples into some soil then worked it in to the ground at the bottom of the trench Sampson dug. stoping only to set their hand against the large claw marks, feeling doubly small. Kyu went back to work cutting sticks to keep the canvas across the top then cut a whole load more grass and watered the apple starts they brought back. that with out much care they had plunged into the ground. from time to time feeing the smoker. the end of the evening Kyu planting some of the beans and potatoes. 

Sampson came back with more pheasant and plucked and dressed the birds then set two of them cooking by the fire.

Kyu came over for dinner “I feel like if i stop moving I’ll never start again but I have done a lot, we have a winter garden started.”

Sampson nodded and handed one of the birds to Kyu 

“Did you go to the river today?”

“no, i think i need to think of a gift for it first but i can’t think of what rivers like…”

“I think this one is female if that helps.”

Kyu laughed “oh what do you keep the fathers for?”

with all your project I thought you could use them.”

“that might work thank you….” there was a long pregnant pause “if i wanted to leave  would you show me the way?”

“no”

Sampson took his time but clarified 

“if you can’t make it out you can’t make it out there.”

 “so I’m not a prisoner?”

“no this is the freest life you could hope for. what could you do out there?”

“Try?”

Sampson grunted