Redhawk Caldera Dream walk for me.

@Wildfire was the one who sent up a howl for @Elwood and @Finley while Towhee stood nearby, X perched on her shoulder. She hadn't expected her older sister's request, nor anticipated that she would consider signing up for something like this. But Wildfire insisted she was finally ready to head back to Drageda and Towhee knew it would go a long way to prove her worth as a warrior if she escorted her there, not to mention continue building on the ties between the two packs even as they prepared to go to war together.

However, it really all hinged on the Alphas' say. Would they permit Towhee to disembark with Wildfire on this venture? She couldn't help but wonder how taken aback they'd be by the idea of Towhee leaving Redhawk Caldera on such an errand. She would assure them she could make the trip and return home, with a little help from the hawk on her shoulder (and possibly @Phox?). She would ask for a proper warrior title upon her return too. She wouldn't go as far as to say she would enjoy the task—the idea of being gone from here made her heart kick into high gear even though she was standing stock still—but Towhee had grown to like Wildfire and nothing pleased her more than putting an outsider back where it belonged.

Matters with the coming war laid heavily upon Fin's mind. She and Elwood had discussed their next course of action, but they had neglected to actually share any of their plans yet with the pack. There were a few small factors still up in the air that were holding them back, but really those were just minor details that Fin was personally using as an excuse to stall the moment when she'd have to give the pack their marching orders. But time kept passing in spite of her, and she knew that any day now, Betty would be upon their borders and it would be time to go. It did them no good to not be prepared for it.

But oh hey, Wildfire's calling! New excuse to procrastinate!

Fin twisted away from the borders to head towards the source of the call (mid-pee, I might add). She was not too far from her goddaughter and soon enough was trotting along the smooth, snowy slopes to step into her presence. She glanced from Wildfire to Towhee, disregarding the bird. "What's up, girls?" she asked, smiling. Towhee had not taken kindly to Wildfire's temporary induction into the pack, and so it amused her now to see the young girl taking so well to her older sister. That stupid bird, though.

When Finley appeared, Towhee found herself suddenly hoping that the Alpha female would refuse them and insist they stay put for now. Towhee wanted to help Wildfire and she wanted to earn her stripes as a warrior, but she didn't really want to do this. She even felt a thrill of dread pierce her, making her feel cool and shivery. She frowned at herself, shaking her head.

"Thanks for coming, Aunt Flea," Wildfire was saying, turning her head so that she was speaking to the Alpha female but looking at Towhee so the deaf she-wolf could follow. "I know I said I wouldn't return home until spring but I'm feeling a lot better and the weather's holding, so I was hoping I'd have your blessing to leave a little earlier than planned. I asked Towhee here if she would come with me. We could pass along any messages you like to Heda, regarding the war efforts."

The Gamma bobbed her head absently. She had nothing to add, though her heartbeat accelerated again as she awaited Finley's reaction. Before she even thought about what she was doing, she signed, -Maybe we should wait for Uncle Elwood before you make a decision?- She had already agreed to go with Wildfire, yet now that the moment of truth had come, Towhee found herself attempting to delay it and realizing that she was scared as hell of leaving the caldera.

Fin studied the pair before either spoke, noting anxiety in both of them though none more than Towhee. She quirked a brow softly, but the explanation for the tension was forthcoming. Her own heart tightened as Wildfire made her request - one that she knew immediately that she would not - could not - grant. There was too much at risk in sending them out into the Wilds. For all they knew, the Blackfeather bastards had been stalking their every move, waiting for Wildfire to emerge so that they could grab her and drag her back into their forest. She wouldn't risk it while those wolves were still at large. 

Plus like ninety other reasons.

"That's alright," Fin said, dismissing Towhee's request to wait for Elwood. She knew that he would be of a like mind, and even if he wasn't, she knew that he would likely leave it to her discretion since she felt this strongly about it. Her expression softened as she looked at Wildfire, her ears sliding back gently as she knew she was about to disappoint her niece. "I'm sorry, but no. It isn't safe for either of you out there right now. And besides, Betty will be back any day now with her wolves so that we can go to Blackfeather together, so I just can't spare Towhee, or anyone else, really."

She breathed, pausing momentarily before offering, "Once Blackfeather has been dealt with, you can return with your pack. But until that happens, I feel very strongly that you need to stay where it's safe." Fin knew that if Wildfire was truly hell bent on going, she would just slip off during the night. She didn't think the girl would be so cruel as to do something like to them after all they'd done for her, but she also knew how powerful the desire to be with and protect your kids was, and Wildfire had three on the coast that she'd been away from for far too long.

Mouth dry, heart in her throat (and beating madly), Towhee stared at Finley's face. She felt a breath escape her when the Alpha female immediately declined Wildfire's request, followed by a small flare of indignation. She battled with these conflicting emotions even as her face screwed up at the mention of "Betty"; who on earth was that? Before either one of them could ask, Finley finished explaining her reasoning. It was all very sound, though Towhee couldn't help but glance at Wildfire in expectation of a rebuttal.

"Betty?" the svelte red she-wolf asked, forgetting to turn toward Towhee, who still managed to catch the movement of her lips.

Before Finley could respond, Towhee tossed in a question of her own: "We're going to war that soon?" Her heart was racing again, though this time there was as much excitement as fear. The war had always felt like some vague notion lying somewhere in the distant future. But now there was a concrete timeline (more or less). She didn't need to escort Wildfire to prove herself as a warrior; she'd get to wage war to prove herself as a warrior.

X shifted on her shoulder, his grip tightening, but Towhee's attention was zeroed in on the pack's matriarch.

Fin had expected a reaction, but confusion wasn't exactly the right one. She canted her head, frowning slightly as they both looked at her. Wildfire was the one to put the misunderstanding to words, and Fin's eyes widened with understanding immediately. She'd called the commander Betty out loud. She'd only one that with Elwood so far.

"Right, sorry," Fin answered, "I mean... Thur. It's just.. Her name is hard to pronounce. So I gave her a new one." She wondered briefly if Wildfire would be offended by that somehow, but Towhee was kind enough to distract the conversation.

"Yes, we are," Fin replied, "Bett... No, Thur, went back to gather her wolves nearly a month ago. We agreed to take time to make sure everything was in order before they made their return. She was eager to begin, so I imagine we'll see her and her wolves any day now." The alpha glanced back at Wildfire, wondering how she would take the news. Their reason for returning was not exactly ideal, but it might be some relief to know she'd see her mate again soon, regardless of the circumstances.

Towhee got stuck on those last three words: "...any day now." Finley had already told her about these plans weeks ago. Somehow, time had slipped away from her. She didn't feel as prepared as she would have liked. She had never sought out Uncle Elwood for supplemental training. She had been excited by the notion of war, had gone around yapping about it and getting her head in the game, yet it hadn't felt like it was really going to happen... until now.

"Are we ready?" Towhee blurted, thinking of herself mostly but also wondering if the pack was in the right shape to make an assault. "Don't we have to—" She didn't know what she wanted to ask. What about strategies? Tactics? Had that "Coyote" guy ever come back to join them? She didn't know. By now, Towhee was beginning to kick herself. Just minutes ago, she had been (almost) totally ready to leave to take Wildfire home. Now everything had changed.

"If it's happening that soon, it makes sense to stay put," Wildfire was saying to Finley, looking more than a little crestfallen despite her reluctant acceptance of the facts of the matter. "Sorry to waste your time, Aunt Flea." She paused, glancing in Towhee's direction, then back to the Alpha female. "I wish I could help out more. I'm feeling a lot better but I'm in no shape to fight." She wasn't a fighter even at the best of times. "Please let me know if there's anything, anything at all, I can do. I want to help both of my families."

Time had slipped away from them all, truth be told. Fin felt no more prepared for what they were about to do now as she had been the very day she and Elwood had made the decision to pursue it. There was no stopping it now, and yet she found herself wishing there was yet some way. If only the Wilds didn't just crack wide open underneath Blackfeather and the whole Woods just fall away into oblivion. No point in fighting over a big hole in the ground. The devils were welcome to stay right where they were, willing it was at the very bottom of a deep, inescapable pit.

Towhee blurted out a question, and Fin could only look at her. Wildfire was kind enough to speak and distract from the inquiry, saving Finley from having to answer in a moment when she felt so very uncertain. "It's alright, I know how eager you are to get home. I would be too, were I in your shoes," she reassured her goddaughter, smiling gently, "And don't worry, you won't be fighting. You will have a battle of your own to face though, and that's keeping an eye on my kids while we're away." Fin paused, considering for a moment before adding with a wry grin, "Come to think of it, you might be better off coming to Blackfeather."

Towhee looked doubtfully at Wildfire as she spoke. She was in much better shape these days, yet she still looked so breakable. She would only be a liability in combat. In any case, it sounded like Finley had other plans for her. It did make sense that those who couldn't fight would stick together elsewhere when the time came. It did sit with Towhee strangely, though, that they were sort of picking this fight on Wildfire's behalf, only for Wildfire herself to stay behind. She understood there were many more reasons to go after the Blackfeathers, yet still...

"I'll be happy to lend a hand when the time comes," Wildfire said to Finley, managing a smile despite the gloomy look in her eye. "You just tell me where I need to be and when, and I'm there." She paused but Towhee's eyes remained fixed on her mouth, sure there was more to come. "I don't mean to keep you. I know you—both of you—have a lot to do..." She faced the yearling again, offering a fleeting, apologetic smile even as she climbed to her feet and prepared to disembark. "Sorry again for wasting your time," she added, apparently to both of them.

"It's fine," Towhee responded a little dismissively. "See you later." Her attention then shifted to Finley as she moved closer to the Alpha. "Not gonna lie, I'm kinda glad it worked out this way," she admitted to her godmother. "War isn't good news or anything but I'd much rather fight than go wandering off somewhere. I want to say I'm ready—and I have been practicing some—but now that it's coming up, I'm not sure I feel ready..."

Fin smiled gratefully at Wildfire as she responded. She knew that she could count on her goddaughter to be helpful however was possible. She was a lot like Towhee in that way, though decidedly more passively obedient. Towhee obeyed, but she did not hesitate to question her orders. The alpha shook her head, dismissing the apology and bidding her farewell as she left. She turned to her gamma then, listening as she spoke in that monotone voice of hers.

"I don't think it's possible to feel fully ready for something like this," Fin replied with a sigh, "The closer we get, the more I start to second guess our decision to do this at all." Her gaze shifted away to watch Wildfire's retreating form as she made her way across the plains.

It occurred to her that she probably ought to be strong and confident in her decision in sight of her packmates in order to instill the same feelings in them. Her misgivings could probably make Towhee even more uncertain, and she should be trying to prevent that. But for some reason, she'd never been able to really treat the girl like the child she was. Towhee was more like Fox come back to her than a daughter inherited, so Fin couldn't help but treat her like a friend to share with rather than a kid to protect. And right now, she was too tired and worried to fight the inclination.

This revelation surprised Towhee. Her brows rose, then fell into a knit. She, too, glanced after Wildfire, and when her attention returned to Finley, she switched to ptero almost conspiratorially. -I have to confess that it feels weird to pick a fight on her behalf. I know she's important to you,- she continued, her movements rapid, -but she's not really part of this pack. And she's not even coming with us.- She paused very briefly. -That said, I do think there are plenty of other good reasons to go after these shitheads. They're a threat and we need to get rid of them, otherwise we'll never feel safe at home and it'll always be risky to leave.- Although Towhee herself rarely did it, she knew that others liked to come and go sometimes.

She fell still and silent again, this time for several beats. "It's a tough call but I think it's the right one," she concluded aloud, rolling her white-streaked shoulders and giving Finley a meaningful look. "And it's not like we're just throwing ourselves at them without taking the time to plan everything carefully. We're gonna win this thing, Aunt Finley, and we'll all be better off once it's over. Well," Towhee finished with a slight smirk, "the Blackfeathers won't be..." No, they would be chased off or killed, preferably the latter.

Fin was staring off thoughtfully after Wildfire when Towhee began to ptero to her. She turned a second too late to catch the beginning, but watched silently to take in the rest. It was comforting to be reminded by someone else of all the reasons they were doing this. More and more it was becoming difficult to remember. There had always been another way for them to make themselves safe from Blackfeather. The prospect of abandoning the Caldera had been intolerable at first. Their entire lives were here; this was their home. But lately, Fin had wondered if it truly was worth all of this.

Watching Towhee, listening to her, Fin remembered. It wasn't what she was saying that reminded her, but the simple act of looking at her. She was both of her parents reincarnated. This had been their dream. They had built the Caldera, risked their own safety and security for it. They had given her a life by making her part of theirs. It was more than just a piece of land. It was their legacy, and she needed to protect it for them. She and Elwood may be the alphas in title for now, but she realized that they were merely stewards. The Caldera belonged to the Redhawk line, and she needed to protect it until it was time to pass it along to their kin. She needed to protect it for Towhee.

Fin smiled gently. "Thanks, kid," she said, "You know, I like having you around. I think we might've raised you pretty good."

Visions of dead wolves danced in her head a moment before Finley's moving lips snared Towhee's attention again. She smiled and even laughed a little, despite the heaviness of the situation, and butted her head gently against the Alpha's shoulder. It went without saying that the fondness between them was mutual.

"Happy to be here," she said, orange eyes dancing. "I'll always be here," she added, expression growing more thoughtful. Towhee was just about the furthest thing from a flight risk anyway, though she suddenly recalled having promised Finley she would never, ever leave the caldera. It was any easy oath to keep.

With her road trip cancelled and a war swiftly approaching, Towhee felt energy itching through her. -Wanna patrol with me?- she inquired, knowing full well that it wasn't among her godmother's favorite activities. But she would love to have her continued company, so she gave Finley a little bit of the playful puppy eyes before beginning to make her way to the borders.

Feel free to wrap and/or ship it to the archives. :) <3

Fin turned her head as Towhee pushed hers into her shoulder. She sniffled affectionately into one of the girl's useless ear pockets. She had originally intended to return to her kids to check in on whether or not Lagan had successfully worn them out yet, but she found herself unwilling to decline Towhee's invitation. She gave a nod after rolling her eyes at the face and stood to head off towards the borders together, eager to get in a little bit more quality time.