Redhawk Caldera Now if you'll excuse me, I have a little hell to raise.

Towhee steadfastly believed in her cause. But it was taxing to form a plan and execute it, especially when faced with opposition from her own family members, like Lagan. She decided to lay low for a few days before making any more ejection attempts. She would go after Burke and his mate again if she must, though there were other names on her hit list too.

Thunder rumbled as she slogged around the borders, mulling these things. Towhee couldn't hear it, though she felt the earth quake subtly beneath her paws. She stopped to study the storm clouds clustering over the mountain range to the north. She bit her lip and sat, her eyes growing glassy. She wasn't really watching the storm roll in; her mind was far away.

There was perhaps a surprising name on Towhee's list: her own. She was decent at hunting small game but her hearing impairment made it difficult otherwise. She was loath to consider the idea of departing the caldera for any reason—it went against the very grain of her staunch nature—though she thought she might need to start preparing herself to make that sacrifice. It would take great courage, which she wasn't entirely sure she possessed.

The worst part was that she would have to leave @Phox behind. Tears sprang to her eyes and Towhee angrily swiped a paw across her face. The very thought made her want to vomit. She was certain her brother would tag along should she make this most difficult decision but she knew she couldn't ask that of him. The pack needed him now more than ever, especially since he was becoming quite the adept hunter.

If Towhee did this, she would do it alone, and that scared the hell out of her, especially because of her deafness. Her face grew solemn as the storm cast its shadow over her, the first drops of rain pattering at her head and white-streaked shoulders.

@Sebastian

Sebastian was taking some time alone from the pack. He had to mourn the loss of his two daughters and his mate. He still couldn't think for the life of him why they would leave. The tank of a male wished they would have stayed with him. But life had a weird way of dealing with things. He looked out into the sky as the rain was starting to fall. He hoped that the rains would bring back the big game. There seemed a lot of struggle with the food supplies in their pack at the moment. Sebastian wasn't hungry with his loss, but he was keen on making sure his pack would have enough food.

His ear twitched when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned his head and saw the young lady that was usually signing. He tipped his head. Was she crying or was it the rain? He pushed himself to his feet and turned with interest to her. A soft woof came from his lips. "Are you okay?," he asked. The male might have troubles of his own, but he would always make sure the others around him wouldn't feel bad either. He could mourn about his family later.

She didn't hear the woof, though Towhee sensed someone nearby and turned to see a face that struck her as familiar in a bad way. "What did I tell you, old m—" she began to say, only to take in the darker fur lining this wolf's face, plus the fact that he had a tail. The Xi's mouth clapped shut and she blinked loudly, pivoting smoothly to face him. He wasn't Burke, though they must be related. Perhaps they were father and son. In any case, he was an "outsider" too, though all it took was one glance to know this wolf was at least able-bodied, so a little further down Towhee's list of rejects.

"What do you want?" she asked, not having picked up on his question. Her own question came out as toneless as ever, though she felt her white-streaked shoulders stiffening. She could only imagine that he probably came here to chew her out about his mom (?) and dad.

Sebastian looked surprised for a moment when the female called him old. However, he was quick to realize she probably meant his father. He was getting older and grumpier. She stopped talking mid way before she asked what he wanted. He didn't really want anything of the female. He tipped his head. "Well, I don't really want anything," he spoke calmly. "It is just that you looked sad," he spoke to her. He was not sure how much she heard, but she seemed to be able to communicate.

"Did my father do something annoying again? I apologize if he did,"he offered. He didn't want Burke to annoy the Redhawks. But the elder male needed somewhere to stay. He couldn't live on his own and he was not sure how much Malice was able to keep them both fed.

There was something so open about his face. His lips weren't as easy to read as some, though she managed to follow along when he spoke. The instant he mentioned that she looked sad, Towhee felt her skin heat beneath her fur. She fought the urge to drop her eyes in humiliation, if only because he was still talking. She worked on schooling her expression instead. His next comment caught her off guard, making her forget her momentary embarrassment.

"Burke, you mean?" she asked, deliberating how to answer. This male clearly didn't know about her attempt to cast out Burke and his mate. "He's just using up resources we can't afford," Towhee replied baldly, before immediately jumping into defensive mode. "And it's not like I'm pointing that out to be some petty asshole. I'm genuinely concerned for this pack's future, okay?"

Sebastian didn't want to make her feel humiliated. He sat down, even though the rain was coming down. He listened to her. It wasn't something he had said then. It was just his presence being in this pack that disturbed the female. Sebastian slowly nodded though. It felt to him, as a father, that the young female didn't need more scolding on the topic.

"I can see that you are very dedicated to your family," he spoke as a compliment to her and then showed her a hint of a smile. He doubted that Burke would eat that much but he wasn't going to remind the female of that. "We will get through this though. Don't you worry. In the rivers to lake Rodney there is a lot of fish. So perhaps we can head out there with a group and bring fatty fish back," he suggested. "Have you ever fished before?"

But Burke's younger lookalike didn't seem overly bothered by Towhee's comments, which surprised her. He seemed to appreciate her perspective and she nodded mutely when he mentioned her dedication to her family. His smile was disarming, and she didn't return it. She stared, ears falling back a little, definitely a little off kilter after feeling so defensive lately.

"There's no way we can catch enough fish to sustain the pack," the Xi said slowly. "I mean, it's a good idea to look into alternative prey sources and stuff. But how many fish would one wolf have to eat to make up for the loss of larger game?" Towhee wondered, then shook her head. "I've never fished, no. I assume you have? Are you any good?"

Lightning forked through the sky overhead before he could respond. -We should find some shelter,- she signed without thinking. Towhee didn't catch herself either. She glanced at him, then turned and began honing toward the nearest tree.

Sebastian glanced at Towhee as she stepped back. Sebastian wondered if he said anything wrong? He didn't think that because of Towhee his father would starve. He was pretty sure that Malice would give him something he hunted and he could also give something to his father so he can survive. He didn't need that much in his opinion.

"In Broken Antler, we did if he couldn't take down a moose. But then again, most of us could fish well," he explained, and they hadn't been this big in a long time. "If we would have alternative prey like fish, and perhaps another alternative we might be able to survive, not well-fed but okay enough." Sebastian then nodded. "When the weather is better I can show you if you like."

Thunder and Lightning crackled above them. Sebastian saw Towhee sign something. He didn't really get it but because of the thunder, he had a feeling that he knew that the other had been saying. Especially when she walked to the tree. He moved beside her as he looked into the curtain of rain. It was a depressing day.

No sooner had they sheltered beneath the three than heaven's gates opened and a downpour began, so sudden and heavy that Towhee could feel the silent rush of it before she even turned around. The leafy summer boughs overhead did a good job of blocking out most of the rainfall, though a few drops did make their way through to drip on her pelt. Towhee shivered automatically, then glanced at her companion as she settled.

"Are you a hunter? By trade?" she guessed. Although he was still an outsider, that meant he could contribute more than she could right now. That put a sour taste in the youth's mouth, though she kept her expression as blank as possible. "What's your name, anyway? I'm Towhee."

Sebastian watched as the skies opened. He was glad to be outside of that rain. He was sure his undercoat would be soaked as well. He turned to the younger female when she asked him a question. "Yes I am. I want to be a fisher and a tracker. I am also a caregiver, wanting to become a medic," he explained his ambitions to her. He offered her a smile. "I'm Sebastian. Nice to meet you Towhee. I've been in this pack before, you know?," he spoke then.

He remembered those times. He was much younger and Fox and Peregrine were leading the pack. It were good times. But he wanted more, and now he had experienced more he had to deal with the loss.

He confirmed her suspicions, then tacked on a few other skills for good measure. As much as Towhee typically resented those she considered outsiders, she was forced to admit that Sebastian's contributions were critical right now. Even if the pack's young weren't related to him, he would certainly realize the importance of caring for and feeding them during this food shortage, and be able to assist directly with both.

His comment caught her off guard. "You—what?" Towhee blurted. She then paused, dimly recollecting someone mentioning this in the past. She must not have cared at the time. But now she would be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued. "When? Did you know my parents?"

Sebastian glanced at her with a bit of a smile. It seemed that the female was interested about her parents. Who wouldn't be if she never met them? "Well, I joined this pack when I was two. So yes, I did know your parents very well. Peregrine was most of a father figure for me as well," he admitted to the female. He had fond memories of the couple.

Sebastian wanted to continue that he left and now returned, but he figured the female didn't care about that. She probably wanted to know about her parents. "What would you like to know about them?," he asked the girl. "I don't know if I can answer them all, but perhaps I can answer some."

A strange feeling crept through her upon hearing that this stranger had looked at her dad as a father figure. Sebastian had known Peregrine when she'd never had the chance. Towhee pondered this a moment, trying to pinpoint the sentiment welling in her breast. It was a little bit of sadness and a little bit of jealousy. But it quickly tapered away. As much as she would've loved to meet both Peregrine and Fox, Towhee definitely hadn't been left wanting as far as good parental figures went. She might not call them "mom" and "dad," yet that's exactly what the Blackthorns were to her.

"Everything," Towhee answered his query, then smiled faintly and added, "Anything, really. I never met him, or my mom, so I love hearing stories about them." Just in case Sebastian required a slightly more specific prompt, she asked, "You said he was like a father to you? What about Burke...?"

Sebastian nodded with a soft smile. Her enthusiasm was contagious. She had many questions, also asking about Burke. "Burke might be my father but he was never a father for me. We are also very different in how we think about things, hence why we clash. I never had a father figure because he never bothered to be a father for me. He only did alpha stuff and providing for the pack. When I came here Peregrine helped me. He was there when I needed advice and taught me about life," he spoke.

"Your mother was standoffish at first. Only after you proved yourself she was nicer. I think she slowly grew to like me," he smiled. "She was a feisty lady. I think even Peregrine couldn't go against her word if she had something in mind. At least that is what I assume. They had a great relationship. They really fit together somehow. I don't know how to explain it. They balanced each other," he hummed.

Sebastian explained about Burke, then told her more about both of her parents. Towhee paid close attention, soaking up every little detail she could about the legendary Peregrine and Fox. His account matched up with what she already knew about them: they had both been quite fierce, but Peregrine had had a notoriously silly and even soft side. Fox had taken no shit from anyone, including her very own mate. Towhee thought idly of what Nightjar had mentioned about their mother's take on disabilities, though that errant thought quickly fluttered away.

Truthfully, however, Towhee felt like she would have gotten along much better with her father than her mother, and today she was more curious about him than anyone else. "Do you think he would've liked me? Been proud of me?" the Xi asked, feeling a little blush rise up beneath her fur at the candidness of her question. But she didn't back down from it, even though it occurred to her that Sebastian probably didn't know her well enough to answer that.

"I'm a mercenary," she explained before he could answer, "and a chronicler. It's important to me to protect this pack and its history, keep it alive and pass it on. Do you think Peregrine would've been happy about that, even though I'm..." Towhee lifted a paw to point at one of her useless ears.

Sebastian tipped his head at her question. Of course they would!! But perhaps it wasn't so certain for the teenager. Sebastian quirked up his lips into a big smile. "Of course they would!!! They would love you to bits and be very proud of you. You are very bold and fierce in protecting your pack just like your parents!," he spoke to her. He didn't know that Fox would be disapproving of any disabilities. He only saw Fox and Peregrine as very accepting.

"I think that is wonderful, Towhee. Peregrine would be happy about that. I believe Fox would too," he added. He knew that Elwood and Finley raised her but perhaps with all their pups maybe Towhee missed having a father figure. This was only an assumption he was making. Sebastian, being the family man that he was would love to provide that for her as Peregrine did that to him. "I really liked your storytelling last time. Do you have any more pack history for me to know about? Or do you just want to ask more questions about your parents?"

Sebastian wasn't to know it, but his effusive reply instantly warmed Towhee to him. Then he mentioned her attempt at storytelling a while back and this pleased her even more. All the while, the Xi carefully controlled her expression. She didn't want him to think she was easy to please or win over. He was still an outsider and it would take more than one encounter to truly earn her respect and trust.

She always wanted to learn more and more about her parents, but she couldn't turn down an opportunity to relay some Redhawk history. "I left off with our birth, didn't I?" she recollected out loud. "Well... as you may or may not know, Raven took over as our wet nurse when Fox died. When we were only a few weeks old, it got so cold that they had to move us from the den to that big cave. Do you know of it? Anyway, it was a risky move but we all made it there okay. The entire pack came to stay there with us because the weather got really bad. In fact, it snowed so much that there was a small avalanche, which blocked off the entrance. We were separated from half the pack, including Raven..."

Towhee paused there to take a breath and peer at Sebastian's face to see if she'd left him on tenterhooks, as she hoped.

Sebastian had no clue that the teenager was warming up to him. He just wanted to make her feel better about herself. She was clearly strict on others but also on herself. She thought that her disability would make her biological parents love her less, that in Sebastian's eyes was enough information. She needed a confidence boost. Sebastian went to lie down so he could listen better. The rain was still coming down which set him in quite the storytelling mood.

Sebastian listened to the girl. He didn't know that Raven had taken over. He was not that familiar with her but it was good she stepped up to help with the pups. They were probably too young to go without milk. He nodded when she asked if he knew about the cave. He remembered the storm. He believed that Towhee was referring to the same cave they weren't to for refuge, they also lost Nightjar because he went into the tunnels. "Oh no. Where did the other half of the pack go? Did they survive?," he asked. He was really into the story.

She could see that he was engrossed and she permitted herself to smile somewhat, though she carefully schooled her expression. It wasn't because of Sebastian but it would seem a little tactless to grin through the next chapter of the story.

"We were divided—trapped in the dark—for days, maybe a week or more... those on the outside dug and dug and dug. Finally, Raven broke through and almost got buried in the snow." Towhee didn't remember any of this herself, though she had painted a pretty clear picture in her mind from hearing others tell the tale. "Unfortunately, it was too late for my brother, Oriole. He was my twin, you know." Whether or not that was technically true, Finley had described him as sharing very nearly the same markings.

"And there was another pup, Stoat... uh, I actually forget if it was a boy or girl," Towhee admitted with a sheepish gulp. If she was going to be a historian, she'd better keep better track of her facts! Not to mention, Stoat was family. "I think a girl, though. She died before we were a week old, I'm pretty sure. I'm not sure what happened..." She was completely oblivious to her direct contribution to her sister's demise.

The story turned more dramatic. He had the feeling that if one was enclosed in a cave that there would be little to do to protect all of the pups. He didn't know that so many died though, as Towhee explained to him now. "That must have been terrible for Elwood and Finley," he spoke with some concern. Losing a child was never ideal, or nice.

"But then Raven came and saved you all?," he asked, now he was curious about what was going to happen at the end. Towhee did survive this all and Phox too. So there were some survivors to this story. "You were all so small when this happened," he stated, a bit surprised that some did survive.

"Yeah, I'm sure it was tough on all of them," Towhee agreed with a thoughtful stitch to her brow. "And Raven was in time to save the rest of us. There were four of us left: Titmouse, Orca, Phox and me." She paused, wetting her lips with her tongue and peering absently at the rainy world beyond their meager shelter. "Tit left a while ago. He disappeared. Nobody knows what happened to him. I was really mad at first. I thought he decided to run away. He was always a bit of a butthead." She smirked.

Her expression slowly fell slack then. "But maybe he was taken. I don't know. One of Elwood's and Finley's previous pups was kidnapped last year. So maybe..." She trailed off, just barely suppressing a small shudder that passed through her. Her tale had taken a dark turn, full of dead and disappeared puppies.

That brought her thoughts full circle, as she remembered what had been plaguing her mind before Sebastian's arrival: she had been musing about leaving, specifically taking leave of her brother. Towhee's throat immediately clenched and she found she was done telling stories. She wanted—needed—to be alone with her thoughts, even if she had appreciated the momentary distraction.

"Hey, I have to go—patrol," Towhee said a bit perfunctorily. "See you around." Without another word and without waiting for a reaction, the guardian ducked out from the tree and disappeared into the rain.

Sebastian nodded as she was continuing the story. The male did know that there were four in the end. Now even from their family some left. He realized that it was most likely natural for pups to leave the nest. He briefly wondered about Ivy. He didn't know where she went. She was just... gone as well.

He noticed that Towhee had become quiet. Then she kind of abruptly wanted to leave. Sebastian was not a wolf that would stop her. He liked her storytelling and it had been a good distraction for him. Sebastian nodded shortly. "Go do your thing. Do remember to relax too. Life is not all about doing your tasks," he called out after her. Not sure if she got that last part.

Sebastian went to lie down. He would wait out the rain for now.

- end -