Heron Lake Plateau another five more short graybles

She could see that she'd taken him by surprise and it pleased her, though Towhee quickly brushed that pettiness aside. She rose and padded closer to her brother, stopping a yard or two away from him. She was tempted to sit, though Towhee felt more comfortable with all four feet beneath her. She wanted to trust Screech, though she wasn't there yet.

"It's about—" she began and then stopped just as abruptly, clearing her throat. Damn. She hadn't realized that just saying his name would be so difficult. "It's about Phox," she managed to choke out, the strain clear even as the syllables fell like rough-hewn marbles from her lips. "When you disappeared—left—were kidnapped—whatever—" Towhee paused again to suck in a breath. "Was he there? Involved? In any way?"