and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now [c]

Leopardsun took a deep breath, closed her eyes and looked to the sky. There was no comfort to be found in the stars, and in this moment there was no comfort to be found at all; there was just a cold that cut through the greenleaf warmth and chilled her to the bone. Sleeping in the elder's den with Snowfoot could only do so much, and something about her aunt's unconditional love made her feel even worse. She didn't deserve it, did she?

But there was another, very important conversation she had been putting off. From the moment she'd recovered her voice, she'd known what she had to say, but not how to say it.

"I'll leave you alone after this, I swear," she began, "but I think... We need to talk. Or at least that I need to talk. And then I'll go."

Quickly, now, Leopardsun, she urged herself, before you lose your nerve.

"I just know that I need to say... You were right. About everything. You were. Neither of us deserved to be standing where we were. Where I am. I'm sorry that it took me too long to realize that. I said it at the Gathering, too. There's nothing I can give you now except space, and an apology that I know you can't believe in. You deserve better than that. All of you-- you, and Heatherberry, and Badgermask."

You deserve better than me.

"As meaningless as it is, I'm sorry. I should have known better, and I didn't. My anger and my pride clouded my judgment, and the cost was unimaginable. I understand why you can't look at me. I can't even look at myself. I'm not asking you for forgiveness. I'm not asking you for anything else."

I can't live without you. But I can't even live with myself.

She took one last breath, closing her eyes.

Shadows grant me strength.

"Just... Please know that I love you. All of you."