Broken Antler Fen She hangs her head and cries on my shirt

It didn't matter how comfortable she got around anyone, she'd still flush every time she got a compliment.  Some things were likely to never change.  Still, she returned the nuzzle and chuckled, dismissing it with a smile.  It was easier if she accepted it with levity, and it was easy enough to treat it like a casual and affectionate joke.

Oh, right, of course he'd heard.  She'd forgotten, for a moment, how close Bronco still was to the Caldera.  She was so used to the distance being more like the Copse and news taking a while to travel.  Her smile flickered for a moment, but she didn't let it linger.  I'm a-okay now.  Luckily everyone at the Caldera was there and all, so everything turned out fine.  She shifted a little self-consciously.  The wounds had mostly faded at this point, but the welts were still a bit visible through her pelt, and she was really hoping her fur would fill back in seamlessly.  She hated the look of it.

Might be a little easier now, though!  Not being as long, I mean.  We decided to stick around and claim our own little piece of enchanted forest.  What do you think?  Maia stepped back and sideways, as though presenting the place to him, and bounced on her toes.  Probably she should have let Wraen do the honors but hey, she couldn't help it!  (Besides, Wraen was the one who told Eljay, right?  So there!)  Thinking of Eljay... that was a bit of news to share, though she'd wait, see what he thought before she gushed literally everything out.