Blacktail Deer Plateau Take these broken wings and learn to fly

When a feminine voice spoke, the drowsy Junior's eyes fluttered and she murmured, "I'm okay," perhaps nonsensically. She simply assumed it was Blue Willow, inquiring as to how she felt. "But feel... uck," she added, only for it to click in her head that it wasn't her aunt's voice. Her mismatched gaze sharpened and she looked over her bony shoulder, eyes darting to Finley's looming face.

"Oh." The youth rolled carefully from one hip to the other, curving her body toward Finley now. She managed to keep her forelegs relatively still, though the movement definitely pulled on the shredded skin, making her grimace. "I forgot you were here..." And how exactly did she feel toward Finley, who'd left the plateau to follow her father? Junior didn't even know.

Dryly, the youth observed, "My dad came to see you the other day. He didn't even stop to say 'hi' to me, though." Junior gazed down at the results of her father's avoidance, then felt a flush of humiliation. Did Finley know? Did they all know how she'd gotten these injuries? Worse yet, would they go after Peregrine and tell him?

Junior didn't know the answers to these questions, so all she could do was grit her teeth and softly hiss, "Fuck my life."