Ravensblood Forest Pretense against Pretext

The scent of the ocean nearby was an assault to the senses. The murky, big-stench of seaweed made Cygnet grimace; she’d smelled the sea before, but only lingering on the fur of those who lived by the coastline. She understood now why they had smelled so repugnant. 

She did not see Sobeille steal her siblings aside, but she felt suspicious nonetheless to scent her in the area. Cygnet remained silent, watchful, ready for the proverbial ice beneath their feet to shatter at any moment and plunge them into chaos.