Otter Creek iii Means to an end.

He seemed unaffected by the tattered condition of her left cheek, which was. . .different. She had long come to expect the second glances, the stares (though the pang had never gone away). Maegi turned her head that way now, unsure of whether she wanted a reaction or just was keen on getting it out of the way.

Sometimes, she replied, shrugging. A change of scenery is nice.

The pale priestess padded along the bank of the creek, keeping a fair distance away but closing the gap between them nonetheless. Do you live nearby? she asked, keeping her eyes trained on him and letting her paws and sense of balance do the work of keeping her on terra firma, rather than sending her tumbling into the water. 

Once, she had known all the faces within and around the forest. She had been away, though, for quite some time; he didn't smell much like this area, but he may have settled recently. Who else had taken refuge here?