Blacktail Deer Plateau My shadow falls against the wall

As Saena watched, a smile found its way to Osprey's lips seemingly out of nowhere. The pregnant female had very little to smile about as far as the younger Blacktail was concerned. Her life would forever be plagued by the products of her mistake, loveless puppies. She wanted to feel sorry for them, but couldn't. They didn't exist yet, and when they did, they would be loved even though they hardly deserved to be. Unlike most wolves, Saena could not separate blame away from the innocent. By their birth, they were guilty of a crime. They deserved no less than to live in shame of their mother's choice and of themselves each and every day.

She pushed her thoughts aside, feeling only a little guilty for them, and listened to Osprey's advice instead. Osprey surprised her by supplying some very good advice, nothing like her previous insistence on what Saena must do or must feel, but good, sound advice. She fanned back her red ears, almost feeling sorry for the way she'd treated her aunt, but she wasn't able to vocalize it.

Instead, she quietly said, "thanks, Aunt Osprey," extending a very subtle and very brief invitation to her relative to rejoin Saena's small circle of family. The pups would never be, of course, but forgiveness came more easily now than it ever had. Without saying much more on the subject for fear of retracting her own words, Saena lightly cleared her throat and said, "I'll keep that in mind. I think even if I went for straight law and order, my heart would find its way there, somehow. You know I'm not great at hiding my emotions."