Wheeling Gull Isle when she strut, she got (body and blood)

how bothersome! yes, yes, and a tragedy for them both, but reed is not pleased with all their similarities, with this strange girl who is more interesting than she is. it won't do -- reed will just have to maintain an alliance with her. a non competitive agreement. hmph.

she's never been confronted with the harsh realities of someone else's life. unsure what to do, the fearghal looks away until maegi turns the conversation to her. not addressing what she was told, she says, "i was born here," indicating with the delicate point of her nose the direction her birthing den lay in, "when we were very young still -- after my father vanished -- we left, my brother and i, our mother, our older siblings." geographically she can't quite describe -- she was too little to remember much, and more interested in her family's attention than in exploring, with one stark exception. "my father found me at one point and tried to attack me," reed adds -- half misremembering the details of the incident, half hoping to have some trauma to compete, see, i've been through it, too. but there is no anxiety on her face as she recounts, only a haughty sniff at the memory. "after, my mama took my brother and i back here." 

it lacks a certain panache, she has to admit. frowning, reed pulls herself to her full (small) height, shrugging dismissively. "i like it best here," she says, "i'm sure you will too."