The Sunspire [m] war dart

once muskrat had finished the bones, she began to hunt for another among the crevices of rock.  anything, anything to distract herself from the fever which ran needle-sharp in annoyed veins.

and that annoyance deepened. she could not be sure who the dark figure was, a distance still below her, but muskrat knew that step.

why were they both here, akavir and viinturuth? perhaps she too was only a pika within the stones to them. did they feel entitled to her because she was one of theirs? had she wanted another man, would they have arrived to stop her? disgust and anger warred within her, and muskrat turned her back, abandoning her search to ascend another few thin ridges to one that was wide enough only for her own small hard feet.

hawk's-eyes burned, and muskrat too kicked a rock in akavir's direction, making sure it gathered a great speed as it clattered and bounced down the sunspire.