Stone Circle cross my heart and hope to die

It seemed that her happy ideals had come crashing down around her, her growing happiness at the coming spring tarnished. First had come her attack by the male with the head, and then, not even hours later, the healer girl had died. That blow was shocking; while Poppy had not known the girl well, to meet her and have her die so soon was appalling. Some sadness had taken root in her heart, settling low in her chest, and she could not rid herself of the feeling.  

She'd remained holed up in the den for the past few days, but sadness and something that felt like sickness had crept over her like mold, and finally, she'd slipped from the den that morning. In an attempt to rid herself of the feeling, she set to grooming her pelt carefully, made slow by the cracking scabs around her neck and her still-sore tongue, before slipping off to look at the herds she'd promised Valette to keep watch over, stomach turning over and mind heavy.