Heron Lake Plateau restore me, restore life the way it should be.

Kiwi's arrival was a momentary distraction for which Artaax was grateful. He was perfectly aware that he did not want Wildfire to finish that sentence. But relief turned quickly to hurt again as he silently watched his mother attempt to position Kiwi away from him and towards Quixote, as though he was a threat to his own sister.

Stinging, he focused again on Wildfire as she began to explain. He felt blood pounding in his ears, trying to drown out the foolish words. He felt a stab of anger at her reassurance that the remainder of his family was still at Drageda, as though he might be questioning that fact. The idea that they'd leave was absurd. The idea that Wildfire had left and taken Kiwi with her was absurd. His logical mind raged against how colossally stupid this whole thing was, and he soon found himself shaking his head to dismiss the nonsense.

"You can't stay," Artaax said in reply, "You know the consequences. How can you even consider it?" He looked again at Kiwi, feeling sick over a thought he shoved down deep where it wouldn't distract him. He focused his mismatched eyes on Wildfire determinedly. It was delusional, perhaps, for him to believe that if he could just get them all back to Drageda with him, then he could make this right and keep them safe. His mother was not natrona. And she had not doomed his little sisters to a traitor's fate with her.