Heron Lake Plateau Stars come swimming out of the horizon.

Kite was at her most belligerent when she was at the milk bar. She had to fight so hard to keep her head steady, and most of the time, she left hungry — but she was getting better at it, day by day. Today she was latched on with a voracity that surprised even her, her trembling, quivering paws kneading with fierce determination — but between the waving of Owen’s paw, the knockback of his sneeze, and the soft brush of his shoulder against hers as he inquisitively reared his head, she popped off and tumbled down, rolling over twice before she belly-flopped inelegantly.

Oh. That was not a good feeling.

Feeling nauseous, Kite hiccupped and burped at the same time, a pitiful little whine wheedling from her muzzle. She’d learned that the world around her shook less when she stayed still, so for a prolonged moment, she lay without moving. Tick by slow tick, she began to catch her breath as she waited out the feeling of queasiness.