Phoenix Maplewood Pillars of colonial homes

The mouse's tail flicked once as it disappeared into the leaf litter and then it was gone. Saena's ears pressed further down, then lifted again as the sound of larger feet tramping the forest floor distracted her. She began a slight defensive sidestep, ready to leave if it was an animal she didn't wish an encounter with, but when it was Desna who stepped out of the shadowy wood, Saena's form relaxed.

She was still guarded though, primarily because she had long since believed that Desna was not returning. The young woman had left so far back that Saena was unsure how long Scarlett's cub had really been gone. The girl was a filled out adult now, and that was truly alarming.

Saena's eyes dropped to the rabbit Desna nudged forward and she accepted the lick to her chin with a quiet whine of gratitude. The girl's words were reassuring, but Saena wasn't overly interested in whether Desna could help or not, since she already had an upper tier in place for that. What she was interested in was why the girl had been away so long.

"You were gone a very long time," she mumbled, leaving it open-ended for Desna to explain how a trip that should've taken a month had taken longer than Saena's pregnancy had.