Stone Circle a robin said: the spring will never come,

Rescue came swift, and he squeezed his eyes shut when he felt Keen's pressure lift from his back and Arlette's tender body move away from his mouth. The coolness of the den rushed his lungs, and he made no further noise, too focused on drinking in the air he hadn't been able to find just moments before. Merrit felt the grip of calm even before his mother drew her tongue across him, and he rested between her paws.

By the time he was placed back with his siblings, his infantile mind had forgiven whatever offence his sisters had rendered him. How could he do anything but that? The child had no concept yet of right and wrong, but he sensed the concern in Keen when she met him with whines and a gentle knead of her paws. Merrit rumbled a single, soft note to reassure her that things were okay and welcomed the warm press of her body against his side - though he did find his gaze ever watchful of the space before his eyes, not wanting a repeat of whatever had happened before.