King Elk Forest Who is the lamb and who is the knife.

It made her feel oddly comforted to know her family was here, after all this time wandering. A nagging bit told her it was a cruel turn of fate, as if she had sought them out to continue the torment, unable to life without it. She listened to her inner voice a moment longer but concentrated on the woman standing before her to keep herself occupied.

They were a healthy, robust creature. Their coat was staunchly earth-toned, their conformation trim. Zephrine could feel the appraising of the other's eyes trail across her gawky body, no doubt tallying the pros and cons like everyone used to. 'Too grey, too tall, too long, too thin, too much meat on those bones, such vibrancy!' The synopsis was never the same. The sameness came in the errors; there was always something wrong about her.

"If I may..." Zephrine started, her voice lacking the strength of character inherent to her present company, she paused briefly to gather her composure that last iota. "I would appreciate if I could stay. Is there any role that you need filled? Any job that I could undertake for you...?" She could not help the pleading note at the end of her query. A dimming of her focus, that desperation an unwelcome thread of weakness.