Friend.

Dreamer.

Desperate.

Firen tried to be content waiting for her mate to appear in the marketplace. She was patient as inspected each of her neighbours, ever hopeful the bond would settle into place.

But even she had her limits. And when her youngest sister brings home her mate, full of joy and just a bit of smugness at her elder sister’s misfortune, Firen loses what remained of her endurance.

She would find him. She would bind him to her.

And he would be glad of her boldness, wouldn’t he?

It was her parents’ fault, really. Made mating seem easy. As natural as the wind fluttering through her feathers.

She was wrong.