Redhawk Caldera I'll interrogate the cat.

Hoping for one (or more) of the newcomers?! :)

She had made an effort with Gannet but Towhee wasn't ready to try with any of the latest batch of outsiders yet. She barely spent any time near the rendezvous site lately, instead hanging around the borders and performing patrol after patrol. Despite how boring and repetitive it could get, she never really tired of her circuits. They were a constructive use of her time, not to mention grounding when her thoughts and feelings were in such flux over recent events.

She was just curving along the northeastern stretch of the borders when she decided to stop for a break. It was only mid-May but the sun was beating down relentlessly, so her tongue lolled from her mouth as she sought some shade. Dropping to her hip beneath a small copse of trees, she scanned along the boundary line and squinted at the steppes and mesa in the distance.

Some other wolf might have felt an urge to explore these distant destinations, yet they scarcely held Towhee's interest for long. She dropped her eyes and began to nibble at an itch on her black hide before sighing and easing into a sphinx-like position. She could use a drink but, right now, she just wanted to sit still for a couple of minutes.

Hope you don't mind me! Newcomers are still welcome to join us! :D

Although he hadn't broached the topic with her specifically, Elwood was keenly aware of Towhee's feelings towards the "outsiders" from Broken Antler Fen. He didn't need to explain himself to his goddaughter -- as Finley surely reminded him multiple times, being of tougher skin than he was -- but he still felt like he owed her some kind of clarification. However, it wasn't something he was necessarily looking forward to.

So he wasn't avoiding her, but he wasn't seeking her out, either. They both spent a lot of time near the borders, though, so when he spotted her dark figure at a distance he headed towards her. As he approached, she reached around to take care of an itch, then slid onto her belly, looking relatively relaxed under the warm spring sun. He chuffed under his breath despite the fact that she couldn't hear him, and paused a few feet away, squinting into the daylight as he gazed out at the unclaimed land that sprawled before him.

She noticed her uncle long before he closed in on her position, largely ignoring him not out of coldness but simply because communication was much easier up close. When he finally came within range, Towhee looked up at him and thumped her tail exactly twice against the dry grass and unknowingly echoed his low woof. She considered sitting up but decided she was currently too comfy (and lazy) to move.

"Hi, Uncle Elwood," she said. Her orange eyes scanned him from head to toe, reading him. "What is it?" she asked, sensing there was something he wanted to say.

Once his gaze had swept over the still terrain in the distance, Elwood sidled closer and assumed a position similar to Towhee's. He lowered himself first onto his haunches, then let his forelegs splay out in front of him so that he rested on his belly. At the same time, Towhee broke the silence, and the sound of her speech made him smile. Despite her handicap, she was growing into an intelligent, determined, and dedicated young wolf.

"Nothing," he replied, because truthfully, it was nothing, in a sense. But the deaf child was particularly perceptive, so he knew that she was aware there was something in the back of his mind. He cast a sidelong glance at her and said, "How are you doing with all the new outsiders?" He didn't normally refer to them as such -- especially because he considered Sebastian to be a good friend -- but sought to make a connection with her by using her preferred terminology.

"Nothing," he said and her brows lifted curiously, then dropped, accepting this at face value. Except that he continued speaking. Towhee had been about to glance away but returned her eyes to his mouth as he spoke. She felt herself stiffen at the leading question. She shifted her weight from her hip to her middle, sitting up straighter, face pensive as she tried to figure out how to answer.

"I'm ignoring them," she answered baldly (and honestly). Beyond the contemptuous glare she had given the lot of them upon their arrival, she hadn't even really seen any of them since. She had smelled them around, of course, but she hadn't really crossed their paths. "I'm not comfortable with them," she added, because her godfather had told her she shouldn't do anything that made her uncomfortable. And she had kept up her end of the deal too: she hadn't been harsh with any of the newcomers, just avoidant.

Her answer was blunt and truthful, and Elwood actively worked to stop his lips from twitching into a smile. She was doing exactly what he had asked; she didn't have to trip over herself trying to get acquainted with the newcomers, but she at least had to tolerate them. And that could include ignoring them and giving them a wide berth, if that was what made her feel comfortable.

He nodded. "That's fine," he said, kneading his toes in the grass in front of him. "Can I tell you a little bit about Sebastian?" he asked. Even if he wasn't able to change her mind about them, he could at least help her get to know them without forcing her outside of her comfort zone.

She wasn't sure how he would respond to this information and Towhee couldn't help but feel a little defensive. But her uncle quickly informed her that her approach was fine and she felt herself relax a little. He offered to tell her more about Sebastian, which caused her features to screw into a sour expression, not necessarily because Sebastian was an outsider but because the name didn't ring any bells at all. But then it all clicked in her head.

Towhee didn't answer right away. Why should she want to know about Sebastian or any of them? Were they family? She was pretty sure they weren't. Her lips pursed. Truthfully, she was indifferent. But Uncle Elwood seemed so determined to get her to accept these outsiders. And she wanted to be true to herself but she also knew about compromise. Would it really hurt to give her godfather a few moments to make his case or whatever he was attempting to mediate?

-Sure,- she replied at length, shrugging to show she wasn't really into it but wanted to humor her Alpha.

I had to dig through some old threads for this reply!

Although Towhee's response was somewhat lackluster, she still agreed to hear him out. Elwood was pleased and, licking his lips, he thought back to the first time he met Sebastian. They had hunted together, and Elwood had been impressed by Sebastian's skills. "He lived here once before. He joined our pack a few years ago, and he was young and ambitious. He was working to become a medic while he was with us," he said, reflecting on the past. It was hard to believe that he had met Sebastian two whole years ago; how time seemed to be slipping through his fingers.

"He became close friends with Aunt Fin's sister, and when she passed away unexpectedly, he was there to help us bury her." In fact, he had been the one to bring Tiger's body home. "And when he left the caldera a short time later, he was on good terms with your parents." If he recalled correctly, the former Alphas hadn't been thrilled with Sebastian's departure, but he had gone about it in a way that they approved of. He had spoken with Peregrine before leaving, rather than vanishing without a word.

Right off the bat, Elwood mentioned something that piqued her interest in spite of herself. Sebastian had lived here previously? Towhee didn't know whether to place this fact in the "pros" or "cons" column, really, but she filed it away as an important piece of information nonetheless. In her momentary processing state, she missed a couple of words—the mention of Sebastian's interest in obtaining the medic trade—but when her orange eyes refocused on her uncle's lips, they widened a bit to hear that Sebastian had been involved with Finley's sister. Before Towhee could wonder where said sister was now, her godfather revealed that she had passed away. Sebastian had evidently helped with her final arrangements before leaving the pack on good terms.

Towhee took a few moments to turn this information over in her head. She felt a little pity about her unknown aunt and Sebastian's loss but otherwise she wasn't particularly moved. Why had he left? And why had he come back with an entire pack with him? Why didn't they just find their own territory? Why did they need to invade the caldera like this?

She knew better than to press her uncle about these matters, so Towhee compressed all of her concerns into a single, more palatable inquiry: -Why did they come here—back here in Sebastian's case?-

Rather than forge ahead with his reflecting, Elwood paused long enough to give Towhee time to process what he had said. He was used to waiting, since her impairment required that she read his lips, but he also wanted her to have time to think about and ask any questions she might have about Sebastian. She took advantage of the time given, and when she did reply, it was in sign language.

He furrowed his brow slightly, not because he was annoyed or upset by her question, but because it took him a moment longer to interpret what she said. "Why did he come back?" he asked, to clarify her query, and when she presumably nodded he obliged her with a response. "Well, Sebastian started his own family after he left here. He founded a pack; all those wolves he brought with him. And when they got here, he said that it was because the water in their territory was contaminated -- it was making them sick," he explained.

"But he chose to come here instead of somewhere else because it was his home before," he added.

She nodded perfunctorily, gnawing pensively at her lip as Elwood explained. It did make sense, she could admit to herself. However, she still had many questions and reservations. Towhee would never be won over overnight.

-Why didn't they just find a new territory of their own?- she wondered. -Now the pack is full of wolves I can't even really talk to.- She hadn't really meant to say that last bit; it just sort of slipped out. And once it did, she was suddenly on a roll. -It's not fair. You can talk to them easily. And so can everyone else. But I can't. It's hard and frustrating. And I feel like nobody thinks about that, they just get mad at me for not being welcoming.- Towhee bit her lip at the end to stop herself and also because she knew she was edging into accusation.

She drew in a steadying breath, preparing to apologize if that's what her godfather wanted. But she couldn't quite bring herself to regret it, after she realized she felt a little lighter for having put that out there.

Kind of assumed she was signing quickly -- if that's not what you intended, let me know and I'll edit! :)

Elwood carefully "listened" as Towhee asked another question, this one just as valid as the previous one. But before he had a chance to answer, she continued signing busily; and Elwood would be lying if he said he understood what she was trying to convey. Her agitation translated into a flurry of rapid gestures, and he held up a forepaw, shaking his head.

"Hang on -- hang on," he said, though not unkindly. He gave her a sheepish smile. "Can you slow down? I'm still not as fluent as Aunt Fin, and I want to understand you," he said earnestly, coupling his request with the sign for "please."

That works perfectly! :D

She was usually infinitely patient when asked to repeat herself or sign more slowly, especially with loved ones. But considering her little rant, Towhee was suddenly beside herself. It wasn't anger that suddenly washed over her but instead a deep sense of dismay. She tried to bite her lip but it escaped, quivering, as suddenly large tears wobbled in her brassy eyes.

Blinking furiously, Towhee shook her head. "Never mind," she said aloud, breathing a little heavily as she continued to fight the urge to burst into tears. "Can we just go patrol?" Without waiting for an answer, the Xi swept to her feet. She did not look at her uncle as she waited, instead peering stoically at the horizon, eyes still shimmering.

Elwood was surprised when, rather than repeat herself, Towhee suddenly became uncharacteristically emotional. Even as she blinked and stood, he could see the tears that sprung to her eyes. She brushed the clarification aside and suggested a patrol, though the strained quality of her voice -- coupled with her abrupt mood swing -- left her godfather gazing after her with his mouth slightly agape.

"Wait," he said, taking to his feet as well. He reached out to touch her shoulder with his nose, his brow wrinkling with concern. "Towhee," he said, signing her name simultaneously. "What's wrong?" He didn't intend to let her go anywhere until he figured out what the problem was, and while his feathers were typically hard to ruffle, he wasn't sure what had caused her upset and felt like he was treading on unfamiliar territory.

She could see Elwood's movements out of the corner of her eye but she did not turn to look at him, despite the overwhelming urge, and so she did not hear his utterance of, "Wait." Only when she felt his cool nose touch her shoulder did Towhee slowly, reluctantly, turn to face him. Somehow, she had managed to school her expression into a cool blankness, though there was still hurt swimming in her orange eyes.

She almost brushed it off again but, at the last second, sighed lengthily instead. -It gets to me sometimes, not being able to communicate as easily as everyone else,- she signed slowly. -Nobody understands what it's like.- Even as the motioned the words, she felt a deep sadness in the pit of her belly. Her impairment almost never bothered her—and on the rare occasion it did, it passed quickly—but on rare moments like these, Towhee felt strangely isolated from even her closest loved ones.

-Can we patrol now? Please?- she requested again after a beat, fidgeting.

Though she shifted back to face him, there was a reluctance in Towhee's gaze that spoke volumes. Elwood was fairly certain that she wouldn't be willing to explain what was bothering her, but after a long moment, she exhaled heavily and signed at a pace that he could easily interpret. There were still missing pieces on his end, but he was able to understand the gist of what she was saying.

He frowned deeply, feeling her pain as though it was his own. Despite the fact that she clearly wanted to drop the subject and move on to a patrol, which required less verbalization and emotion, he wasn't going to let her go just yet. He shook his head. -No,- he gestured carefully. The next few signs were painstakingly slow, but he felt the need to use his body language rather than his words. He had the feeling that it wasn't his own misunderstanding that had upset her. -It gets Elwood too, when Elwood can't talk to Towhee,- he said, and it was true; he hated not being able to carry on a conversation easily with her. It wasn't her fault, but it wasn't his, either.

-Elwood understands. Elwood helps Towhee talk to outsiders?- He raised his brows questioningly, hoping that she would understand his meaning. While he certainly wasn't the most fluent wolf in the pack -- he had said so himself -- he would go to any lengths to help Towhee communicate with the newcomers. -Elwood learn more sign language,- he added with a half-smile.

He rejected her plea and Towhee stood there, stone-faced, though her eyes followed her uncle's every movement of lip and limb. She appreciated the sentiment and the fact that he was trying to sympathize, yet he would never understand what it was like, not really. The same went for the wolves who better understood ptero, like Phox and Raven. No one could ever know how it felt, save perhaps for another deaf wolf.

He offered to translate for her, which was something her siblings could do for her, though Towhee didn't want to overlook the effort he was trying to make. -Maybe,- she signed. That wasn't her only qualm with outsiders but perhaps it might help her accept the status quo: they lived here now and were a part of her life. -But, please, Uncle Elwood, can we patrol now?-

You can post again or archive, if that's a good stopping place for you!

She seemed to accept his offer, though reluctantly, and she followed up her agreement with another request to drop the subject and do something more productive. Recognizing that he likely wouldn't be able to continue the conversation any further at this point, Elwood relented with a nod of his head.

-Yes,- he signed, then added, "Let's go." He gestured for Towhee to take the lead, and while he didn't speak any more on the subject, his mind was still full of thoughts of his goddaughter's relationship with the "outsiders."

She let out a breath of relief when he agreed to drop the subject and resume a patrol. Towhee rose to her feet and peered off to the west, eyeballing the wide open spaces at the caldera's foot. She was halfway hoping for something or someone to turn up to further distract them but all was quiet and motionless along the western front. Biting back a small sigh, the Xi glanced at her uncle and began to plod forward. She stayed a little bit ahead of him, which made conversation rather impossible.

The sun beat down relentlessly and she soon realized she had never gotten that drink. Ever faithful to the important task at hand, Towhee led Elwood around the remainder of the borderline before breaking rank and heading deeper into the territory. -Need a drink,- she explained, simply making the sign for "thirsty." By now, their earlier conversation had dropped to the back of her mind, so her body language was inviting. -Coming?- she added with a small twitch of her lips before beginning the uphill lope.