Hushed Willows Could've been the wine

she'd settled easily into a new low. cassidy's constant badgering wore on her, and the parts of her skin that had begun to heal had once more broken out into sore spots and hives. she tried her best, really, to groom herself as her guardian had taught, to attempt to foster healing, but it was to no avail. she'd been sequestered to one corner of the willows the past few days with a thickness in her chest and a dripping nose, and only that morning had she woken feeling marginally better. 

she stumbled onto the gathering quite by mistake, and immediately adjusted her path as to avoid the group as had become standard; the chance that cassidy might be one of those gathered was high, and besides, she'd preferred to avoid the fae as of late, some deep note of jealousy struck by their beauty, the ethereal and confident way in which they moved, breathed, lived. gangly, marred and ill-proportioned, she would only ever stand in sharp contrast to them, she was certain. 

but it was only when she was moving away, downwind, that she noticed not all those gathered were fae. cat; sharp and familiar. heart pressed tightly against her ribs, suddenly, and she turned back, pivoting tightly and loping betwixt the willows. auds pressed forward, and in a moment she glimpsed that familiar tawny pelt, coming suddenly into focus high above the others. 

"virtute!" she called, joy in the high arch of her tail. she beelined toward the lion king, neck craned back to look up at him as she came to the base of his tree. a quick glance was spared for the others gathered, a wary prickle of her hackles at the anger and tension there; but her gladness smoothed her fur again quickly.