Redtail Rise the oval portrait

the boy is more than happy to tag along, and she smiles faintly. our borderhh', she replies, swiveling her head and nodding toward the outskirts of the territory. they'd start with the cliff-lined boundary nearby, then work their way eastward—toward the more permeable part of the Rise.

or for however long Mulherin could keep up. either works for her.

needha make 'hhure our pack ihh' 'hhafe, Avicus explains, beginning to stride forward, confident but slow enough that his still-childish legs can follow. keep enemiehh' ouhh'.

the air is warm and buzzing with the sound of insects and birds, the great bounty of early summer. Mulherin isn't the only youngster around here; larvae and fledglings, tadpoles and cubs—they all are growing up alongside him.

except, among them, only Mulherin and his siblings rule this land.