Redtail Rise if a stupid poem could fix this home

For @Sadhbh

Valiant was hunting, ostensibly. Really, he just wanted to be away from the hush of the willows for a little while, and the intermittent calling of hawks and jays seemed a good remedy for the pain of that silence. It was so easy to get lost in memories of the past, lately, that Valiant worried he might get lost in the past itself. And maybe that would be better — maybe it would hurt a little less. But he was not quite brave enough to take the plunge.

Today he was sitting on a ridge, thinking that he was glad Artyom and Steph had been there, even though he'd wanted to be alone. At least now it was not his job to go and tell Dawn and Valette. The adults could do it for him, and he could pretend to be a helpless orphan for a little while longer.

But he was an adult. Soon enough, he would have to reckon with that. He'd thought to start it off with something easy and enjoyable — hunting.

So when he caught sight of a few rams down below, he began to pick his way down the ridge, knowing he ought to investigate, even if he wasn't sure about bringing one down all on his own.