Blacktail Deer Plateau Bufferzone

Out of everything that had happened, the hardest thing for Osprey to grasp, was, why the people, who mattered, wanted to care so much for her and those, who were yet to be born. Blue willow had acted as a true and loyal friend, Dante had said that out of them all she deserved children, even Lasher had seemed to accept the idea. What they failed to grasp that Osprey didn't want to have any of this. Not a concern or care of that type. She had not got pregnant because of wanting to have kids of her own, it had been an accident with consequences that even now were not easy to come to terms with. There were maybe less than four weeks left and still she had done nothing to prepare. They said that motherly instincts kicked in around that time. It had not happened - either she was flawed in the very core or feeling constantly stressed and miserable was part of the deal.

Either way - Burke took one long look at her, turned and left - and Osprey was standing there, feeling like a total fool, on verge of tears, because apparently she could mess up relationships that didn't even exist. Yet she reminded herself not to lose the last remnants of her dignity, therefore she clenched her jaws and made the slow and painful walk back to her hiding place. However, a good half an hour later or so, the gray beast was back and found her with ease. He had a gift - a dead racoon - and by the look of his face he expected to be admired and cherished for being so noble. Despite her pitiful state, all she could feel was a resentment for a reminder that she was the weak one now, that she needed help, that she had to depend on someone for survival.

"You can keep it," she said, resting her head between her outstretched paws. "I am not hungry." At least that part was true.