Sun Mote Copse Blackbird singing

The sound of Fen's cry woke Sugar from a sound sleep. She was on all fours, teeth bared, the fur along her spine standing on end, before she even knew she was awake. When recognition registered, she slowly calmed herself, the ridge of prickles smoothing and her lifted lip falling back over her teeth. She gave herself a little shake and waited for the unpleasant rolling in her stomach to subside.

She stepped out from beneath her evergreen shelter and squinted through the woods, trying to pinpoint the other girl's location. Sugar paused as she deliberated whether she wanted to go toward the sound or away from it. By choice, she'd been keeping to herself much of the time since her return (most of it spent sleeping), but she found comfort in the idea of seeing a familiar face just now.

Quickly discarding any notion of trying to sneak up on Fennec, Sugar called out, "Fen? Where are you?" and began making her way toward where she thought she would find her pale relative, peering through the wintry mix blurring her vision.