Blacktail Deer Plateau Bufferzone

"Who knows, indeed..." Osprey repeated, falling silent for a while, lost in thoughts. Just as in the beginning, she feared that she would not love them, because the joy for having them, carrying them had never been there. Horror after finding out had had a long lasting effect on her, even now it was hard to accept that there was - in fact - new life growing inside her. All those years she had seen, how March Owl brought each litter to term with grace and ease, yet she had never imagined, hadn't had the slightest idea of what would it be like for her. It was odd to think that in a few weeks she would be face them for the first time and she will have reached crossroads left alone to decide, which way to take.

His goal was to become a beta. A simple, modest one. Achievable. Would she want to become a beta or even alpha? Drive for the rank had never been her priority, even though - as she became older - she enjoyed the privileges of being in the respected tier. Burke asked, if she still dared to dream. She couldn't give a definite answer. Had there been dreams and hopes before? Or she - very much like Burke - had lived in the present moment, not planning ahead much. Yet now she couldn't not have plans. Another reason for her to feel scared and unsettled. "I am here and now. Past belongs to death and the future does not exist," she chose a more cryptical answer, this time having no doubts that Burke would understand, what she had meant by it.