Born Anew

March waddled forward to see the bright scarlets and teals of her brother's coat, standing loud and proud amidst the white snow. She tottered forward as her tail began to wag, eager to greet her bigger sibling outside the den for the first time. She quickened her pace as much as she could without toppling over. "Hey, Morax." Addressing her brother by name felt formal, more formal than either of them could really muster, but it felt like an occasion to go the extra mile. Treat it like something to remember, and not like every other day. Regardless, March felt that this day would take its residence in her mind and never leave. She willed it to.

Her eyes fell down to the ptarmigan. "You shouldn't have," She said warmly, before taking a closer look. "Wait. It's still alive." She caught the panicked rising and falling of the young birds chest, its eyes staring blankly at her, in shock but clearly still living. "Why is that?" She asked, unsure of what Morax was planning and frankly, feeling a little bad for the bird.