Broken Antler Fen Dead girl!

Objectively, it wasn't particularly unusual for someone else to appear at the borders to greet a caller. But Towhee pulled a face when a svelte young creature paced toward her, looking utterly whipped by the world. Where was Wraen? The visiting Sovereign then stiffened, sensing something amiss. Where was Wraen?

And why was one—no, make that two—strangers answering Towhee's summons and not the woman herself? Her eyeballs bounced between the two unfamiliar faces, in her distraction entirely missing the delivery of the news she needed but did not particularly want. Where was Wraen?

"Where's Wraen?" she demanded faintly, heart skipping like a rabbit in her chest. "Did something happen to her?" Towhee added, wondering if maybe she'd been stung by bees again. Or maybe she was getting ahead of herself and the woman was only under the weather. She sucked in a rapid breath, peering between the two young women, waiting to read an explanation from their lips.