Heron Lake Plateau A shadow moves, a renegade, all broken and bright.

Sorry my vacation held this up for so long!

Raven wasn't surprised that her sister refused medication. Raven's drug of choice for pain was poppy seed, and it came with a host of consciousness-altering side effects. She knew that Towhee's sense of duty and strength of will would prohibit her from taking anything that might affect her thus, and the healer refrained from insisting. She noticed the blackening of her sister's expression at the mention of Kite's condition, and felt heartened by the beta's loyalty to her and the Redhawks' newest generation. She knew that as long as Towhee stood between those puppies and whatever forces might threaten their well-being — even if she could only stand on three legs — they would be protected.

The tidings of Niamh's role in saving the lives of both Towhee and X was met with interest, and Raven mentally added another tickmark next to all the things she liked about the butterscotch girl. Since the day she'd arrived, Niamh had comported herself with dignity, dedication, and respect. And with the exception of her short-lived feud with Ceara, she had lived peaceably within their ranks and proven herself to be a fantastically capable pack member. Raven had already had some ideas about Niamh's future in their pack, and these most recent events only added fuel to her consideration. "You know," she told her sister, sitting down when she was finished fussing over Towhee's injuries. "I've been talking with @Quixote, and we're thinking of promoting her to leadership. How would you feel about that?"