Luke 8:39

Her kite had been the first to tip her off. Modesty's brows pulled down as she set aside the feathers she had been gathering for Kenway and Jael to craft into whatever they were working on this week. Her antlered rabbit gathered up the bits and bobs and loped off to stash them away somewhere, while the bird landed on her small antlers and chittered in her ear. A small nod of her head was enough to send the bird skyward again, with directions to relay the news to her brother.

It wasn't a long swim to the mainland, but she was coughing by the time she hauled herself up on the beach on the other side. Modesty took a moment to shake out her fur and get her breathing under control again before making her way to the shrine, hurried and anxious steps skipping with uncertainty. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she couldn't leave it up to chance either.

There, illuminated against the glowing water was the one wolf she had missed more than any other, for longer than she could remember. Her paws stuck to the ground, freezing her in place. Her voice caught in her throat, “M-mum?” Her eyes were blurring, but she worried if she blinked, Toxicity would vanish into the mists, or be swept away by some sudden breeze.

“Speech.”