i sleep well alone now

Two days had passed. Two days of being alone, two days of fending for herself. Though weaned, that was… that was basically all. Hazel could be glad that the nights were warm. She could be grateful that she had the hot springs to sleep beside, chasing the chill from her bones. There were even enough small (very small) prey animals to keep her from starving. Still, Hazel felt stuck. When you go from being protected to being… not… the world can be big, and it can be scary.

The girl, made purely of rust and stardust, had tucked herself beneath one of the trees that bordered the hot springs. Maybe if she made herself as small as possible, she’d be safe until they came back. Until they came back… Hazel knew that they weren’t coming back. Her parents had simply left without her, deciding they simply no longer wanted to be parents. Apparently that was a decision you could just make.

Above her head, the midday sun shone high in the sky. Hazel was grateful for the cover of the trees, but she was starting to get hungry. Her brilliant eyes fluttered open as she fully woke, and she began to stretch her limbs carefully. One big yawn, ending in a sort of woof combined with a grumble, and a head to tail kind of stretch… she’d rise to her paws in a moment. Probably.
"Speech"