Heron Lake Plateau ashes against the grain

Raven shifted a bit to relieve some pressure from her right elbow and, in doing so, stirred the sleeping girls and awoke Kite. The tiny girl peered around, blinking in the bright light that filtered in from the den's entrance, before getting to her feet and attempting to wobble her way toward it. Every time Raven looked at her, a mixture of caustic emotions pierced her heart like a poisoned dart. The little bird could hardly even stand without falling down. She gritted her teeth as she gently pulled her daughter back toward her and encouraged her to suckle.

She was glad Screech was dead.

"I don't know," she replied a little distractedly as she tended to Kite. "I'd heard she was bunking up with him ever since Screech...left. Was just curious, since you two are buddies." It wasn't strange at all that the butterscotch she-wolf would seek comfort and companionship after what Screech had put her through, and Raven didn't have to stretch her imagination very far at all to see why Niamh wouldn't want to return to her den.