Heron Lake Plateau impossible to actualize an honest diagnostic

He didn't care for the girl's pointed response or claim on Towhee, but he didn't have time to snap back before Finley had emerged from a hole in the ground he absolutely did not realize was there, among the many reeds. He shot her a look — Clover, not his step-mom — but the expression deteriorated once Finley was speaking. He looked to her instead and pivoted his ears, but did not make a move to apologize until after everyone had stopped giving their own two cents. Niamh had the right idea — she seemed like a capable diplomat in this situation. Her level head was much more convincing than Screech's at least, so he briefly deferred to his blonde friend.

He saw the exchange of looks between Fiadh and Finley next, but hadn't caught the grumbled words of the younger girl. He cut in swiftly by saying, Before we go, can you tell me something? The Redhawk was watching Finley rather than the kids, mostly because they stopped being important as soon as their parent showed up to talk sense, and asked, Do you really have such a low opinion of me that -- that you think I'd go out of my way to find and hurt your babies? His rocky voice has exceptionally level as he asked her this point-blank. This moment reminded him of Towhee's questions about the Moonspear event, and those had stung too. Did everyone think that Screech had abandoned his family on purpose and become some kind of monster? And to hear this straight from Finley, well, that made it sting a little extra.