Redhawk Caldera the still earth

Ani had no choice but to sit and wait. She tried to coax her muscles into cooperation, though any time she moved her arms or tried to use her legs, nothing quite worked right. It was frightening, frustrating. She had never felt these things so sharply before and didn’t know how to make sense of any of it.

Chickadee returned and had the presence of mind to slice the carcass into small pieces for Ani. The younger girl could only watch, grateful and guilty, her stomach heavy. She reminded herself that she must eat. Maybe it would help.

When she tried to lean down to take a bite, Ani missed the mark entirely, wobbling so badly she lost her balance and tipped forward, face-planting in a mix of snow and squirrel innards. She let out a yip of surprise.

For a second, she was upset. Her face crumpled. But then the absurdity of it hit her, hard, in the funny bone. Ani suddenly began laughing. She was used to losing control of herself to laughter. It was comforting in its familiarity. She laughed harder, laughed until she cried.