Sawtooth Spire what immortal hand or eye

While Praimfaya departed to fetch something to eat, Sugar pondered her words. She took them to mean that the woman didn't have romantic prospects, perhaps no aspirations either. She actually reminded Sugar of Towhee, who was similarly a caricature of a hardheaded warrior with an undeniably good heart. And though she'd never met the Regent's offspring, she'd heard that Towhee was a mother now. Did that mean she had a mate? Somehow, Sugar couldn't picture it.

Soon, the scarred she-wolf returned and Sugar gratefully accepted the small game. "More than okay," she assured, "thank you." She pinned the little carcass to the ground and tore into it, ripping off chunks of meat and swallowing them. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until the groundhog was more than half gone.

Pausing, Sugar addressed her hostess's question. "No, I'm just dropping by. They live a little south of here in a pack called Triquetra, on the far side of Serpent Lake. I just need to give them a bit of news," she explained, taking a breath as she once more mentally braced herself for that difficult conversation, "and check in on my brother's kids. And then, well, I'm off to another of the family packs: Frosthawks, to the west." She hadn't made any solid plans beyond that.

"You know," she said after a beat, black eyes gleaming, "I was thinking of joining Moonspear but I think I've decided against it after all. I really like Opalia but I don't actually know much about them..." She had nearly made a very impulsive decision that day and was glad it hadn't worked out in the end. She still didn't know much about the drama involving the pack and Praimfaya—she had decided against prying—but her gaze was speculative as it rested on the other woman's face just before she dropped to take another bite.