Duck Lake the frumious Bandersnatch!”

Moments before the voice reached her, the shrike shrilled into her ear, an alert that made her shoulders bristle for a single moment before she forcibly flattened the fur.

Slowly, she turned around to look at Reverie, painting a smile on her face. She wanted to run to her. She wanted to run away from her. She wanted to do a thousand different things. The shrike pecked at her ear, as if prompting her to say something.

Hi, momma. She said, voice so soft she could barely hear it.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, the dark shape. Immediately she swung her head to face the figure, eyes going owlish. Her bird ducked into her neck fur as she stared at the man, eyes unblinking. 

He looked like Mae. She couldn’t tell why that made her so upset.