Blacktail Deer Plateau strunk

Gathering the children would be a difficult venture, likely to destroy any connection that Mou and Maegi had built up in their time together. Mou dreaded it; even as he trudged his way back to where the children were kept upon the plateau, seeking to find them and spend at least one afternoon in their company before turning their lives upside-down, he felt a keen sense of loss.

When he arrived at the plateau the first thing he felt like doing was taking a nap, finding something to eat, or wallowing somewhere in private. It was not an appropriate response to everything that had thus far unfolded. He instead swept the plateau for signs of the children and for Kigipigak, as the pale guardian and Sakhmet had been left behind to protect their desired claim.

Granted, nobody had told them of this role, but Mou did not think about that aspect. He could find no sign of Sakhmet or Kigipigak and felt a startling sense of worry - heading straight for the last known rendezvous area where they had been together. It was here Mou found the wayward Blueberry, and all but flattened himself to the dirt to grovel before her.

Where were her siblings? Where were her protectors? He swept her close whether she wanted his contact or not, and began to administer tongue licks and cuddles, as if she could save him from his misery.