Heron Lake Plateau The clock may run out on us.

I assume @Niamh, @Tegan and @Colt may be with her at this point but I kept things vague—tags for awareness!

Carrying Orca back to the plateau was back- and heartbreaking work, yet Towhee didn't utter a single complaint. She didn't speak at all. When they reached the outskirts of their home, she stopped and gently lowered her sister's corpse to the ground. Rather than turn to acknowledge any of her lupine escorts, she made a few weary gestures and sent X to fetch @Elwood and @Finley particularly. Towhee knew she should call @Raven too but Orca was beyond help now and she knew the healer still needed to heal.

While she waited for her godparents to arrive, Towhee sank to her haunches and stared at the ground. They hadn't caught up to Screech and resuming the hunt later seemed pretty moot; he was in the wind now, sort of like Phox. It had already occurred to her that her entire litter was now dead to her, though that knowledge washed over her again now and it took all of her inner might not to sit there and weep over all that was lost.

The exhaustion from their voyage didn't hit Niamh until they were safely back to the Plateau. After searching through the Tuktu Hinterlands, exploring mainly the west and south, and finding Orca plus carrying her home, her body was beat. Her spirit was, as well, and it showed in the vacancy of her gaze. Part of her mind was still set on hunting Screech down- and she couldn't shake the intense pull she felt toward searching further North, and the knowledge that the longer they waited, the further he could get away. 

Her pelt was still drenched, and up to her knees her legs were slicked with mud and grass, but she didn't particularly care. She held fast by Towhee's side, but kept quiet, not knowing what to say or when to say it. Her focus was divided, as well, and she wasn't sure which should take prevalence, in her tired state. All she wanted to do was hunt- but she needed rest, badly.

The tone in the call that came from the other two was sufficient in making Colt turn back immediately, so he (and maybe Tegan idk) met with them in transit.  Colt knew better than to say much... so it was definitely a somber party that arrived back home.  Screech was in the wind, and Colt couldn't care less.  

He stayed where he was, rather than dispersing.  He didn't have a whole lot to offer, but he could at least be there when Fin and Elwood arrived.

At some point, Elwood and Finley had been filled in on what had happened with Screech. Elwood was horrified and disappointed; after countless chances the boy had been given, he had managed to screw up royally -- once and for all. He was only glad that Raven's injuries hadn't been worse, and he hoped that she and her puppies would be okay. And he bitterly admitted that Clover had been right; Screech wasn't to be trusted.

The retirees also knew about the expedition led by Towhee, so when X's familiar figure wheeled overhead, he squinted up at the bird questioningly. "They're back?" he called, and while he wasn't nearly as adept at Towhee at reading X's body language, there was something in the urgent shift of the hawk's wings that told him to hurry. He didn't know what situation he would find after following X, but his stomach gave an uneasy turn.

His worry was warranted. He was greeted by the sight of the search party, and at their feet, a crumpled black and white figure. He breathed in sharply as his gaze lingered on Orca's broken body. "What happened?" he asked, looking to Towhee for an answer.

even tegan was silent. the blackthorn had nothing to say. even when he first arrived. of course, tegan didn't know orca like that, and if she'd never really cared to hang out with him then hell he really didn't care that much for her. but towhee seemed really beat up. like, really beat up. so tegan shut the fuck up immediately, not trying to make anything worse since-- let's face it-- tegan's dialect is certainly charming, but not at all appropriate for situations like this.

ugh, how was he gonna handle niamh being sad and towhee being sad? shoot. 

he walked up with the rest of the crowd, a little behind colt, and just stood and stared at the ground as elwood approached. he had nothing worthwhile to say.

She didn't hear Elwood's approach or his question, of course, but she sensed his arrival and looked up to see the stricken look on his hoary face. "It was an accident," Towhee explained, answering the question she hadn't even heard, "she was exploring the mountain south and west of here. She fell. X saw it all, though there was nothing he could do."

And it wasn't that she blamed the bird, nor thought he needed to make up for it. In fact, she felt sorrier for him than she did herself, thinking of how awful it must've been to witness Orca's tumble and feel so utterly helpless. But as she glanced at him—he had swept down to stand near Niamh—a thought occurred to her.

It wasn't the time or place to voice it yet, though. This hour was for laying Orca to rest. "We'll need to pick somewhere to bury her." Towhee paused, lower lip wobbling. "I was actually thinking of doing it on The Roost. It's central, it's safe, it's peaceful... a good place to rest." It would be difficult carrying the body through the water, though Towhee was more than willing to do that if the others agreed it would be a suitable final resting place for Orca.

The four of them sat, dejected, alongside the badly broken and contorted body of one of their fellow packmates. When Elwood arrived, she lowered her head, knowing that Elwood too would grieve the loss of one of his goddaughters. He looked shocked, and Towhee explained, her flat voice confessing what X had seen, and as he swooped down to land near her, she shuffled a bit closer to him, extending her muzzle to gently touch the soft, slightly wet feathers of his nearest wing. He wasn't himself, and that worried her. Niamh wasn't the sort who often thought about how other animals felt- but X was different. He demonstrated an intelligence and comprehension of emotion that put him within the ranks of wolves, in Niamh's mind. And she could only imagine how he felt, knowing he could fly but a wolf would only fall. 

Towhee suggested that they bury Orca on the Roost and she nodded silently. X seemed to like that area, and it was beautiful in the shaded woodlands, covered in fresh green ivy. It would be a peaceful place for Orca to rest, though it would mean trying to carry or drag Orca's body across the narrowest portion of the lake. Between all of them, though, she was sure it could be done.

Colt would probably never understand, or much care about, the hawk.  He couldnt see him as he saw a wolf, and therefore didn't even think to feel bad for his witnessing the fall... instead his only thought was at least it was convenient they knew what happneed.  At least if Towhee really could understand what the bird was saying.

He was still keeping his yap pretty damn shut, but he'd assist them in getting Orca where she needed to go. While he had Towhee had shared a brief moment on the trip, he wasn't going to test any bounds, especially because this was her sister they had found.  If it had been Fin... fuck.  He couldn't imagine.  Now that he could relate to.

feel free to skip me unless mentioned! I'll still keep an eye on here, but he didn't know orca well so is mostly here to help carry and bury (omg lol but ;.;)

An accident. The news brought the smallest amount of relief to Elwood; at least he knew that nothing malicious had caused Orca's death, but it didn't ease ease his sadness. She had been nothing but positive and optimistic, so why had her life been snuffed out so abruptly? He looked to X, who had landed on the ground near Niamh, and nodded his head. He had never fully understood Towhee's attachment to the bird, but had accepted it, and now he was thankful for the avian's presence. Without him, they might not have known what happened to Orca.

He took a deep breath as Towhee mused aloud about Orca's final resting place. When she suggested The Roost, Elwood expressed his agreement. He would never argue with her; after all, this was her sister, her littermate, that they were talking about, and Towhee would know the best location to bury her. "That's a good idea. I'll help you carry her there," he said, and glanced at the other three wolves gathered -- so far, they had been quiet, but he was thankful that they were there and for the support they offered.

"me too," tegan cut in after his father, stepping forward. even though tegan's filter typically never worked, he understood this situation as a time where his typical personality just wasn't welcome. and actually quite liking being the pack favorite, he knew better than to be an ass and make everyone hate him. 

today, given the circumstances, tegan was quiet and helpful. stoic, maybe even stoic. no one ever described tegan as stoic, but maybe today.

Nobody countered her suggestion, so Towhee steeled herself. When Elwood, then Tegan, offered to help carry Orca's body, she was of course tempted to decline. She wanted to be her sister's single pallbearer and see this thing through to the end. But to tell the truth, she was extremely weary from the long trip. And while Orca was her sister, she wasn't the only one deeply affected by her loss. This should be a familial effort.

"Could you please do the honors. I'll lead the way and help dig," Towhee said to the lookalike volunteers, stepping out of their way and waiting for them to heft her sister's body. As soon as they were ready, she then led the slow funeral march to the little island, where they would dig a small grave at its heart and lay the ill-fated yearling to rest.

Y'all are more than welcome to wrap this up, too sad to drag it on too long! :'(

Tame and quiet like a mouse hiding under the floorboards, Niamh lingered near Towhee as the others stepped in to carry her the rest of the way to her gravesite. She would pitch in, if needed, to help carry Orca across the lake to the Roost, and would offer silent, understanding support to Towhee who wouldn't say much more than she had. She was being incredibly strong- but Niamh could tell that it wore on her friend. It was a dreary end to an already horrible mission- and Screech was still out there. 

Defeated, and ready to throw in the towel at least for the rest of the day, Niamh would help with the burial before returning to Colt's glen to get some much needed rest.

Despite the solemnity of the situation, Elwood felt pride welling in his chest as Tegan offered to assist him with carrying Orca's body. This allowed Towhee to take point and lead them to the burial site. The two Blackthorns positioned themselves and hoisted Orca, then began the slow trek to The Roost.

Once there, the little group prepared the grave and carefully placed their deceased relative in the ground. Elwood was bitterly reminded of her littermates, Stoat and Oriole, who hadn't made it past infancy. It was a sad day for the Redhawk and Blackthorn families, and when Elwood parted ways with Towhee, Niamh, Colt, and Tegan, he headed home to tell Finley of the terrible news.