Noctisardor Bypass veida

The first option knotted her stomach with a familiar dread, though on this point, they didn’t have any choice. Druid nodded her understanding, her tacit agreement. She might lose even more of herself, but if she couldn’t hunt, she had to take the task she could feasibly manage on a purely logistical level.

Who? she prompted when Heda volunteered to find him, then shook her head. No. We should go after literally anyone other than him. He’s harmed three of us now. He didn’t even really mean to hurt me, Heda, but he did. What if he does that to you? Or them?

She gazed down at the gaggle of puppies, then back to her sister to hear the third and final option. She blinked slowly, trying to make any sense of it at all, yet Druid couldn’t. Something about it offended her deeply, though Druid thought she probably deserved that.

Heda, she said after her sister’s final words of warning, lifting her one good foreleg to clasp her pale shoulder and looking her in the eye, I know I’ve not been myself. But for you, I can do this. I can look after them while you and Fiona hunt. If you two want to use some of that energy to track down the others—minus Glaukos—then I’ll watch them then too. It won’t be easy. But we can get through this.

It was the first time she felt optimistic about anything since time immemorial, it felt like. She squeezed Heda’s shoulder, then released her to settle back on her haunches. Everything still hurt, yet she was determined to reassure the other Den Mother.

I can’t say what Glaukos might do. But if he comes back, I’ll tell him to leave again. So will Fiona. She paused. And you, I hope.