Redhawk Caldera Back at base, bugs in the software

Finley was standing to follow when she heard the swift footsteps and cries of her eldest - as she had now begun to think of him. She turned in time to watch him glom onto her side, sobbing noisily into her fur. Her ears flattened and she nosed him with pity, but the bump of her foreleg against Gannet shifted her mindset. She brushed her muzzle against his head soothingly, her gaze briefly flickering past the faces of the two new recruits that had joined them with a glare that dared them to even give her son a second glance over his unusual behavior.

"Shh... Jay, settle down, they're not hurting you," Fin said, attempting now to follow Peregrine and the others while trying not to trip over the pup at her feet or the pup-like adult that had glued himself to her, "Come on, the pups are scared too. Will you help me with them?" She motioned to Gannet as she asked, hoping that trying to comfort the little boy would serve as a good distraction for her son.

It took Finley a few seconds to remember what Peregrine was talking about when they arrived at the cave, but eventually she gave a nod and slipped inside. She had forgotten how Firebirds 1.0 had wandered off in here, and she nudged Eljay to shoot him an encouraging smile to try and boost his confidence.