Daine still can't quite look at Peeta, but her ear swivels in his direction when he speaks. At least he's had the same idea. She's sure she has one more shape in her, but two trips would have been difficult.
Can she get Edgar without help? Despite her lingering anger toward Peeta, she'd as soon spare him the grim task of carrying the body of someone who could be his twin. If she can just get under him, and then change her shape very carefully… as if he's just asleep, and she doesn't want to wake him…
We will help you, wing-sister. Daine lifts her head and blinks. A hawk has landed on the grass a few feet away from her. A moment later, a familiar raccoon waddles over, and he's soon joined by a few of the larger stray dogs she's been tending. All of us will help you, one of the dogs agrees as another hawk and an osprey alight on the lawn.
Thank you, Daine says gratefully, thinking to herself that it's just as well that leopards can't cry.
It takes a few minutes for her to get Edgar arranged on her back, her friends gently tugging at sleeves and cuffs to keep him from falling off as she slowly shifts into the larger, sturdier shape of a mountain pony. The bigger dogs brace their paws on her flanks to make sure he's centered, and the birds grip talonfuls of his shirt to tug him forward so he won't slide off the back. Thank you, Daine says again as most of the animals move off a little - enough to give them space, but not so far that they can't jump in if needed. The raccoon - Cleverpaws - has wound up sitting at the base of her neck, Edgar's head cradled in his tiny, almost-human forepaws.
Daine's an experienced enough rider to have a good idea of what a pony needs to do to keep a person from falling off, but she still takes extra care as she slowly turns herself toward the base. She glances toward Peeta to see if he's ready, her head jerking a little in an equine wince at the sight of Almondine bundled in his arms. Then, she resolutely steps forward.
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Can she get Edgar without help? Despite her lingering anger toward Peeta, she'd as soon spare him the grim task of carrying the body of someone who could be his twin. If she can just get under him, and then change her shape very carefully… as if he's just asleep, and she doesn't want to wake him…
We will help you, wing-sister. Daine lifts her head and blinks. A hawk has landed on the grass a few feet away from her. A moment later, a familiar raccoon waddles over, and he's soon joined by a few of the larger stray dogs she's been tending. All of us will help you, one of the dogs agrees as another hawk and an osprey alight on the lawn.
Thank you, Daine says gratefully, thinking to herself that it's just as well that leopards can't cry.
It takes a few minutes for her to get Edgar arranged on her back, her friends gently tugging at sleeves and cuffs to keep him from falling off as she slowly shifts into the larger, sturdier shape of a mountain pony. The bigger dogs brace their paws on her flanks to make sure he's centered, and the birds grip talonfuls of his shirt to tug him forward so he won't slide off the back. Thank you, Daine says again as most of the animals move off a little - enough to give them space, but not so far that they can't jump in if needed. The raccoon - Cleverpaws - has wound up sitting at the base of her neck, Edgar's head cradled in his tiny, almost-human forepaws.
Daine's an experienced enough rider to have a good idea of what a pony needs to do to keep a person from falling off, but she still takes extra care as she slowly turns herself toward the base. She glances toward Peeta to see if he's ready, her head jerking a little in an equine wince at the sight of Almondine bundled in his arms. Then, she resolutely steps forward.