Firefly Glen (M) No room for a saint.

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As her heat waned, Towhee got a wild hair and disembarked northward without a word to anyone. With every footstep, she told herself she was being a shithead on multiple levels, yet she neither slowed nor stopped. She quickly passed through Bramblepoint, pointing her toes northwest to avoid the water hazard of Big Salmon Lake. Soon enough, the trees thinned as she found herself in Firefly Glen.

She decided to pause there, though she didn’t feel the need to rest. Towhee buzzed with energy, pleasanter now that @Hotah had helped her dowse the worst of the flames. Thinking about him made her feel strange, so she quickly put the newcomer out of her mind and directed her orange gaze toward the unmistakable silhouette of Ouroboros Spine ahead.

Her scent wasn’t as intense now, though still strong. It might draw attention, Towhee knew. She didn’t mind. If any suitable males approached her, she would assess their merits. But she hadn’t come out here, nor walked this far, with strangers in mind. Although she still felt slightly idiotic for it, the Redhawk could not resist the temptation to call out for @Rodyn.

She’s looking for someone, though anyone’s welcome! Especially if they bring drama with them, lol.

It had been sometime since Rosyn had heard from Towhee. So he was both delighted and surprised when she had called for him. She was one of his few friends left. And he didn't want to ignore her. So he settled his work to the ground and trotted towards her howl.


He made it to her side, but was momentarily struck with a scent. It surprised him, but he ignored it for now.

He took a step into her vision and signed a hello.

Her breath ran out and her call faded into the ether, leaving Towhee to wait and see… and not get her hopes up. Even if Rodyn came, it didn’t mean anything would happen. He could turn her down for a myriad of reasons, though at least they wouldn’t be as baffling as Soto’s rejection. After all this time, that still rankled.

She let out a breath and turned to inspect her surroundings. They were familiar, of course, and Towhee recalled a particularly shadowy spot. She sought it out now, ignoring a slight rumble in her stomach. She couldn’t be bothered to hunt with another appetite demanding attention.

Towhee startled when Rodyn appeared, then laughed at herself. She stared at him, almost surprised that he had come, trying to read the look on his face. Was he happy to see her? He looked a little surprised, though it was difficult to tell anything else as he signed a greeting.

Hey, she said on an exhale, abruptly remembering the horrible circumstances of their last rendezvous. Rather than ask him the usual question, Towhee gently demanded, Tell me about something good that’s happened to you recently, Rodyn.

out of sight for now, but more than happy to hop in!

Hotah padded into the fringe of the glen, the marmot hanging limp between his teeth. He hadn’t been trailing Towhee on purpose, but her scent had drifted across his path, sharp and familiar even as it dulled with time. It tugged him forward until the trees opened to the clearing.
He stopped short at the edge. Towhee was there, but she wasn’t alone. Another male had already stepped up, and the easy way she greeted him said this wasn’t some stranger. Hotah shifted his weight, almond eyes taking in the scene before flicking off to the glen itself. It was beautiful here— quiet, full of light— but it didn’t settle the unease curling in his chest.
He stayed where the shadows cut across the grass, marmot still clamped in his jaws, unsure if his presence would be welcome or if he’d just stumbled into something best left alone.

Rodyn didn't know exactly what to do here. Part of him wanted to help her out. And frankly he was lonely. But he was afraid to mess up the easy friendship they had. Not to mention any child could be his or not. And he wasnt sure. How he felt about that. He wasnt sure how he felt about a lot of things lately.


Rodyn blinked surprised. How did he answer that. There wasnt much good. He made a soft hmm noise. His face morphing into gentle thought.

I taught a boy to track recently.

Yours? Towhee thought, though she figured Rodyn would’ve said “my son” rather than “a boy” in that case. That thought pulled her lips into a thoughtful frown. He’d been a good dad, though as far as she knew, he’d never had any more kids after Rolayne and Panuk. He hadn’t taken a mate since Samani, either, though Towhee more than understood that part.

Whose boy? she queried. After giving him space to answer, she mused, Kids are such a pain sometimes… but they really make life worth it.

It was probably a bit on the nose, though the sentiment was entirely genuine. Towhee lived for her children—and their children, and their children. Her lip twitched as she thought of Killdeer, so glad he’d turned up after very nearly scaring her to death. Maybe “scare” wasn’t the right word. She’d been bereft beyond description.

It was a little surprising that her body would deem her ready to carry offspring after nearly expiring what felt like a short time ago. Towhee shifted her weight as that thought crossed her mind, though she wasn’t in the head space to entertain it very long… especially not when the September wind shifted and brought to her nose the unmistakable scent of a fresh marmot.

The aging Redhawk tensed, turning her head to squint into the shadows of the glen.

Hotah stepped out from the shadows when her gaze cut toward him, the marmot swinging from his jaws. He paused a few paces off, eyes flicking from Towhee to the brown male at her side, reading the space between them before moving any closer.
Didn’t mean to interrupt, he said once he dropped the marmot to the grass. Figured I’d follow the trail and see where it went. Guess it ends here.
His mouth twitched, almost a smile. Brought lunch, though. Peace offering, or bribe—depends how you feel about marmot.
He stayed where he was, posture loose but careful, waiting to see how this played. I'm Hotah.

One that Raindrop brought back to moonglow. Name is Ludo.

But then he stopped and shifted. His keen sense of smell alerting him to another.

Yellow eyes narrowed and he swung his gaze around. Dipping his head down.

I don't much like bribes. I'm Rodyn Ardeth.

She didn’t quite know how to feel when Hotah materialized from the shadows of the glen, a marmot in tow. Towhee supposed she was flattered by his commitment to the bit. She knew that he meant well, though as seconds ticked past, her primary emotion turned to annoyance. She didn’t belong to him and his presence here, she decided, wasn’t welcome.

Didn’t you? she challenged right at the same time Rodyn spoke. Towhee complemented their combative words with a pointed look, then mustered a scrap of patience to add, Hotah, go home. I’ll come find you when I get back myself.

Her orange eyes slid sideways toward Rodyn for a moment, though Towhee didn’t turn her head. Only now did the sentiment behind his words really land. Had she ever heard him be testy before? He was such an easygoing diplomat and a seasoned trader, so she could only assume it was her scent that had brought forth this… beef.

Suddenly, she wondered if Hotah would attempt to fight for her. The thought irked and titillated her in equal measure. Towhee once more couldn’t decide how to feel as she waited to see whether her subordinate would heed her command.

Hotah’s eyes narrowed at her tone, the words biting sharper than he expected. Didn’t you? For a moment it caught him off guard—like he’d shown teeth without knowing it. Was that what she saw in Rodyn? Dangerous. A scoundrel.
His gaze shifted briefly to the brown male, weighing the tension that seemed to hang between them, then back to Towhee. Whatever this was, it wasn’t his ground to stand on.
I won’t be far, he said finally, words even but clipped. Give a holler if… He let it trail off with a shrug, scooping the marmot back up between his teeth.
Without another word, Hotah turned, dark frame slipping back toward the treeline where the shadows swallowed him whole.

Since Rodyn fell off for now, I wanted to provide a conclusion for this one.

For a moment, Towhee felt certain Hotah was going to put up a fight. Her entire body went rigid, hackles rising in anticipation. But they smoothed the instant he read the room and opted to take the peaceful route. Her eyes tracked his every movement as he grabbed the marmot and departed.

Her libido suddenly fell as flat as her fur. Towhee didn’t look at Rodyn, eyes still fixed on her departing pack mate. With the fire momentarily banked, she could actually think and reason for a moment. What was she doing here? Why was she tempting fate—and Rodyn—when she’d made such a point of not pushing for this in the past? Getting laid wasn’t worth risking Rodyn’s golden heart.

I’m so sorry, she said, still without looking at him. I should not have come here. This was a bad idea. I’m going to go now. I’ll come back some other time. But if you don’t want to see me again… I understand.

Towhee left without another word, nor a backward glance, trailing after Hotah deliberately slowly so that she would never quite catch up to him.