Redhawk Caldera Magnet (639Hz).

It was nice, waking up in the Hobbit Hole beside another warm body. It made Towhee think of better days. She closed her eyes but didn’t fall back asleep, just rolled over a little and relished the coziness. She nosed toward Bushtit’s ruff, burying her muzzle between his shoulder blades and letting out a contented breath.

Too soon, her son roused and disembarked from the hillside lair. Towhee took her time getting up and trundling outside. Something soft struck the back of her head. She spun, glaring daggers at the laughing Bushtit standing on the hillock above her, framed by the naked dogwood tree. Her orange eyes dropped to see the dead squirrel he’d thrown at her.

Nice, she remarked, dropping her head to sniff at the kill. It was fresh. I assume it’s a parting gift? You headed out?

Bushtit nodded, jumping down to join her and butting his head against hers. Towhee leaned into his affections, savoring them. Because soon enough, he said his goodbyes and disappeared toward the caldera’s rim. She was left alone with nothing but the dead squirrel for company.

She snatched it off the ground and climbed up to the base of the tree, settling among its roots with a light groan. As she nibbled at her breakfast, she thought of everything they’d talked about these past two days, namely @Towhee Jr’s litter. Such news would’ve had her packing her proverbial bags once upon a time, though her days of easy travel were over.

Towhee drew in a breath between bites, orange eyes casting over the caldera’s inner slopes as her mind wandered to @Killdeer and his ilk. He still hadn’t come. Maybe he never would. That was all right. She could still stay here whenever she liked, living in the present and taking some time here and there to relive the good old days.

Journeying up the caldera, his mind wandered to the first time Caracal had showed him the "Hobby Ho." The view there was unparalleled, and he remembered thinking he had finally been invited into some exclusive club—that his presence there signaled he was more than just some little grub.

That he was part of something bigger and better than himself.

That feeling had never gone away, and as he spotted Towhee ahead, Killdeer broke into a somewhat-bittersweet smile. Many things had changed, but some remained the same. His grandmother was one of those constants.

What's up? he asked her, once he was within sight enough for her to read his lips. He nodded down at the squirrel. Nice snack. The smell of it made his stomach growl; thankfully, she wouldn't hear that.

She was probably wondering if he was making the first move toward claiming the caldera. He'd told Amalia he was planning a late spring arrival, but perhaps there wouldn't be harm in moving the date up a bit. . .

Thanks so much for nabbing this. *puts knife away*

Soon, nothing remained of the squirrel save for bones and tufts of brownish gray fur. One such wisp clung to her tongue, no matter how many times she rolled it against her yellowed teeth. She finally raised a paw to scrape at it with her leathery paw pad. Towhee winced a little when one of her canines brushed against the burst lipoma, still tender these days later.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another, she mused to herself with a roll of her eyes. Gods, you’re fucking old and decrepit.

Before she could deprecate herself further, a figure appeared out of the corner of her eye. Towhee’s head snapped toward it, her anterior pushing upward only to sink back down when she recognized Killdeer. She shifted her weight and raised her other paw—now her good forepaw—to motion him closer.

Sorry for not getting up, I’m feeling way too fat and sassy for that, she joshed, her mental voice adding, Or more like old and decrepit? Ignoring it, Towhee said, I was going to stay in Bramblepoint but I figured it made more sense to come here. You know, keep an eye on it for you, just in case.

She wanted to ask, of course she did. But Towhee held her tongue and merely smiled up at her grandson, waiting for him to share the latest goings-on in his life, including what he was doing here.

He laughed at "fat and sassy." The latter, sure, but barring various aches and pains, Towhee seemed as fit as ever to his eyes. There was a warmth in his gaze when she talked about holding down the fort for him, especially as he'd dilly-dallied as of late.

I appreciate it, Killdeer told her, and settled down upon his haunches with a soft sigh. It's still happening—just gotta get everything in order before I leave Moonspear.

The man glanced toward his grandmother, brows lifted in slightly-anxious query. I hate leaving there—and especially leaving Tiki and Pie, he fretted. Did you. . .ever travel away from your kids, instead of them leaving you? I mean, my girls are pretty grown, but they might still need me. And I feel guilty as hell, even though I won't be very far away.

That, in truth, was the sum of the weighted doubts upon his heart. Sialuk was gone, and he felt no loyalty to the mountain itself—but his daughters meant the world to him. 

Or did they, given how readily he was walking away?

Her heart kicked when he told her it was a matter of when, not if. Towhee nodded, losing her fight with the smile that wanted to overtake his face. Her expression sobered a moment later, when Killdeer shared some of his concerns and posed a question that made her chest tighten even after all this time.

Jr and Sable, she replied without missing a beat. To be fair to me, I wanted them to come with me. But I gave them the choice and they decided to stay behind. They had each other, plus an entire pack to look after them, but I still wrestle with that decision sometimes.

That probably wasn’t what he wanted to hear, though at least he knew he wasn’t alone. Towhee had nothing but empathy for him. She felt for her great granddaughters too.

It’d make life so much easier if they just did what you wanted them to do, Towhee posited with an entirely dry laugh, but like you said, they’re adults. And that means they can make their own decisions, which is as much a good thing as it is a bad one. It means you raised them be strong, independent women with minds of their own. And sometimes that means you’ll be at odds.

Towhee knocked her head against his nearer hip, though it didn’t feel like enough. With a grunt, she pushed herself into a sit, so she could nudge her shoulder into his.

You’re doing what you can do make the transition as painless as possible. That’s all you can really do. But I take this to mean they’re officially not going to come with you? Towhee pressed gently.