Blacktail Deer Plateau iii. time flies

She was quiet as her father launched into speech, gaze on him. She way have not been the most obedient child, but she knew very well that her father spoke sense, and it paid to listen to whatever he had to offer her. When he first spoke, her ears slicked back a fraction and she offered a minute nod of her head, for though she was stubbornly proud, she was not arrogant. But he continued, and as always, his words seemed to elaborate the feelings she couldn't quite express. That was part of it, she supposed; feeling that she just wasn't quite good enough, doing enough. She had felt it before, when Khoe fell pregnant, and earlier, when Sunny had still been in her life. 

He continued though, and as he did, the girl relaxed in the slightest. It took another's perspective to truly change how she felt, to look into the maze of thoughts she found herself pacing. Of course, her lingering discontent did not instantly vanish, but nor did it dig into her side as it had, when her father laid it all out plainly as he always did. His teasing tone took on a chiding note as he spoke of Pema, and she sighed in earnest. "I know, Da. I do like Pema; I was supposed to teach her to hunt before I got hurt, too." She offered, wanting her father to know that she didn't do anything out of spite towards the newer member. Pema, and Moonstone too, were starting to grow on her, though she didn't especially know the latter very well.