Redtail Rise israfel

What she had seen of the argument between Lilia and her mother had brought a lot to the forefront of Carrion’s mind. She’d been driven to wonder about whose side she would choose if the fight had turned physical, who deserved more loyalty from her, who deserved to be the boss. Until now, the fight’s context had been lost on her, where it became clearer that the disagreement was indeed about leadership - a facet of wolf government she had already decided didn’t matter much to her at this age.

Yet, here she was, being asked who she would follow.

Instinctively, she looked to Masquerade first. Their opinion seemed tantamount to everyone else’s, except perhaps Mulherin’s. She glanced towards her lookalike, scrutinizing his expression before flicking her attention over Redsky and Wanderer, now Watcher, respectively. Unsurprisingly, they also looked to their mother-sibling. Even the infringing Riley’s errant eyes were upon Masquerade.

Her thin body trembled slightly as Mulherin left her side, anxious without him grounding her, but she moved no closer, even as he declared that he would go with their mother and Redd.

Her heart leapt up into her throat. No! She did not want to leave, and she also couldn’t fathom her twin departing without her. Panic widened her gaze, feeling forced to make a decision she didn’t want to make. Why was this even happening? Lilia seemed to be the only one among the pack who didn’t want Avicus to resume her position. Why would they all leave for the dissent of a single wolf?

Masquerade gave their piece then, and Watcher followed with more of a hard line. Carrion felt herself slipping away in these moments - everyone suddenly seemed far off, reaching such a mental distance that she could no longer read their expressions or hear what they were saying. This sense of being overwhelmed was what kept her away from meetings and crowds in the first place.

Carrion swallowed her heart back down, closing her eyes until she could feel the thump-thump nestled deep inside her bird chest. I am a tree, she murmured, barely audible. I am planted here. I will not move.