Blacktail Deer Plateau Obliviousness isn't all that it's cracked up to be

The dark female moreso saw the hesitation in the male than heard it. It touched his voice, but things were always somewhat muffled to the girl. No, she saw this in his expressions and the way he stood. It seemed to her as if he was guilty for something, and the flattening of his ears, along with his eyes, made Hawkeye positive that he'd done something to make himself feel bad. But what? She searched her mind, dismissing another war. Had one of the captives died? Hawkeye herself felt guilty for thinking that, but she had to wipe out all options. She knew it was not true, especially with the kindness in his eyes and how Ferdie had spoken about them.

Hawkeye had always been a quick thinker, and sometimes the pieces didn't fit. Most of the time, though, she was right. Being able to read the emotions of others through their actions was a special gift, one as great as her eyes. This being so, Hawkeye's ears flattened in shame when she decided that he'd taken a mate.

"I — I suppose it's crazy to be a mate with a wolf from another pack." She backed up one step, cowering in the slightest. Her ears flattened as well, and she broke eye contact. "And I suppose it's foolish to follow another to a pack just for something that could become love." Hawkeye wouldn't preach that her sister and brother-in-law had done so. Why would he care? He obviously found someone else. "Maybe I should never have left the Sunspire, but it's too late now." She looked up and made eye contact, and a slightly narrowed brow and glassy eyes showed themselves. "I am sorry I wasted your time, Ferdie Von Pelt. It won't happen again."

She should have left then and there, but she was too stubborn. Hawkeye wanted to see what useless words he would pick to defend himself.