Nova Peak If you must live, darling one, just live

Counterpoints leapt into her mouth, ready to be delivered while Stag argued his points, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get any of them to come out. He had a very valid point in that Phaedra, Takiyok and Mahler still had all their packmates while she would be all alone. She wasn't a stranger to being alone, though, and she opened her mouth as though to say so, but clapped it shut again.

Stag wasn't going to be deterred, and arguing with him was just going to add more stress to an already breaking back. Fine, she conceded, folding back her black ears stubbornly. I'm leaving at first light to scout for a place to hang out. I didn't tell anyone this, but I want to stay close. For Phaedra and Thade, of course, but also on the tiniest chance that Mahler would suddenly wake up and realize what a fucking idiot he was and would come begging for her to come home.

Not that she would. The pack had spoken, more or less. But it would be mighty satisfying. Make sure you at least tell everyone goodbye, okay? I would hate for them to worry about you. Stag would be safe with her. Wylla wasn't good for much, but when it was someone she was loyal to—and Stag had her loyalty, now more than ever, in return for his—she would give her life for them if she had to. That was a more recent development. In her youth, she'd leave anyone to die if it meant surviving.

But surviving was no longer worth losing someone important.