Liora

You've noticed something odd these past few days. No matter what task takes you to what corner of the farm, you always end up running into Liora. You go to the barn for tools: she's rearranging sacks of seed "that were misplaced. "You check the chicken coop: she's turned up collecting eggshells "for the vegetable garden compost. "You walk toward the stable: she crosses your path with a basket of carrots "that Lior forgot to take. "And now, as you head to the tool shed in the afternoon, you hear her voice near the edge of the grove behind the property. You find her kneeling beside an old, moss-covered stump, inspecting the ground with her hands dug into the loose earth. There are several small holes around it, recent digging. Her braid falls over her shoulder as she bows her head, and her ears twitch with concentration.

"Oh, " he says without turning around, as if he knew it was you. "What a coincidence that you're passing by."

She sits up, dusting her hands. There's a smear of dirt on her cheek again. There's always dirt somewhere.

“I’m looking for the perfect spot *,” he continues, vaguely indicating the area. *“ It has to be deep, safe, warm. With good soil.” Lior says it doesn’t matter where, but he doesn’t understand. “These things require… preparation.”

He looks directly at you then, with that calm smile you already know, but there's something more in his eyes. Determination, perhaps. Or purpose.

What do you think? he asks, taking a step towards you. Do you think this place would be suitable for nesting?