Sun Mote Copse World war freestyle.

I'm making a ton of assumptions, so feel free to tap me if I need to alter details!

If left to her own devices, Towhee very well may have crawled back into the grove. Being trapped there had been a nightmare, yet it turned out that escaping and leaving her family behind was worse in some ways. The separation was honestly unbearable. It turned out she would rather be stuck there with them than free without them. Having experienced both now, it distinctly felt like the lesser of two evils.

But then, the likes of @Fennec and @Rye were out here... and the choice had been taken from her anyway when she'd lost consciousness. She'd been drug back down somehow, miraculously without any further injuries, and had been convalescing in the copse ever since.

As Sugar silently went through today's assessment, Towhee lay very still, her heart and mind back with @Phox, @Figment and the rest still stuck. She had tried to get out and get help but that had backfired miserably. Now, she could barely walk for the infection in her leg. She was lucky to be alive, honestly, and owed a lot not only to her pint-sized caretaker but @Niamh, @Wraen and the other Firebirds.

Her little sister finished and tapped her shoulder to get Towhee's attention. She turned dull orange eyes in time to catch, "—fine. Are you hungry?" She shook her head and looked away a moment, then sighed and said, "But I know I should eat." When she looked toward Sugar again, the girl had gone, presumably to fetch a meal.

She'd been so close to being home.  When Towhee went, she and Wraen had followed, but after her reckless climb and hurting herself again, Fennec had been forced to follow them back here.  

She was hurt, confused, upset, and all of those things right now culminated mostly into angry.  Her mom should have gotten her, should have waited, and they could have made a plan together.  Instead she'd gone off alone, stupidly, and now both of them were still stuck here.

That's why, when she finally came to visit Towhee, there was no real joyous reunion.  Instead she stood and stared blindly at the ground while she struggled between wanting to go to her for comfort and blaming her for being upset in the first place.

A few moments passed, during which Towhee contemplated standing up and stretching her legs. She pushed herself upright, then leaned over to inspect the gash on her thigh. It was healing now, though it would leave a scar for all her trouble. With a grunt, she rose from her sit, holding her foot slightly off the ground before setting it down and gradually putting more and more weight on it. She was in the midst of this when Fen appeared.

Towhee's features instantaneously brightened and softened. "Fen!" she breathed, overjoyed to know her daughter was safely here with her. She supposed she had seen her (or at least been told about her) following her initial escape from the grove, yet she didn't remember any of that. She only remembered discovering Fen's presence in the copse after being dragged back the second time. She'd still been pretty out of it ever since then, though she'd seen that precious face pop up a time or two since then. They hadn't had much of a chance to talk though.

"C'mere," she invited, so happy to see Fen that she didn't immediately observe her child's reticent body language. "I'm so happy you're here, that you're safe. We were all so worried about you," Towhee murmured, as of yet unaware that the joyful reunion wasn't necessarily mutual.

Fennec wanted to melt as soon as Towhee spoke, there was so much warmth in her mom's voice.  When her mom invited, she longed to rush forward, but instead hung back.  Her ears tipped back, and suddenly an outburst welled up.

You should've taken me.  I could've helped, and then maybe we could've been home instead of stuck here without everyone still!  Her voice rose slowly as she built up, and by the end, it cracked a bit.  When she heard it she cut herself off, falling into a heavy silence.

Never before had her mom or dad made her feel small for being blind, and she wasn't used to it.  Her assumption was that Towhee had left her behind because she hadn't thought she could help, and that hurt more than about anything else her mom could've done.

She did not move to join her mother and, finally, Towhee took in the expression on Fen's face and the way she held herself. A wave of trepidation swept through her, barely processing before the youth's outburst. Towhee's face fell as her ears swept backward. Without being particularly aware of it, she dropped her weight back onto her haunches. She didn't blink, riveted by the unexpected words spilling from the girl's lips.

At first, she didn't understand what Fen meant at all, though once she fell silent, Towhee began to puzzle it out. There were, of course, several solid arguments why she hadn't dragged Fen to the wall with her, chief among them the fact that Towhee hadn't realized she was even here. Secondly, she never would've put her child in that kind of danger, particularly Fen because of her blindness. And then there was the fact that Towhee had been out of her damn mind. Somehow, Towhee didn't think her daughter would find any of those reasons acceptable.

"I'm sorry," was all she could think to say, her expression pinched. "I didn't think. I wasn't in my right mind. I was being a complete and total moron," Towhee added acerbically, which was true regardless of Fen's whereabouts. She felt a decided pang as she thought of their home and how it was anything but that anymore; it was a prison cell, a death trap "We'll figure out a way to get them out," she said in the next breath, which shivered out of her. How desperately she wished Fen would just come here.

As she stood there, Fennec could feel herself starting to shake.  These last few months had been awful, some of the worst ever, and now here she finally was.  As soon as the apology came out, Fennec folded.  She bounded forward and ran directly into her mom, allowing her momentum to find her and bury her in a much needed hug.

Forgetting about Towhee's hearing, Fennec started babbling into her.  I couldn't find you or where I was and I was so scared, and then when I finally did I couldn't even go home, and then you left and...  I'm sorryyyyy she trailed off into a soft wail as she mashed her face into her mom's soft fur and shook violently against her with sobs.

She must've said something right, because soon Fen had thrust herself into Towhee's arms. Although the movement jarred her broken body, the Kilonova didn't hesitate to stretch upward to sling her forelegs around Fen's slim, cream-colored shoulders. Towhee drew her daughter against her chest, which hitched. She felt tears prick her eyes and begin trekking down her cheeks, just as she felt the vibrations of Fen's voice thrumming. All Towhee could do was bend her head and snuffle at the girl's forehead and cheeks, then grasp her all the tighter when she sensed the telltale sobs.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Towhee said, rocking Fen slightly, sliding her muzzle along the velveteen fur between the youth's ears, then smoothing it back down where she'd mussed it. "I missed you so much." She let out a harsh breath, still clutching Fen, as the hot tears continued sliding down her face. "I wish I could take you to your dad and your brother. They'd love to see you and know you're all right too." The "but..." went unspoken because, as yet, Towhee hadn't figured out a way to rescue them.

Fennec allowed herself to be held there for a while as she let out the stress and fear of their time apart.  She cuddled in to Towhee's attention and soothing voice until the shaking slowed.

Finally, she turned around, putting a regretful bit of distance between them as she remembered that Towhee needed to see her speaking.

We have to get them out, she said quietly.  Is it really that bad?  Wraen and others had told her, over and over again, but it was hard to believe there was no way through.

In order to sustain a conversation, they needed to pull apart. Towhee did not protest as Fen slid away from her, though she gave her a tight squeeze before letting her drift back. She only went far enough to let her mother read her lips, pausing at the perfect distance despite her lack of sight. Towhee's lips twitched into a faint smile.

It slipped at Fen's words. She agreed, of course, though her own endeavors had proved it was much easier said than done. In response to her daughter's question, Towhee slowly heaved onto all fours and turned her hip toward her daughter. She stopped just short of nudging her with it.

"Reach out and you'll feel how bad it is," Towhee murmured, wanting Fen to understand the serious danger of the situation, not to mention the consequences of taking risks. "Luckily, this was already my bad leg," she quipped dryly.

Fennec only had to give the lightest of exploratory touches to know the extent, and she could smell the coppery blood clearly.  Her nose wrinkled slightly when she caught a twinge of wrongness... the tinge of a fading infection.  Luckily it was slight.

The shakes did that?  Her ears tipped back nervously. Had the ground pulled up and attacked her?  Fennec had pictured it when she felt the earth buckle, monsters tearing through beneath her paws.  Now, feeling that, it didn't seem as far off as she'd imagined.

Towhee felt her insides clench a little at Fen's question. She wanted to spare her daughter the details, yet she knew the growing girl could handle the truth. And she owed her that much, especially since it concerned the rest of their family.

"I did take some hard knocks during the landslide. I was trapped underneath it for a few days," Towhee explained slowly, "but I felt better after a few weeks, physically, at least. It was very hard, mentally, being trapped. I was desperate to get out, to get everyone out. So I did something asinine: I climbed the wall on my own and ended up with this for my trouble." She shifted her hip, aware that Fen couldn't see it, though certainly she could piece it together.

Towhee sat again, heavily. "The rock wall is slippery, steep and all kinds of dangerous. I'm lucky I didn't get myself killed. I was being a moron," she emphasized in sober tones. "It may come down to everyone taking the risk and making that climb... but I'm hoping there's another solution, somehow. I just don't know what it is yet." And that there was the rub.

Oh.  With very little frame of reference, it was hard for Fennec to picture what Towhee was talking about going through, but it sounded tough.  She had needed in her own travels to climb, and fortunately the woman who saved her had walked her through the steps.  None of those likely compared, however.

She felt her hopes fall a little more with Towhee's final statement.  If she didn't even know what to do, then how would they get out?

I'm going next time, she stated, in a tone that made it clear she was saying and not asking.  Even if I probably can't help.  The second statement had a hint of something behind it, but she kept her head up, and her sightless eyes stared past Towhee determined.

Fen may not have come from Towhee's womb, yet she felt a strong maternal instinct nonetheless when her daughter insisted she would be going next time. The Kilonova bit her tongue against refuting her; she didn't have the heart and didn't feel the need to stomp on Fen's hopes just now. When the time came, Towhee would figure out what to do and how Fen could contribute.

"While we work on coming up with a plan, I could really use your help," the mother confessed, smiling softly even though Fen couldn't see it. "Just having you here, it's good for me. I swear, I can feel myself healing faster than before," she quipped with a light laugh. "Will you tell me about what happened to you? Where you've been and what you've been doing?"

Fennec was in an odd spot when Towhee asked.  On the one hand, she'd really wanted to talk about it, because she needed to.  But on the other, admitting it was a lot.  So, after she was silent a moment, she led with a condition.

Don't tell Fig, okay?  She asked, uncharacteristically hesitant about it for a moment.  When she got into the actual happenings, though, it was almost easier.  Her mom could know this; her brother, not so much.

I felt the earth move and I didn't know what it was, so I ran.  I couldn't tell where it was coming from, but I ended up lost.  I didn't remember where I went.  Usually she did, and now she did even more than ever.  She never wanted to go through that again.  I couldn't catch anything, or find water.  At that, her ears pressed sideways, ashamed.  That was the worst part, the part she didn't want Fig to know about.  To him, she just wanted it known that she'd gone on an adventure, and now was (thankfully) back.  Just like his trips with dad.

I just remember getting really tired, and then I don't.  Not until I woke up and there was another wolf there.  She was looking for someone, so she wouldn't take me home, but then we met Wraen.  Again, thankfully.  

After that she stopped talking, and her ears twisted back around, listening for any sign of a response from Towhee.  She wasn't sure what to expect, but she didn't imagine the story would give much by way of pride.  But that was okay.  She was going to learn, and next time she wouldn't need anyone's help.  If she had to leave again, this time she'd be sure she knew exactly what to do.

Towhee paused at Fen's condition, a pang hitting her square in the chest when she realized that telling Fig simply wasn't an option. She nodded nonetheless, before remembering herself and offering a quiet, "Of course," before falling silent and letting her daughter speak.

Her eyes remained riveted on Fen's lips as she took in every word. She felt another lurch in her chest, too easily imagining her daughter's strife. She wanted to grab onto her again and simply hold her close. Fen could've died as a result of her frantic flight and the subsequent separation, so Towhee was incredibly glad for the faceless stranger who'd intercepted her wayward daughter. And, of course, she was grateful to Wraen for sheltering her.

"Who was the other wolf, the one who helped you?" Towhee wondered. Despite telling herself to stay put to read Fen's lips, she couldn't resist the urge to move in a little closer, pressing her shoulder against the girl's. I'm here to support you, the gentle touch said.

Towhee's touch brought Fennec a little more to herself, and while she appreciated it, she decided that it was time to lighten a bit.  Thinking about how terrible it had been, and how alone and helpless she had felt, just made her even more upset at how little she had been able to do.  She didn't like the way it made her feel about herself.

Rosalyn.  She was a bitch. Fennec said, flat outright, but with a small smile.  She knew her mom wouldn't mind the language.  But she let me follow her.  She'd been looking for her family, and had made it pretty clear how useless she thought Fenn was, but she'd saved her life without a doubt. So there was no way Fennec didn't appreciate it.

The girl's remark caught Towhee by surprise, eliciting a huff of laughter that her bruised rib didn't appreciate much. "Well," she drawled after recovering from the momentary jolt of amusement and pain, "I'm glad she was there to help you." She fell silent, chewing on the name for a moment, wondering if she knew it. If she did, she couldn't place it currently. But she had hit her head...

"Once I'm able to move around more freely, I'd love it if you and I could come up with some ways to give back, since the Firebirds have looked after us. What do you think?" Towhee said, changing the subject to the future rather than the past. It was incredibly cheesy, yet all the same, she felt a flash of gratitude that they both had a future, after everything they'd been through.

Then that feeling passed and Towhee started abruptly. "Wait, Rosalyn?! Like short for Roz?" Well, that made no damn sense. "I think I know her!" The surprise of her sudden recollection lit up her face before she exclaimed, "Well, I'll be damned."

Sure. Fennec didn't really feel too much obligation to help them out, but if Towhee wanted her to, she would.  She didn't want to not help, per say... she just, in terms of wanting to do things, didn't consider them taking her in as a reason to do it.  

She didn't know about Roz since the woman hadn't given her a nickname, but it seemed likely enough.  She talked kinda weird, and her voice wasn't like anyone's here.  She'd been way more abrupt and dismissive than anyone Fennec had really heard speak around home.  

Bronco and Wraen said I should try and find a trade.  But everyone keeps saying storytelling or healing or plants.  Her nose wrinkled on the last one.  Sugar does those I think.  But it sounds awful.  Gathering plants all day sounded boring compared to everything else, and easier too.  Which was why she figured they'd offered her those suggestions; they took less skill.  She didn't like that one bit.

Whether or not it was the same wolf Towhee had known briefly (and what felt like many lifetimes ago), she sent up a silent thanks before refocusing on the conversation at hand. Others had encouraged Fen to pursue a trade, though it sounded like she didn't appreciate being boxed in by their suggestions. Towhee's nostrils flared a little on her daughter's behalf, though she knew these pointers had surely come from a good place.

"You can do anything you want," Towhee insisted, aware that some trades would be nearly impossible for the blind youth to master but seeing no reason she shouldn't try if that's what she wanted to do. "You should join me on some patrols once I'm on my feet again. This is our home for the time-being and I want to help protect it. Plus, it'll be kind of nice to have proper borders to walk again. Never thought I'd miss the rounds, but I do." The pass had made things simpler, certainly, but Towhee knew now that such an arrangement was as much a curse as a blessing.

The slight, assertive intonation in Towhee's normally flat tone matched Fennec's feelings, and she suddenly felt better about it.  Towhee wasn't telling her she couldn't do other things, and who knew, maybe she'd come to be better at them.

Yeah.  I've been going around a little, but Sugar talks a lot. This wasn't a bad thing, but she liked patrols with Towhee sometimes because talking wasn't even an option mostly.  To talk to her you had to stop.  It let her get a real feel for the sounds of the place.

Did you live here, before? Fennec asked, somewhat suddenly.  It seemed like they knew a lot of wolves here, who in turn knew a lot of others, and she still wasn't exactly sure how all these packs tied together.

"She does," Towhee agreed, chuckling. She owed a lot—maybe even her life—to Sugar, as well as Eljay. She hoped she could one day make it up to them personally, even if Towhee wasn't particularly close to either one of them otherwise. That could always change too.

She shook her head at Fen's question, remembering to say aloud, "No, although the Firebirds has always been our sister pack. My older sister—your Aunt Wildfire—founded it. She's since passed away. I wasn't as close to her as I was to Raven, though I wish you could've met and gotten to know them both better."

Before either one of them could say any more on the matter, Sugar reappeared. "Well, speak of the devil," Towhee couldn't resist quipping, offering a wan smile and a, "Thank you, Sugar," when the youngster dropped a lean hare at her feet before offering a greeting to both mother and daughter.

"Want some?" Towhee said to Fen, nudging the carcass toward her daughter. She still didn't have much of an appetite.

Fennec had no idea who these wolves were that Towhee spoke of, but she "yeah"'d in that way you do when someone says "I wish you could meet them" and you don't really know to feel the same about a stranger.  Sure, I guess.

Fennec didn't smell what it was at first and had to move closer to gain an experimental sniff.  She took one, then shook her head.  Already ate, she lied.  For some reason, though she felt hungry, the thought of eating it turned her stomach.  She'd noticed it occasionally ever since coming here,  though when she was by herself it was easier to force herself to eat anyway.  No one to throw up in front of.

Fen declined the offer of food and Towhee glanced a little guiltily in Sugar's direction. But her sister had already turned and departed again, probably to give mother and daughter some time to catch up. Orange eyes followed her backside until she disappeared into the trees.

"I'm not hungry either," she admitted, pushing the food aside, "but I am tired, so I'm going to lie down for a while. I'd love it if you joined me." Keeping her eyes peeled for an answer, she gingerly lowered herself to the ground with a thump, letting out a sigh as her chin dropped on top of the dead rabbit. It would make a good pillow until she was ready to eat it.

Okay.  A nap sounded nice, and she didn't really have anything better to do.  Aside from that, it had been a long while since she'd gotten to snug up with family.  She'd been on her own for the most part in the Firebirds claim, unwilling to push herself into Finley and Elwood's space, and having Towhee at her back again felt like home.

She pressed into her mom and curled up.  She was near adult size at this point, but slender, and she snuggled her head up near Towhee's neck with a contented sigh.  It wasn't the same without dad and Fig, but it was enough.