The Other Past

The Other, a dragon bonded to Elluin, comforts her young Allume in their burrow while waiting for Elluin to return. When Elluin arrives with a new haircut and emotional turmoil, she confides that her brother—Elluin's bonded—told her he wished she had left him to die in Netheryn, having fallen silent since their return. The Other consoles both her young as they drift to sleep, contemplating the bittersweet weight of her bonds and the fleeting nature of these moments together.

The scene opens in the burrow where The Other tends to her young, Allume, who struggles with wings that do not function properly. Allume watches other young Moonplumes fly freely beneath the moons while The Other grieves her offspring's limitations, though she accepts Allume's unique journey. When footsteps approach, The Other expects routine, but Elluin arrives visibly distressed—her hair newly cut, her face tight with anger and hurt. Elluin settles into The Other's embrace alongside Allume, claiming exhaustion. When The Other senses her Little One's sorrow through their bond and presses for answers, Elluin reveals the source of her anguish: her brother, bonded to The Other and broken since returning from Netheryn, has spoken his first words since their return to tell Elluin he wishes she had left him to die. The Other wishes she could comfort Elluin with words, knowing her brother's despair is not permanent. She holds both her young close as they slip into sleep, while The Other remains awake, reflecting on the preciousness and impermanence of these moments of togetherness and the protective ache that comes with love and fate.