Heron Lake Plateau Wait, there's no such thing as unicorns?

She leaned into her sister’s gentle grooming, the touch soothing and comforting. With Quixote standing guard and Towhee pressed to her side, she felt invincible. She could feel the anger radiating from Towhee like heat from a nuclear core, and for the briefest moment, she hoped Screech had enough sense to steer very clear of the plateau.

In response to Towhee’s question, Screech’s name rumbled venomously from Quixote’s lips. She added, her voice soft and weak, ”I stopped by Niamh’s den to discuss some details about his care.” She mentioned nothing of the momentary conflict with Niamh, as it really didn’t seem important anymore. Plus she didn’t want to paint this as being in any way the gamma’s fault, because it wasn’t. Screech had made his own choices. ”He attacked me out of the blue. Completely unexpected. He...would have killed me if Niamh and Ceara hadn’t been there.” Her yellow eyes flicked to Niamh with a gleam of gratitude in them. She owed them her life.

Towhee’s inquiry after the puppies made her choke up. She closed her eyes, remembering what she’d seen in her dying dreams. She shook her head stiffly, her body growing rigid. ”My babies....Not good.”