Heron Lake Plateau i'm not just pieces of meat between pieces of bread.

Fin heard footsteps that drew her barely-focused attention from the terrain to her new company. She brightened when she saw Eljay approaching and paused to give him a chance to catch up. It also served to give her a chance to tug her paw back up out of the muck she had accidentally stepped into. Her mind flashed unexpectedly to Peregrine as she removed her foot from the mud. It was a vision of his face, covered in mud, grinning. Her heart panged with affection and remorse. And she focused on her son - a preventive measure.

"Hey bird," she said as he came near. She attempted to step backwards out of the filth to greet him, but her grin sank into an expression of frustration as she felt her back legs submerge into even more mud and water. Freakin' perfect. She shut her eyes for a moment before looking at Eljay. "And how are you?" she asked, wanting to keep things light in spite of her mounting aggravation.