Rita walked all the way back to the stands under Maple Syrup's glare.
She was not worried Maple Syrup would go off the deep end. The oak owl's moral baseline had no room left to fall.
She was not worried Maple Syrup would become discouraged either. That was not her concern.
She was even less worried that Maple Syrup would hold a grudge over this loss and refuse to help with the cookie experiment plan to save the Starsea. It had nothing to do with kindness. Maple Syrup simply took her own words seriously.
Thinking it through, Rita suddenly understood why Mistblade could calmly endure Maple Syrup's death stare. There were no real consequences to worry about.
She walked over and stood beside Mistblade, trying to redirect Maple Syrup's hostility. It worked. When two potential cookie candidates stood together, Maple Syrup clearly had trouble deciding.
