Emberwood you always were

their conversations always routed back to the unrealistically high standards ibis aimed to keep. bhediya frowned, finding herself incredibly discontented with the girl's non-acknowledgement of her accomplishments. it was easy to ignore the presumably unintentional jab because in that moment, bhediya's only concern was soothing her companion.

there wasn't much that she could say, though. if ibis wasn't ready to be a mother then bhediya couldn't encourage it and walk away with a clean conscience. this is what i know about blessings, she said, you have to work for them, just like everything else.

and sure, keeping the caches full was no easy task. it was difficult to keep everyone happy and healthy, especially as their group grew. however, we've managed, haven't we? motherhood was comparable to hunting during a famine: a lot of hard work with no guaranteed return. why don't you think you deserve it?