Duck Lake ♡ oh i'm the same, i'm the same, i'm trying to change.

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The whisper cut through her like a hot knife; the quietest words always had the made the biggest impart, hit like a freight train, and Oath's accusatory utterances were no exception. The dove's breath hitched in her throat and she froze, no longer able to cry in all her dread, watching the recognition of what she had said come to fruition on the russet's face. You did not get involved. Feathered ears flattened at the statement — one to which they both clearly knew the answer, but one that neither wanted to confirm — and kneaded at the ground nervously.

Where to begin? Now that all her bottled emotions had been purged from within her, too fast and too intensely and all at once, she felt... fine. Calm. Clearheaded. But Goose had failed to consider the aftermath of what this outburst could cause — it was hardly as bad as the performance may have portrayed, how was she supposed to reassure Oath that everything, in fact, is actually okay? She had caused this, and now she was going to try go on the defensive and try to dig herself out of it? Okay, so I know it looked like I was on the brink of death and that the world was falling apart, but actually, it's fine now I reflect. That would never go down well.

She felt absolutely horrible. She regretted the way she had gone about intervening in the cave when she had tried to play hero. She regretted not realising these unchecked feelings were going to soon boil over, and she regretted the way that they did and how she had reacted. She regretted the performance she had put on with her crying and bubbling, and making Oath concerned, then panicked, and now mad. She already regretted the fight that no doubt was about too ensue. But the one thing, that she absolutely did not regret, was helping that mother and making sure she was okay. If she had just left her behind, saved her own hide, the regret from that one decision would've been something she'd never get over — that regret would have been ten times worse than her feelings now.

Tears in the past, all that was left behind was a puffy face and hitching breaths and stutters, which were evident when she began to speak. "I h-had to get involved Oath, there's absolutely n-n-no way I would just abandon h-her—" Pleading eyes searched the face before her. "I w-went to— I went to this lair b-by the mountain s-side for herbs and t-they were in there f-f-fighting— it j-just happened so quickly— you know I c-c-can't leave the i-injured behind, b-but I just- I j-just—" She faltered, searching into the distance behind the russet, as if the answer was stuck there. Conflict tore through the pale at her own words, knowing fine well that, whilst she thought what she had done was right, it was also incredibly foolish.

She rose to all fours once again, brow knitted together as looked solidly at Oath and gave a firm nod. "I had to do it... I don't regret it. I couldn't, even if I tried." Her features softened as she dropped her head, voice wobbly as it lowered to a whisper. "I would do it again."

An exasperated sigh escaped from between parted lips as she lifted a paw to swipe at her tear-soaked cheek. Her biggest concern, her biggest fear, right now was her friend's reaction. It was all that was important.

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