Wild Berry Meadow the world, the war, will wait, but morpheus knows no mercy

Atoll watched anxiously as the girl floundered, unsure she could help any more if the girl simply refused to drink. Her heart thrummed like hummingbird wings, her nerves telling her to do something, anything - but short of drowning the little wretch, she didn't know what could be done.

A heavy sigh of relief left her as the girl's mind finally caught up with her body. The babe drank deeply, easing some of the Blackrock beta's worry. Perhaps she was only thirsty and tired and scared, and would be well again soon enough. Either way, it was good that she drank, though she siphoned up more than the woman would have believed could fit in so small a body. Knowing that whatever she couldn't take would come back up without trouble, Atoll allowed the girl to quench herself, pressing soothing licks up her little spine as much for her own comfort as that of her new charge.

"Sy," she murmured, almost begging him to come to her. Her frayed nerves were being slowly soothed by the vigor with which her baby drank, but she needed her love's presence to wipe away the stress the journey had caused her.

I almost forgot again, she thought to herself, pushing her nose against her cub's back as she picked up Szymon's tune, harmonizing with him as much as she could in her current state. I was heading back to the bay, at least, but I almost forgot about why. About him.

He grounded her. Without him, she didn't know up from down, and she needed his strength now. Would not believe in this reality until his heat was pressed against her side, and his long muzzle was slanted toward her own. There was no Doe without Szymon, and without Doe, what was there? Life would go on, but it would be lost to her, just as surely as she had been lost to the world.

Supressing a whimper, she licked her girl's back once more, humming more intently to block out the confusion of her train of thought.