So much time and so much pain it had taken in her road to recovery. Fjallraven had wept the first two days for every movement she made, each shift in position, had felt like a knife lancing through her shoulder. Riopat had fixed her up yet no matter what an infection had set in and soon Fjallraven had fallen into a hot, restless sleep. Over and over her mother popped up in her mind, scolding her or telling her to wait. Every time she called out Momma, I love you! not realizing that when she did in her dream that she did so in life too. Not realizing that Magnus was forced to hear each sad cry where she begged forgiveness for eating too much of her rabbit leg or that she had revealed the gaping hole inside of herself at her mothers disappearance. Please come back, she had whispered near the end before sighing, the herbs they forced into her finally taking effect and drugging her so that her body and the medicine could begin to heal the infection within. But nothing could heal the infection her mother had left.

Finally after four days she had woke up with her shoulder aching but no more fever. The flesh had torn and was trying to knit itself back together. A huge scab that still oozed blood if pulled too harshly had begun to take root and her tail felt stiff where the muscles and skin tries to repair the bites and yanking from Reaver. It felt as if she would never be whole again as she laid there with her head on one skinny paw, her body seeming to have shrunk in even further on itself. She hadn't been able to eat in the last few days despite Magnus's grumblings. He could threaten all he wanted but even she knew he wouldn't do anything about it in the state she was in. If he tried to get her to eat she choked on it, dry heaving until her eyes streamed with tears from the pain in her shoulder.

It took another two days before she actually tried to get up and move around, her golden eyes dull and her shiny fur lackluster against the points of her ribs and hips. She moved in slow, halting steps with heaving sighs, and stepped out of the den that now held the stench of sickness and other bodily fluids. It was unintentional, a mere byproduct that she could not help, and no doubt Magnus was disgusted by it. She would clean it out, she had whispered to him over and over. She was sorry, she repeated. She would make it like she wasn't even there.

And now that she was better she could follow through. After some food maybe and after some fresh water. He tried to get her water but no matter what it would never taste as good as directly from a stream. "I want some water," she said, turning to Magnus who seemed to always be hovering about. Even if he had a perpetual scowl on his face. Her voice is hoarse and she begins to walk towards the edge of Glorall, passing the border without really noticing and heading towards the scent of water. Her ears prick forward now, a spark in her eye as she heads straight towards the stream and sinks down until she is lying. Crouching tore at her shoulder and it was already aching from the walk. She leans her head down between her paws and laps up the water with a thirst that is unquenchable and finally her belly swells with it and she crawls back with a sigh, feeling alive. Well, as alive as she could feel.

"Thank you for staying with me," she says quietly to Magnus, laying her head on her paws as she tries to regain energy lost in the walk but her eyes lift as they gaze at him. "I'm sorry about your den. I'll clean it," she repeats again, feeling ashamed of putting him through such things after saving her.