Dahozhoni Meadow cut my loosened tongue

all welcome

she is fast.

darting.

weaving in between brush and dry land. paws scraping their way across the desolate meadow. her form sleek and fast, a blur amongst the arid wind.

her tongue lolls from her mouth. panting and thirsting for brief reprieve. her lungs burn. she is running, now, not just trotting. her legs moving like well oiled machines, reaching for more and more ground with each long stride. she is cutting across the landscape, leaving nothing but dust in her wake, thick plumes that reach to the sky.

she runs.

runs from what?

haunted. they are on her trail. she must be faster.

Recyled and reworked a lonely post of mine, hope that’s cool!

They woke up to thick snowflakes tumbling from a gray sky. Towhee stepped out of the palazzo—Bushtit had wanted to spend their last night in the canyon there—and called for her son to come out and see. She watched his face closely as he examined the flurries in the air, then eyed the dusting on the ground. She expected him to find it magical; it was his first snow, after all.

-Thanks,- he signed after a moment, -I hate it. Can we go back to the desert now?-

Towhee barked out a surprised laugh, then bobbed her head. He had been begging to return to the lowlands for the past few days. She wouldn’t mind slightly warmer climes herself, especially since her bad leg had begun to bother her. She often woke up to numbness, which turned into painful tingling once she started moving. And the damn thing was stiff.

Careful not to let her child see her limping, she guided him up and out of the canyon. They moseyed through Sleepy Fox Hollow, then climbed over the crags on its western flank. When they reached the frozen creek there, Towhee asked to sit for a bit. She wanted to ice her bothersome leg, though she could think of no way to do that without calling Bushtit’s attention to it.

Soon after that, the brittle grass underfoot gave way to familiar sand and scrub. Towhee signaled Bushtit to a stop, fighting a grimace. This was as good a place as any to stop and explore at their leisure. She still hadn’t decided if they would go east afterward to check out some places neither one of them had never seen… or possibly keep going south and pay another visit at Verapaz.

Towhee didn’t realize she’d gotten lost in her thoughts until Bushtit’s flailing limbs called her attention to him. He pointed at a figure running across the meadow like a bat out of hell, kicking up literal plumes of dust in its wake. Orange eyes squinted, she shifted closer to her son.

wait—please! the figure skidded to a halt, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. her dark coat of browns and reds was streaked with dust, her long, limber legs trembling from exertion.

tamasi's tall, pointed ears flicked back as her amber eyes darted between the two strangers, lingering on the pup only briefly before focusing on the older wolf. she stayed at a healthy distance, though desperation seeped into her voice as she scrambled for words.

please, i mean no harm! she panted, her voice sharp but cracking slightly. i need to know—are there packs nearby? somewhere safe? her head whipped around, her ears twitching as though expecting pursuit.

The stranger—a lanky she-wolf with angular features and a decidedly earthy palette—made a beeline toward them. Towhee went rigid, doing a familiar shuffle as she nudged Bushtit behind her. She thought she caught a glimpse of protest but she paid him no mind, honing all her attention on the swiftly approaching figure.

She screeched to a halt, huffing and puffing. Her legs shook in a way that made Towhee’s twinge in commiseration. She ignored that too, paying close attention to the woman’s lips as she fired off a couple of desperate questions. Well, Towhee couldn’t detect her tone, though the look on her face definitely looked the part.

You’re sa— Towhee started to say, only to cut herself off when she noticed the frantic glances. Are you being chased or something? she asked, hackles prickling warily as she too began scouring their surroundings.

tamasi’s ears flicked toward the woman, but her head twisted to glance behind her, scanning the terrain for any sign of pursuit. her body was taut, trembling with exhaustion, yet her fear kept her upright. her tail lashed behind her, fur bristling in agitation as the question grated against her nerves.

does it matter? she snaps.

her amber eyes flashing back to meet towhee’s. can you help or not? her voice cracked, her breath hitching as she took a half-step back, like she was ready to bolt at the first sign of hesitation.

Uh, yeah, Towhee retorted, squinting at the ludicrous question. She gestured at her son, saying, I need to know if you’re putting my child in danger. You need to take a couple deep breaths, she added, not particularly kindly. I can’t help you if you insist on being all erratic.

“There’s a couple friendly packs that way,” Bushtit piped up from behind Towhee, pointing in the direction of the distant Moon villages.

His mother didn’t pick up on this, of course, though she sensed something and glanced backward at Bushtit. He gave her an innocent smile, falling back into deferential silence.

bushtit 4 prez

tamasi’s ears barely twitched at the woman’s words, her breathing ragged as the adrenaline thundered in her veins, drowning out everything else. her eyes darted, scanning the horizon with the frantic energy of a hunted creature. distance had been made, yet the fear lingered—would she ever truly be safe?

her focus snapped to the boy as he spoke, his words cutting through the chaos in her head. she caught the gesture, processed the direction, and without hesitation, her legs moved before her mind could catch up.

thank you! she barked over her shoulder, her voice sharp and fleeting as she bolted, kicking up plumes of dust once again. her lean frame disappeared into the distance

Ehhe, thanks for the thread!

By the time she looked forward, the woman was already on the run again. Towhee started, mouth falling open, staring after her for a beat. Then her head whipped around again to face her son, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

What just happened?

-I don’t know. That was super strange though. Who do you think she was running from?- Bushtit asked, eyes widening.

The question distracted her, prompting the Redhawk matriarch to raise her head and scope their surroundings. Everything was still. Slowly, her eyes came back to rest on Bushtit’s face.

I think she was batshit, Towhee said dismissively, but just to be safe, stay in my sight line, okay? Otherwise, feel free to explore. I need to sit down.

She waved a paw, noting her son’s brief hesitation before he pivoted and scampered off to look around the meadow. Towhee focused on maneuvering herself into a relatively comfortable position, which left her facing due north. Something glinted in the distance that way. It took her a moment to remember the lake there.

After staring at it a moment, Towhee yawned suddenly, mumbled, Make that lie down, and flumped down among the desert scrub to rest.