Heron Lake Plateau A shadow moves, a renegade, all broken and bright.

Not long after her return and the impromptu assembly at the borders, Towhee trailed @Raven back to the new mother's den site. She didn't deign to enter, instead coming to a halt outside while her sister checked on her newborns. While she waited, the Beta gently shrugged X off her shoulder and signed for him to stay close. She then stretched out in the dirt, idly sniffing around as her orange eyes lingered on the den's mouth.

When the Alpha reemerged, Towhee held out her right foreleg. "I sprained it smashing Screech in the face," she said, a look of grim satisfaction on her face. "Totally worth it," her expression said. "I also have some scratches on my back. I had Niamh clean them so I'm sure they're fine, though I figure you'll want to have a look. He's dead," she concluded, ears momentarily shifting backward as if leering at the memory of her disowned brother before blinking back to the present and inquiring, "How're they...?" Her eyes drifted back toward the den.

After getting Caiaphas and her family settled in, Raven made her way back to her densite with haste, worry nagging at her over the condition of her sister and Niamh. She had only gotten the most basic information -- that Screech was dead -- but she needed to hear the rest. After checking in with @Quixote, who'd been on Dad Duty^TM for the past hour, she emerged from the den and approached Towhee.

She had a sprained leg and an assortment of scratches on her back, and a quick examination revealed that Niamh had done a pretty decent job of cleaning them. She nevertheless cleaned them some more herself, her tongue washing out any dirt and hair that had accumulated since their initial cleaning. -"There isn't much I can do for a sprain, other than recommend that you take it easy until it heals,"- she said when she was finished dealing with the cuts. -"If it pains you too much, though, I do have something I can give you to help with that."-

Towhee asked about the puppies and Raven, with a glance back at the den and a soft sigh, shrugged a little uncertainly. -"They're doing okay, all things considered. Kite, though...I wonder. She's very shaky and unsteady on her feet. I fear Screech may have done some damage to her in the womb."- She looked solemnly at Towhee then, golden eyes meeting her sister's molten ember gaze and so full of gratitude that it suffused the rest of her demeanor and body language as well. -"Thank you,"- she told her, trusting that Towhee would know exactly what she meant.

When her sister offered pain relievers, Towhee simply shook her head. Although she knew the merits of medicine, she also knew she would rather tough it out than take anything that might impede her in any way. Besides, her leg didn't bother her much, as long as she kept most of her weight off it. And because of how much ptero she used while still maintaing a quadrupedal lifestyle, she was pretty good at balancing on only three legs.

Speaking of balance, Raven's description of Kite's ailments caused the Beta's teeth to clench so tightly there was an audible creak. She felt a flash of deepest loathing for Screech. Towhee didn't trust herself to speak for a moment, letting the anger burn through her and simmer somewhat.

"I also wanted to mention that Niamh saved my life," Towhee said when she found her voice again, "and X's too. It's probably best if I don't get into the details. You'd probably lose sleep and you've lost enough of that already." She nodded toward the den, a little smile curving her lips. "But I wanted you to know that she went way above and beyond the call of duty, and she deserves some kudos for that."

Sorry my vacation held this up for so long!

Raven wasn't surprised that her sister refused medication. Raven's drug of choice for pain was poppy seed, and it came with a host of consciousness-altering side effects. She knew that Towhee's sense of duty and strength of will would prohibit her from taking anything that might affect her thus, and the healer refrained from insisting. She noticed the blackening of her sister's expression at the mention of Kite's condition, and felt heartened by the beta's loyalty to her and the Redhawks' newest generation. She knew that as long as Towhee stood between those puppies and whatever forces might threaten their well-being — even if she could only stand on three legs — they would be protected.

The tidings of Niamh's role in saving the lives of both Towhee and X was met with interest, and Raven mentally added another tickmark next to all the things she liked about the butterscotch girl. Since the day she'd arrived, Niamh had comported herself with dignity, dedication, and respect. And with the exception of her short-lived feud with Ceara, she had lived peaceably within their ranks and proven herself to be a fantastically capable pack member. Raven had already had some ideas about Niamh's future in their pack, and these most recent events only added fuel to her consideration. "You know," she told her sister, sitting down when she was finished fussing over Towhee's injuries. "I've been talking with @Quixote, and we're thinking of promoting her to leadership. How would you feel about that?"

No apologies necessary! <3

Her sister's suggestion took her by surprise, if only because she'd always assumed the final leader would be male simply for tradition's sake. She wasn't sure how it'd work—would Niamh be a Beta too? Or would they arrange it some other way?—but Towhee didn't much care about those meaningless details. Without hesitation, she replied, "I support it wholeheartedly," before pausing and quipping, "Motion passed by majority vote." Of course, Quixote would get a say and his carried more weight than her own these days. But the entire notion pleased her immensely and it meant a lot that Raven would consult with her.

That actually prompted the second-in-command to ask a question. "How're you two holding up, by the way? With being Alphas? And mates? And parents?" It was a hell of a lot of responsibility and Towhee knew Raven would show grace under pressure. But how was she feeling, now that she'd had time to settle into at least two of those three new roles? Quixote too?

She had expected Towhee would approve of the idea, for she knew of the friendship that had blossomed between her sister and Niamh, but the beta's answer pleased her nonetheless. She smiled and nodded, making a note to bring it up with Quixote so they could make the final decision together and then inform Niamh. The honey-colored girl was young and still had some learning and maturing to do, but she had already come a long way in her time with the Redhawks and she showed a lot of promise. As far as learning to be a leader, well...they were all sort of figuring out that part together, so Niamh would fit right in.

On the subject of leadership, and the other major milestones Raven had reached in her life, Towhee inquired as to how they were adjusting to it and the alpha shrugged. "Well enough, I guess," she grinned. "Having a mate is different and we're both still getting used to it, but it's...wonderful, honestly. And the kids are great. Reminds me of when you were that age." She grinned, her tail flipping to and fro behind her on the ground. She loved being a mom, and Towhee's litter had been her first foray into the world of childrearing. She liked to think she'd done a fairly good job, regardless of how Screech had turned out. "We're still figuring out the alpha thing. Since the pack hasn't burned down yet, though, I guess that's a sign we're doing something right." Her grin widened as a humorous gleam twinkled in her eye. Maybe Aunt Flea hadn't had any faith in Raven's ability to lead, but with each passing day, the sable healer's confidence in herself and her abilities as an alpha grew.

Towhee listened to her sister's self-assessment, trying to suppress the smug smile that wanted to blossom on her face, or at least make it less self-congratulatory. She had been right to put Raven (and, by proxy, Quixote) in charge. Time had showed them that. And Towhee was rather enjoying life as second-in-command. It suited her better.

"I think you need to give yourselves more credit, Rave," she said. "I know you never aspired to lead, maybe never even considered yourself eligible. But look at you now. You've proved yourself wrong... and me right." Now she let that self-satisfied look take over her face, though only for a beat before her gaze grew more serious once more. "Truly, though, you've proved yourself the new matriarch of the Redhawks."

She glanced at the mouth of the den, then back to her sister and found herself musing aloud, "Won't Niamh be the first non-Blackthorn, non-Redhawk leader in... ever?" Towhee paged through the history book in her head. The pack had been founded by Peregrine and Fox, with Finley and Elwood quickly assuming the Beta roles. When their parents had passed away, their godparents had stepped up to the plate, pulling up Towhee eventually. "Maybe we should force her to take the Redhawk name, you know, for consistency's sake," she quipped.

Raven grinned at her sister's words, a touch embarrassed (but mostly flattered and, admittedly, a little proud) at the beta's comments. She and Quixote had done a pretty good job running the show so far, though she couldn't take all the credit for it. Towhee was a great assistant, and they'd had plenty of help from many of the lower-ranked wolves in their pack as well. Niamh and Ceara in particular, along with Tegan and Colt. Even @Eljay had been a blessing since the arrival of the puppies, lending his puppysitting skills to her whenever she needed a break from the demands of motherhood to go attend to the demands of leadership. The waving of Raven's tail and the expression on her face made it clear to Towhee how her words had been received.

To her sister's comment about forcing Niamh to take the Redhawk name, the alpha chuckled. "No need to force it. Considering the limited choice of eligible bachelors in this pack, if and when she chooses a mate, she'll likely end up a Redhawk or a Blackthorn eventually." Luckily for her, Raven had managed to snag up one of the few non-Blackthorn males they'd had. She'd chosen to keep her surname though -- it was far too much a part of her identity for her to change it. Besides, how could the matriarch of the Redhawks not be a Redhawk?

"Touché," Towhee replied, musing momentarily. She knew Niamh had crushed on Quixote previously and that she'd also been fond of Screech once upon a time. The Beta suppressed a shudder even as she hoped her Person would exercise better judgment about potential beaus in future.

"Can I take a peek?" she wondered in the next moment, eyeballing the nearby den mouth. They were still fairly fresh out of the womb, so the Beta wouldn't hold it against Raven if she'd prefer she kept her distance for now. But with Screech gone and Niamh on deck for leadership, Towhee allowed herself to feel uplifted and seeing her brand new nieces and nephews would be the icing on the cake.

Lmao @ your avatar! XD

Raven grinned at her sister's request, her tail waving behind her. "You don't have to ask," she answered, nudging her sister lightly beneath her chin. "Of course you can." Towhee had been instrumental in ensuring that more of her pups weren't endangered by Screech's continued presence in the pack, and the beta continued to show her support and dedication on a daily basis. Raven could think of few other wolves who were as welcome into her den as Towhee was, and as far as she was concerned, the beta had a standing welcome anytime she wanted to visit.

Ha, Meebee made it! I think I'll fade this, if that's cool?

Towhee offered an ingratiating smile when her sister openly invited her to visit the newborns. "Thanks," she said simply, giving the Alpha female's cheek a lick before rising and shuffling toward the den. She kept her bad leg lifted slightly off the ground, though she barely noticed the pain; same with the wounds on her back. All her attention was focused forward as she ducked into the gloomy interior and grinned down to sign, -Hello there,- to the newest members of the Redhawks family.