Hushed Willows Here's where you're wrong: she was already perfect.

He was trying to sooth her, but Tavi could not let the line of questions end there. She was buzzed by something, felt like she had a nest of bees in her brain, and each tiny hum was a thought bumping in to another thought. He gave her promises he could not keep, and she knew they'd be impossible to follow through with. With a shake of her head, Tavi slumped with her shoulder pressed against the wall leading towards Tambourine's sleeping place. The darkness of the corridor was just out of her reach.

You don't know that, Stark. Someone could overthrow me in an instant. They could band together and chase me out, just like... Just like I was chased out of the Maplewood. But then, that had been her own fault, and it hadn't been a horde of wolves to overthrow whatever she had been working towards; that had been just one woman, one very scorned woman. I'm just saying that I'll do it. If Tambourine is in danger because of this situation, if they threaten him and I have to choose between being the leader or being a mother, I'll.. I'll make the right choice. She was committed, but her face was creased by a sad frown, and Tavi felt more pitiful now than before as she watched Stark for a reaction.