Blackfeather Woods and she came to Troy with a dowry; death

her dam is next to arrive. astara studied her quietly, noticing the toll age had exacted upon her mother. it was no secret the forest was thinning -- both in numbers and in strength -- and she had noticed of late that the hale vigor that once accompanied both her mother and kove was slowly waning.

and she and averna were ever growing -- perhaps they were sucking the spirit from the forest, and growing from its tired bones.

she did not understand wintersbanes' words, but she knew from the solemn tone and the tension in his shoulders that something heavy had been imparted then. inquiringly, the dark raptor set on her haunches and glanced to relmyna, ready to extract whatever meaning she could from the listener's reaction.