Ivy blinked her eyes open and stretched. She had fallen asleep standing up. Dappledsnow had stood beside her past the time she had slipped into a troubled slumber, but now he lay warm beside Achillia. Ivy contemplated what to do. She was terribly thirsty, but they were so peaceful! Eventually Ivy nudged them with her nose, whispering, "Come, little ones, it's time to get up." She stretched again and helped Achillia get up. Dappledsnow pranced around, leaping and dashing from place to place around his mother. Achillia walked slowly without help. After a few minutes Ivy herded them together and started toward the Drinking Pond, a glimmer of dark blue on the horizon. They made slow progress what with Achillia's disabilities, but Dappledsnow made up for it by circling repeatedly around Ivy.
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Flip snapped open his eyelids. Something told him that new little Fjord had something to tell him, so he stretched and trotted over to her. "So you're the new one," he greeted her. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you."