Redhawk Caldera We are the dreamers

He wasn't far away when the vaguely familiar howl went up; Eljay's departure was bothering him more than Liffey's had, and he spent a lot of time prowling the borders. He knew that it was unlikely Eljay would return anytime soon, but he couldn't seem to stop his vigil. In some ways, it reminded him of what had happened to Lucy -- while her disappearance had been involuntary, he still felt the same sickening surprise regarding Eljay.

Despite his proximity, both Towhee and Phox managed to beat him to the punch. They were conversing with a stranger, who -- on second glance -- was not really a stranger at all. Elwood squinted as he approached, taking in the robust young male. He sniffed, and the missing puzzle piece fell into place.

"Nightjar," he said, coming to stand next to his godchildren. "I see you've met your siblings," he added, glancing at the nearly fully-grown youths before shifting his gaze back to the agouti Redhawk. "What brings you back here?" His tone was friendly and curious; somehow, Nightjar's own leave-taking seemed much more natural than Eljay's.