Blacktail Deer Plateau that fancy wine won't put this fire out

there was a new somberness to their lives— it had begun when they left the isle behind, deepened with the disappearance of peregrine and prevost, deepening still with each day that past without their return to the fold. vesper still didn't know the full truth of what was happening, and she was still unlikely to understand or accept it. her world revolved around mou, maegi, and blueberry. it didn't occur to her that it could ever revolve around anything else. youth was fickle, but resilient; she had never felt particularly close to her littermates, and a part of her was learning to accept and even enjoy their absence.

she had left blueberry with father in the den, entrusted now to remain within the heart of the plateau. regardless, she didn't dare leave the sight-line or sound-line of her parents for very long. vesper had long been the one to mature quickly, and the events of the last month kept this momentum. she did not want to add more turmoil to their lives, and so became the picture of quiet obedience. the darkling slipped along worn paths in the plateau, practicing her tracking skills, following mother's scent.

vesper caught sight of her just as she laid amongst some blooming wildflowers, sending butterflies and bees from their perches on flowers into the air. she wagged her tail gently, jaunting towards maegi with a leisurely gait. she plopped down next to mother, nosing her paw gently and playfully, wanting to cheer her up.