Sorry for the long wait, guys! keeperofthehearth is right: Fatima is getting published and will HOPEFULLY be ready within the week! I'm sending it to be printed tomorrow.
There's a few options for signing. I can send a label (my treat) or you can pay a little extra for shipping (exact cost unknown as of yet) and I can order it to my house, sign it, then send it to you.
Here's Chapter 30...
Chapter 30: Seeing Green
Fatima of the Gold-dust Feathers was upset. She was upset that Olympia of Midnight looked to be going broody again. She was upset that Phoebe of the Striped Wings had developed an odd, annoying call when she wanted something from the Great-Handed Ones that sounded altogether too much like a duck. She was upset that she was now one of the smallest hens in the flock. She was upset that she couldn't push aside the fact that Rita was gone not new-home gone, not sick-in-House gone, not even broody-gone. Just
gone.
But the cold was bearable. Not much snow had fallen for the past few Moon-Seasons* and the grass though most of it was dead was visible and tantalizing. The Great-Handed Girl let the flock out of their run sometimes and they fell upon the grass with a great fervor. Occasionally someone would even cluck that they had found a bug.
And Fatima was laying again. Not every day, and not huge eggs. But laying nonetheless! She felt immensely better because of it her extended molt had caused her to go into a laying standstill since redleaf* and it made her horribly grouchy. Now, each time she layed, she reveled in the lovely bluish green patina of the egg before hopping down and making a racket to let everyone know what a marvelous thing she had produced.
Life went on. Soon the flowers would blossom, the leaves would return to the tall old tree in the run. The days were already longer.
And for a moment, pecking about in her run, Fatima had the sudden, incurable feeling that her small existence was happy and good, and despite of all that had happened, life went on. Life
always went on.
*months
*autumn