Eshe followed the trail that the children left in their departure. She was almost at her limit—but she couldn’t stop now. Her heart ached for both of them, but especially for Mae who would remember this day for the rest of her life.

She felt a tremendous amount of relief when she recognized Arric’s scent among the path—they were safe as far as she was concerned.

She was panting by the time she arrived, her coat covered with mud, blood, and marsh-water. Her eyes fell upon Mae and the newborn, and her expression softened … until she’d heard what was being planned by the beta.

”Arric, please, no“ she pleaded, her voice wavering a desperate. ”That baby needs us,” I need that baby, ”I have a plan—I’m g-gonna try and force myself into a false pregnancy.” She didn’t even know if that was possible. ”U-Use milkweed to try and get my m-milk to come in.”

She was getting desperate; exhaustion and anxiety rattled her body, and her eyes began to water. ”S-She needs us—Mae needs her,” her voice cracked, and she glanced at the adolescent. ”She was so brave and risked her life and …”

This was a day she would never forget—his words would haunt her for a lifetime.

“And don't presume to know who needs who.”

“I wont have you putting yourself in danger to fulfill a dream.”

The words hurt her deeply; she laid down, bared her belly, and looked away as he started talking. He was correct. As soon as she realized it, she understood her selfishness had endangered the baby. How could she have been so self-serving? So cruel?

She swallowed hard, forcing aside the remnants of her pride. This wasn’t about any of them—it was about Cygnet.

“If it’s okay with you, I can help get them over there, and return home with you,” she replied, her voice quiet and rough. She felt defeated, but now wasn’t the time to wallow.

“I’m sure Gunnar has wonderful medics.” Had she known Bonario was from Kvarsheim, she would have objected. But there had been too much going on—too much action, too many smells, all the emotions … she hadn’t caught it.

Arric backtracked, and Eshe shook her head. “We should discuss this later,” she advised, knowing they didn’t have the time to flesh out their plans. “She needs to eat as soon as possible.” This conversation needed to happen when they both rested and in the right state of mind.

Mae spoke, and Eshe almost began to cry. The sentiment was both hilarious—Karshit was something she’d be laughing about for the foreseeable future—and endearing. “I couldn’t have said it better myself,” she said, wiping away the tears that hadn’t shed yet. “She is family.”

She picked herself up, shook some of the loose filth off of her coat, and cleared her throat. “I’m ready when you guys are,” she said, avoiding any glance of him and the child he held.

“Or, no—you two go.” She said suddenly, thinking of @Akavir as her mind began to clear—selfishly, she needed him now more than anything and distance from the situation. Not to mention the immense jealousy she’d feel seeing somebody else care for the child she so desperately wanted. “Akavir’s going to need somebody to tell him everything thats going on.” Especially about where his daughter went, she thought to herself. It wasn’t her place to speak on it—she was outranked and already in deep shit.

Although she disagreed with some choices, she understood he was trying his best. She would never paint him as a villain because that wasn’t who he was. “Just the facts,” she promised, noticing the sharpness in his gaze. “You’re doing everything you can.” That was all anybody could do.

They left, and she lingered until they were out of sight. When she was finally alone, the weight of everything hit her like a ton of bricks. Overwhelmed by emotions, she fell to the ground and gave herself permission to cry. She cried for a while, but then she got up, brushed herself off, and went back to search for @Akavir. For now, she felt light. But she knew her they’d return when she had to think about the situation again.