Blackfeather Woods i've got wild, staring eyes

Good, Maegi responded, knowing that no news was often the best news. But the silence brought with it a kind of dread, too, for it meant that precious few souls dwelled in the forest. Their numbers were diminishing—had been for some time—but the children remained. How would they feed them?

She shrugged, without words in reply for a long moment. Tired, she admitted, frowning as she turned away, looking through the trees. Angry. Confused as to why Mou left me. Why Ramsay no longer wants to lead.

She felt betrayed, to be completely honest. When they had made plans to retake the woods, they had been inseparable, unstoppable. Now both men had fallen away, leaving Maegi alone at the helm with now Tundra and Jakoul. Both fine women, more than able to lead, but they did not have the heart and soul connection that she had with her brother and her lover.

With time, they may grow stronger. For now, in Maegi's eyes, the future looked somewhat bleak, with the only point of light the children—her children—that suckled at Parvati's breast.