Blackfeather Woods I sing of arms and men

She still was looking after her children, now wilting out in the elements. Maegi understood that these were special boys. They were not long for this world—Peryite had told her so, in dreams. They would live only for a short time and then return to the earth; they belonged there, Peryite said, not here. Mostly, she had come to accept it—

But in her weaker moments, she cried until she had no more tears left to spare. Why bless her with children, only to snatch them away?

Her attention was caught, however, by the small gray form toddling nearby, near the mouth of Cass's whelping den. Maegi blinked, staring at the girl, motionless. Mulling actions and reactions silently in her head. Then, without another thought, she rose to her paws and wobbled, too, even more unsteady than usual on her crippled paw. She wobbled and hobbled toward the pup, face serene. . .

(Serenity that might have something to do with the three or four poppy seeds she'd ingested, a short while ago.)

Hello, she said softly, sitting on her haunches a tail-length or two away from the girl. Exploring?