Broken Antler Fen when I am down I lay my hands upon the ground

Maia had come to her once, filled with self-doubt. Concerned that she did not suit her role as a Raven of the corvum. If this sweet man was her first decision, Ibis could not fault her for it. He seemed genuine in all regards; nervous, appreciative of Ibis' status, and friendly.

Maia is lovely, isn't she? A smile, a wave of her tail.

Ibis suddenly felt very guilty. She had not done her own duty very well. Her focus had been on mitigating her own sorrows by avoiding them, distracting herself with a disaster that had no effect on her own little family. She had left the fen in favor of an unknown mountain. In doing so, she failed to keep herself aware of the goings-on of Brecheliant - a point that the new recruit made her aware of with his comment.

Weeks ago. Weeks, not days, not hours. He very well may have joined before she did, but Ibis would not have known. Her face felt warm.

I am sorry for not being around to welcome you properly, or get to know you until now. My mind has been all over the place, and now... she shook her head, unwilling to talk about her changing body with a stranger right this moment. I have children. My daughter Lilitu is around here someplace - you're sure to meet her eventually - she takes all of my attention most days. It is hard to expand my focus to the rest of the pack, sometimes.

He was older than her, Ibis presumed. So maybe he knew what that was like. Do you have children? She asked, hoping to learn more about him while she could.