Redsand Canyon I killed the orchestra.

Towhee didn’t mention it to anyone right away, pondering privately. When she did decide to talk to someone about it, of course she turned to @Ruenna. What would the former Matrona think if Towhee took up her duties, if not her title? And what exactly did the role entail? After speaking with her friend, Towhee thought about telling @Maxim next, though she supposed she really ought to seek out @Germanicus first.

She hadn’t gotten around to either of those things just yet. She sent @Leona and @Jack Snipe off with their Uncle @Phox after lunch and went out on patrol. Towhee wondered if she could still do these things if she took up a permanent civilian rank. She liked to think she still had a lot to teach in the realm of a mercenary. Could that be her new forte: retiring but still teaching the next generations?

But what if @Aquene wanted it? That would mean she intended to stay in Mereo, after all. Towhee would never argue with that. She really needed to catch up with the Imperator, see if he’d caught up with their medicus yet. In the meantime, she ranged along the edges of the canyon, the July sun warm on her streaked shoulders.

Reyson was never far from the borders anymore. Unless he was on his trip. Sakina and he would embark on their journey soon enough. And he would not return for sometime. He also knew that if he wished to go any further he would need to have a time in Akashingo. He would need to talk to the leader about that soon. He had thought perhaps he wouldn't want leadership again, but it was finding him anyway. And he was a wolf of action after all.


It was on one such excursion that ice blues fell upon the she wolf Towhee. Whom he had not spoken with exactly. Sparred with certainly, but there had been no conversation. He had noticed something different about her, but what it was he couldn't tell. Which perhaps made him a bit of an idiot, but he hadn't been overly concerned. He thought perhaps she was hard of hearing, but even that he was unsure of.

So he moved so she could see him, but continued on his way. If she wished to speak with him. He would stop, but the simple fact was he wasn't sure where they stood.

She crossed paths with a fellow guardian more often than not while doing her rounds, the two of them passing with nothing more than a nod of acknowledgement. But when Towhee spotted Reyson, she made a direct approach, lips twitching into a bit of a smirk when she recalled the look on his face when she’d unleashed her kids on him the other day.

I don’t like your given name, she greeted without preamble, so I’m gonna call you Sunshine. Mind if we walk together?

They’d only had two interactions thus far, both of them telling her a little about Reyson but neither giving her a chance to really get to know him. And he’d been around long enough that, while he was no fixture, Towhee was genuinely interested in acquainting with him properly now.

Reyson was a wolf of many talents, and deep thoughts. However, a talent with children was not one he had. They scared the shit out of him, honestly. He was so certain he would break them. They were so fragile. And little and you couldn't reason with them for anything. A clear memory popped forth of the young one Cornelius and the distinct trouble Reyson had getting him to just eat like a normal wolf. Not some glutton that was starving.

Reyson stiffened at the name and swung his head towards her. And Renaud came to mind. Beautiful, lovely sunshine Renaud. He bowed his head and thought of it. The ghosts of teh past rearing their ugly head of those he lost and those he loved, and one he had called sunshine who had been the sunshine of his life. He licked his muzzle and though, he didn't know what to make of it. He nodded, though there was a sadder expression to his face. He had promised Maxim he would try and so try he did.

To you I shall be sunshine, but no one else. For that is a name of one I loved and lost. I will wear it only in given company.

He blinked and moved so she could paw step near him and still see his face. Because if she was hard of hearing like he thought she would need to read his face.

He looked at her again and took a deep breath. I owe you an apology for how we met. I realize now that I was quite rude and it was not wanted. Where I am from. The soldiers brought food to the mothers. That is what I was trying to do, but I should have been more careful about it.

He blew out a breath, that was so lengthy. He hated being so lengthy, but it was the only way to get it out. So he continued on, occasionally stopping to mark, while she worked through what he had said.

He looked a little melancholic about the name, which was kind of ironic. Y’know? Like a ray of sunshine? Towhee joked in her head. When he met her eyes, he explained the weight of the moniker. She blinked and resisted an unkind urge to roll her eyes.

In the next breath, Reyson went on to offer an apology. Although they had begun moving, Towhee paused again to clap him on the shoulder. He had meant well, she knew, and he’d owned up to his mistake and learned from it. What more could she ask for?

It’s fine, Sunshine. There’s always an adjustment period when you join a new pack. Towhee let go of him and resumed walking as she continued, Anyway, now that you’re more settled in, what do you think of the place?

Reyson was well aware that his pain did not belong to others, and many would not understand. Though Towhee seemed to accept it all the same and he nodded as they moved on.

A clap on his shoulder, and he snorted good naturedly a half lift of mouth. At least his apology had been well received, it seemed he had been unkind in his thoughts of the she wolf before him. Though, he knew it had been mostly pride, and pride could get you wounded or killed. He would need to better that.

At the first press of Sunshine, he wanted to wince, but he was fine. He would grow into it. He tilted an ear towards her, as he stopped near a bush to lift his leg. He hoped she wasn't offended by the marking while they walked.

I like it. Reminds me a bit of home. I could use more trees though. He joked quietly, though there was some seriousness to it. He loved forests and woodlands. To not have them. It hurt a little.

Were you raised here?

Not that I’m trying to get rid of you, Towhee thought aloud in response to his remark, but maybe you would like it better in the vale? They’re setting up an outpost there and could probably use the support.

While he paused to lift a leg, she took a moment to scrape her feet in the dust. She froze and bit back a laugh at Reyson’s next question, falling back into step as they resumed their slow forward march.

Oh, yeah, she fibbed, I’m actually the Imperator’s eldest daughter.

He raised a brow. But said nothing at first. He was not one to take words badly, usually.

That is where Kallik and Lady Healer Aquene is going?

He thought on it for a moment. If the imperator thinks i should, I will go

He stared at her for a moment a sly smile of amusement peppered his face. You must take after an ancestor you look nothing like him.

In reply to his question about the outpost, she merely nodded in confirmation. Her head bobbed once more to acknowledge his subsequent statement. Reyson struck her as an obedient soldier, which she knew the Imperator must appreciate.

She scoffed in mock offense at his comment about their lack of resemblance, rebutting, What do you mean? We both have black fur and orange eyes. Just ‘cause I’m bigger than him doesn’t mean he’s not still my daddy.

Towhee could only keep a straight face for maybe two seconds after that, abruptly bursting into the world’s most obnoxious laughter. She sounded a bit like a cat in heat being electrocuted.

Reyson was obedient to a fault. It actually had been an issue in the past with other's. Because regardless of how he had felt about someone he dealt out punishment his leaders felt just. Even if it killed him a little on the inside. He was a damn good soldier.

His face stayed serious as she rebutted him. Pretending to think on it. However, he was hard pressed not to chortle at her comment of him being her daddy. It just was amusing to him.

However, her laughter. Well...it was something. And he chuckled good naturedly. Glad they had broke the ice so to speak. There had been unspoken tension there, at least on Reyson's end and he was loose now. And he found her enjoyed her company. Her dry humor would take him some getting used to, but he was adaptable.

He nudged her gently with his muzzle a smile still present on his face.

It took her a moment to recover from her laughter. Just when she thought she was done, an errant thought crossed her mind: maybe Rue called Germanicus “daddy” in the privacy of the palazzo? That set her off again, until Towhee was gasping and wiping tears from her eyes.

Reyson’s nudge surprised her a little. Hiccuping herself into silence, she blinked at him, then smiled. She motioned for him to keep walking with her, their paws leaving a set of shallow prints in the dust behind them.

If you do stay in Mereo, what are your plans here? Think you’ll get hitched? Make some little Reysons? Hey, get it? I made a punny!

Not even kidding....that was my personal first thought...but i decided that Reyson would not be one to make that kind of joke at first lol

Reyson wondered what had Towhee laughing so uproariously. The joke had been funny of course, but not that funny. Perhaps, she thought of something funnier, but he couldn't really think to what. He didn't know how her mind worked.

He received a smile from his nudge, and then continued on their foray. He would occasionally stop to mark with claws, and piss and he rubbed against any branches or trees, both leaving a mark and scratching.

He chuckled at her joke, and shook his head. In case you didn't notice in the sparring pits. Little Reyson's aren't something I'm comfortable with. Perhaps someone will take my notice and my mind will change, but for now. I'm happy with my lot in life. I will watch the littles from a distance and when they are old enough to train and reason with I will help where I can.

She’d definitely noticed his aversion, though just beause he didn’t like her kids didn’t mean he wouldn’t like some of his own. With that said, Towhee took his answer at face value, bobbing her head. Honestly, they didn’t really need more pairings or pups around here anytime soon.

Mine are old enough to train, she pointed out with a smirk, but experience tells me that they’ll never be old enough to be reasoned with.

Her tail switched a few times as they plodded along. She took advantage of the brief lull in the conversation to scan their surroundings with her sharp orange eyes, rotating partly to cover the full 360°. There was nothing to see but blue skies and serene wilderness.

What about ranks? Are you a climber? Towhee asked, turning back to face forward, eyes cutting to Reyson’s features.

Reyson had never really thought of pups. He mostly stayed away, far away. They made him nervous. They couldn't be reasoned with and they were sometimes just gross.

She earned a chuckle when she spoke of not being reasoned with. I will need to take your word for that.

Reyson scoured a deep groove in the dirt his scent mingling with thr other svents on their border.

He nodded his head. I was a commander in my former pack. Though I'm also comfortable where I am. I was not expecting to be displa ed this time in life. So it's taking some adjustment.

He was a former leader too. “I was not expecting to be displaced this time in life…” Oh boy, Towhee could relate to that sentiment. It caused an errant thought to flit through her mind. She wondered how long these good times in Mereo would last before life pulled the rug out from beneath her feet yet again.

I know the feeling, she murmured, though she said nothing more, not really wanting to delve into the details or humor that train of thought any longer than necessary. But I think we’ve landed someplace solid, relatively speaking, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon…

Of course, there had been some shuffling in the ranks lately, though that was fairly expected in any pack. Towhee got lost in her thoughts for several moments, once more pondering the merits of hanging up her proverbial sword and focusing more on looking out for the civilians in whatever capacity they might need.

I need to try and find the Imperator, Towhee announced abruptly, halting. I’ll catch you later, Sunshine, she said, waving her tail and peeling off to seek out Germanicus or, failing that, mosey home to the family’s pad to ponder some more.