Noctisardor Bypass broken pieces

If there were fluctuations in the hierarchy, Sequoia didn't bat an eye at them. She was content to live among the little quartet of puppies while they grew and learned about the world around them. @Skaigona and @Worripa seemed to be settling in okay, but it was hard to tell. Praimfaya's disappearance still baffled the synesthete, but what could Sequoia do but do the best for the children the woman had left behind. Perhaps she had not wanted them in the first place, a thought which had dangled itself in Sequoia's mind quite often lately. As for herself, Sequoia found that she was rather content as a mother.

All the children were growing both "up" and "out," as they say. Druid seemed to have done more of the former lately, giving her a bit of a gangly appearance compared to the rest of her peers. In fact, it was Druid's voice that caught Sequoia's attention, speaking of a stranger. When Sequoia saw who it was, she excused herself from Mahler.

That's no stranger, Legs; that's Laurel! Sequoia said, beckoning Druid to follow her toward the lagoon.

How've you been, lady? she asked, plopping down beside Laurel. Her absence had not gone unnoticed, but Sequoia figured she had left for the same reason that she and Praimfaya had. She assumed Mahler had told all the females of age the same thing: find somebody elsewhere to get your jollies.