Redtail Rise paua

Redd watched the birds hopping nearby with fierce regard, but she did not rise to disturb them. Her mood held a tense air that tended to melt away when others drew near; even now she checked her periphery, but scented no one approaching imminently.

Her jaws ached; she’d chewed the roots near where she’d bedded down to splinters before giving up on sleep. She would grow used to this. Yet when she looked to a future of motherhood and duty, where once she’d felt the stir of excitement, she now felt empty. Everything had changed. Someday it would feel like home again.

Someday soon. Her optimism wavered but she forced it to hold.

Redd stood and shook herself, startling the birds into scattering. She would visit the stream for a drink, then find a new place to pass the evening. She rarely settled in the same location long.