Sun Mote Copse then drop on the deck and flop like a fish

When Niamh moved toward her aggressively, Bat backed up hastily, her tail drooping behind her. Her huge ears twisted backward as Niamh explained that Kiwi had killed Colt. The yearling's mouth fell ajar, then proceeded to open and close uselessly like a fish out of water. She no longer felt like there was a stone sitting in her stomach, it instead felt like someone had punched her in the gut.

She hadn't had anything to do with any of it, of course, considering she barely even had a relationship with Kiwi. But Niamh seemed to be placing the blame on her. It was entirely unfair, yet Bat didn't feel indignant about it. She just felt upset. Between the reality of her mother's death and being snapped at for her disenfranchised sister's actions, Bat didn't have any idea how to respond.

It was tempting to simply flee, yet she'd come all this way. There were other she hoped to see, messages she wanted to pass along. She wanted to hear news too, and that included finding out more about what'd happened between Colt and Kiwi. She fought down the strong urge to run off and avoid Niamh, instead reminding herself that this woman's grief was as terrible as her own.

Bat's tongue felt thick in her mouth. She wanted to tell Niamh that she knew nothing about Kiwi's actions and couldn't be held accountable or responsible for them. Instead, all she could manage was a quiet, "What happened?"