Stone Circle he is without a heart

Words shouted by friend and foe alike only served to fan flames that spread from a spark to a wildfire in an instant. The dispute burst like a swollen blister, and any chance for a rational deescalation withered and perished in the deluge of snaps and snarls. Oryx- still physically distant and insignificant both in size and presence- commanded no audience with her frantic plea, and was neither attacked nor defended. She wasn't even noticed. And as her friends became warriors, so she became nothing more than a shadow- harmless, useless. 

She would die if she intervened. Mere months ago she had leapt into the embrace of her own death- perhaps the most decisive thing she had ever done- only to be rejected and deemed unworthy of respite from the trials of life. She had once again pledged her willingness to die- but once more was refused and thus, without having a change of heart with regard to her own self-worth, she decided for the first time that she should not rush toward oblivion. 

No one would have noticed if she had, anyway. 

Her first few steps were tentative, and her heart raced as she withdrew from the commotion- but it took no more than three seconds for her to finally see exactly how worthless she was. How useless, how insignificant. She turned swiftly on her heel and ran- bolting away from the din and out of the grasslands without a glance over her shoulder. She begged her heart not to pine for the loss of her only potential friend, and simply hoped that the wolves of Easthollow were distracted enough by the onslaught of Ursine warriors to not notice that one of their packmates had disappeared from their midst. She'd promised Valette that she would repay the debt of being taken into their sanctuary- but what debt could there be if she'd meant nothing to begin with?