Sun Mote Copse Record scratch, freeze frame.

Some things were afoot in Redhawks, to put it mildly, though Towhee set them aside entirely today as she snatched a deer leg from the cache nearest the eastern borders and began trudging across the way to the Firebirds' claim. Wildfire had died and now Colt was in charge. The mercenary snorted around the meat in her mouth. But speaking of him, a little bird had told her that Niamh had given birth to a litter. Towhee idly wondered if they had more youths than adults over there; she was pretty sure they did. She snorted again.

Wondering whether her friend would be able to come at her call—and knowing it was possible, even likely, that her husband would show up instead—Towhee dropped the leg and drew in a breath. She then howled for @Niamh. She had a long overdue visit to pay, plus she wanted to congratulate her on her litter, even if was bittersweet for Towhee. There was also the matter of condolences for Wildfire. The mercenary sighed, shifting her weight and starting at a familiar shadow gliding overhead.

Niamh, content to still be a hermit inside her den with her kids, had not heard Towhee's call- but when another packmate heard the summon, they relayed the message to Niamh at her den, so she in turn called out for Colt to come and watch the kids. She wasn't prepared just yet to allow anyone else near the kids, even though she knew that Colt had new responsibilities as the pack's Sovereign. She wished he'd just change the name- something about Colt being a Sovereign made her snort with laughter, but she supposed it was also possibly too soon after Wildfire's death to go changing things. In private, she'd tease Colt about it, but otherwise kept her trap shut on the subject. 

Once her two hellions were in the care of their father, Niamh started out toward the border, feeling a bit insecure as she did so. She didn't want to go far from the kids, and though she trusted Colt, she still didn't like leaving the kids. Colt was busy, and could be called elsewhere- and then someone else might be called in to watch after the kids...And that idea made Niamh nervous. She was also out of shape, and was keenly aware of how her body had changed- and felt like she looked horrible, not just because she was tired, but because her once trim underside now sagged and jiggled as she moved. As though being uncomfortable wasn't enough, she also looked like a cow. And she hated it. 

Still, this was Towhee. She felt she owed it to her friend. 

She probably had a sheepish look about her as she approached Towhee- and she did feel guilty. After all, she'd more or less chosen Colt over Towhee, and had chosen the life of a wife and mother...And hadn't visited as much as she'd wanted to, nor had she kept in contact. And now she had two kids who would keep her busy for the rest of her life, probably. Even so- though she felt guilty for dropping the ball on their friendship, it still made her happy to see Towhee there, so the look of guilt was replaced by a relieved smile. "Yeah, I know," She said, once she'd made eye contact with Towhee. "I look like shit." She laughed.

It was a hawk, though it wasn't X. It disappeared over the copse's treetops and Towhee was left to stare off at the sea of trunks stretching as far as the eye could see, fighting an ache in her chest. She fidgeted as she waited. It took a while, though a familiar golden silhouette finally appeared from the literal woodwork. Towhee had slumped onto her haunches a while back, though she rose now to receive her old friend.

There was something almost droopy about Niamh, literally and figuratively. At her self-deprecating comment, Towhee bit her tongue and studied her friend for a moment. She could have been selfishly glad she'd come into motherhood without this particular sacrifice, though instead the sight of her friend's motherly figure actually made her heart feel like a cold stone. Towhee's body would never look like that because she couldn't have children of her own.

But that made her think of Fig and Fen and she couldn't stay sad. Resisting the urge to joke on Niamh's choices (for they wouldn't entirely be jokes, would they?), Towhee said instead, "You're a momshell, Niamh," and rolled her eyes. "I'm happy for you." So, yes, it was a little hard to say, yet there it was. She even coaxed her mouth into a small smile. "We'll have to arrange a play date sometime," she added with a mischievous glint in her flamed eyes.

Random note: I had to edit out references to X based on how a previous thread unfolded. I also back-dated this by 24 hours. Hope that's all cool!

"Hah! Momshell," Niamh's features brightened a great deal at the mention of that nickname, one she'd never heard before but she immediately knew she'd have to insert that into her own vocabulary, and use that one again. It made her feel better about her appearance, which she knew would improve over time...But for the moment, she felt like a completely different wolf, what with practically having an udder hanging off her belly. Towhee certainly knew how to make her feel better without even really trying, so she tilted her chin over one shoulder in a sort of pose, and said "Well thank you," Batting her eyelashes frivolously, before she gave up the joke. 

Towhee was happy, but it still pulled at Niamh's heartstrings knowing that that happiness had come at a cost that they'd both felt. She did her best to try and figure out if Towhee really was happy for her, and it was hard to tell. She opened her mouth to say something, but her friend continued so she shut it. When Towhee first mentioned a playdate, she simply assumed that she wanted to meet the kids. So Niamh gestured with a flick of her muzzle. "C'mon. You can meet them now....I haven't let anyone else near them but...I trust you more'n anyone else." She said. Colt, of course, was exempt from the visitor ban Niamh enforced, but apart from him, Niamh had turned away all others. Still, something nagged at her, the way Towhee was looking at her. "You got some look on your face," She said, intrigued. "Spit it out," She said.

It caught her off guard when Niamh invited her to come meet them. She felt that same reticence she had when Elwood had extended a similar invitation. It just felt wrong to tread into others' territory. She could never see herself extending the same favor if the tables were turned. But these weren't Redhawks lands. Towhee could see no reason to decline and the trust meant a lot, after everything, so she picked up the deer leg and made to follow... but not without slapping Niamh's ass with the dangling hoof first.

Out of the corner of her eye, Niamh saw the slight swing Towhee gave to the deer's leg, but still she allowed Towhee to give her a good smack on her hind end with it. She was glad Towhee'd done it- because it was something that they would've done without a second thought when they'd both lived on the Plateau.  Conversing while moving was never really easy, especially where she was leading Towhee to a place she'd never been to before- so she motioned for Towhee to come up alongside her, rather than following. That way Towhee could read her lips at least. 

"We had two, a boy and a girl." She saidmaking sure to mouth clearly. She couldn't exactly sign while walking, so this was the best she could do. "Bronco and Nellie."

Between the meat in her mouth and their slow trek into the copse, Towhee couldn't do much in way of response. She acknowledged Niamh's news with a bob of her head. It wasn't enough though. Her friend had asked her a question and the mercenary wanted to share. First, though, she spied a cache and quickly deposited the deer leg into it. Niamh or Colt could always come fetch it later.

"That's better," she commented to herself before rejoining her companion, feeling more than a little out of place having strayed even a few feet and, what was more, touched another pack's stockpile. Towhee put that all behind her to say, "That's great. Me too. Does Nellie have some kind of meaning?" Bronco was obvious enough but what of the girl's moniker? Towhee genuinely wondered even as she waited to see if Niamh would catch the bait.

Generally, 'me too' was something said in response to "I'm doing alright," so at first, Niamh passed it off as a knee-jerk reply. It wasn't unlike Niamh to ask how someone was doing- after she'd already said she was doing alright- and then tack that on to the end of their reply, whatever it was. But something akin to a record scratch played in her mind when Towhee was only halfway through asking where the name Nellie had come from that caused Niamh to stop abruptly and look at Towhee quizzically. 

"What d'you mean 'you too'?" She asked. She'd not noticed anything about Towhee before- so she quickly glanced over her friend, but sure enough- no signs that Towhee's frame had changed to show that she'd nursed pups at all this season. She tried to think of when she'd chosen to leave the Plateau, and the last time she'd seen Towhee- and there was no way she could have gotten pregnant, nursed her pups, and then gotten back into shape that fast. 

If she did- Niamh would've been the first to ask her for her secret. The joys of motherhood aside, Niamh wanted to be a hot Mama. She wanted her kids to experience the dreadful burden of having a hot mom. 

Without hesitation, she thrust her muzzle forward- almost indignantly, still a bit scorned by the fact that Towhee might look this good and normal after having had kids- and inhaled. She could smell Phox, but there were others whose scents lingered on Towhee's pelt that she didn't recognize. And there was a certain eau de bébé that was that came with having kids, and seemed to hang on them until they learned how to groom themselves...And began to actually do so, which could take over a year. But she didn't get it. She tilted her head to the side and scoured her friend's face expectantly- one eyebrow lifted, and her tail began to wave from side to side excitedly. "You got kids too?!" She demanded, her honey eyes pressing Towhee for an answer- no more of this cryptic stuff. 

Despite the shock, she was already overjoyed by the thought of Towhee having kids at the same time that Niamh had them. Bronco and Nellie having oodles of Blackthorn cousins in the pack was one thing- but having cousins over in the Plateau, mothered by Towhee was something else altogether. Hell yes, playdates were going to happen.

Hook, line and sinker. Towhee grinned at her friend's suspicious question. "I mean—" she began, mouth clapping shut at the second, more exclamatory query. "Yep, I do. They're called Fig and Fen," she reported with a wave of her tail. "They were born to Phox and his mate, Camilla. I don't remember if you two were around at the same time? But she died a little after they were born and I," she concluded, "am their mother, for all intents and purposes, though I wear many titles."

While she gave Niamh a moment to absorb all that, Towhee motioned for her companion to resume their aborted walk to the whelping den. Bronco and Nellie would be her children's playmates, so she needed to make sure they were up to snuff.

Having waited, holding her breath for Towhee to respond, Niamh dipped into a happy play-bow as soon as her suspicions were confirmed, and issued a high-pitched whine-yowl, which of course wouldn't have bothered Towhee's ears at all. She stood up and pricked her ears, catching the two, adorably cute, monosyllabic names that her kids had been given, but her features drained of glee when she mentioned Camilla. That basket case? Niamh remembered her, having been the one who'd admitted her into the pack. She'd been a stammerer, hunted by her ex-mate. Not exactly the type Niamh would have assumed Phox would go for- but apparently it had happened, and she'd passed away following childbirth. Niamh suppressed a shudder. Camilla had been young, too. 

"That's a lot to have happen at once," She said. She was happy that Towhee was a Mom- but she felt bad for Phox too, having lost Camilla. The thought of Phox with Camilla left a funny taste in her mouth- but she was quick to push it aside, and kept moving alongside Towhee. "I'm so sorry about Camilla, an' I hope Phox is doing OK," She said, her facial features indicating that the posed statement was also a question. "An' I think you're going to be a bomb Mom," She said with a smile.

"I am," Towhee rejoined with a cocky grin, sobering a little to add, "It was tragic, though they weren't together very long, so it wasn't..." She trailed off with a shrug, unsure how to tactfully articulate what she meant. "She'd grown on me a bit," Towhee admitted, though she didn't say anything more on the subject.

Motioning again for Niamh to lead the way, the mercenary said something else. "I came here to tell you something," she admitted, pausing a beat before catching her friend's eye and saying simply, "I get it now. Not completely or anything. Not perfectly. But..." She let out a long breath. "I don't have a mate but I have kids now. And they're all that matters anymore. Not that everything else doesn't matter. Shit, you know what I mean."

Okay, but that was clear as mud. "I'm trying to say that I get why you decided to move, to be with Colt and have a family, at least in part. And..." Her heartbeat picked up a little, tapping against her ribs as she admitted, "I was out of pocket to get so bent out of shape about everyone going to the Firebirds. And now I'm a big old hypocrite." She smiled sadly as she used one of @Tegan's phrases, this admission borne partly from the ashes of their relationship. "Because I'm about to do it too."

Though Niamh found Towhee's reasoning a bit odd- given the fact that she suspected that even if Phox had only known Camilla for a little while, that they would still have had a pretty close bond- she was at least a bit relieved to hear that it possibly wasn't as devastating a loss as it could have been. It also comforted Niamh to know that Camilla hadn't replaced her- and that Camilla had only somewhat grown on Towhee, as selfish as it was for her to feel that way. She didn't like the idea of being replaced by some other chick. Phox, of course, was an exception, and she assumed that the two were closer than ever, now. 

She tensed a bit when Towhee indicated that there was a reason she'd come aside from the kids she'd now inherited. But it became apparent fairly early on, that this was, in a way, an apology- and if not an apology, then at least Towhee was admitting that she understood why Niamh had done what she'd done, which brought her a lot of relief. She had already come to terms with what she'd done- and though she'd missed Towhee, and felt guilty about the fact that she hadn't visited as much as she'd originally intended to do, she'd sacrificed something but had gained something as well. It seemed like it had been the right decision, and it reassured her greatly to hear that Towhee got it. She gave her friend an appreciative, sympathetic smile. "I can be a total asshat sometimes. It's not out of pocket for someone- even you- to think I'm an idiot," She said. "Kids...Kind of change everything." She said, and was fairly certain that Towhee could agree with her on that one. 

But when she mentioned being a hypocrite, it took Niamh a second or two to understand what she meant by that. "You mean, because you yelled at me an' then went and got kids of your own?" She asked, summoning a wry smile in response to the sad one she got from Towhee, in hopes of cheering her up. "Or....Are you leaving the Plateau? Are you coming here?" She asked, more seriously now.

Truer words had never been spoken, in Towhee's experience. It was kind of nice, being back on the same page as Niamh. It had been a while. Apparently something had gotten a bit lost in translation, though, because her friend wondered if she was thinking of moving here.

Suppressing the internal oh hell no, Towhee shook her head. "We'd just cramp your Slobbervein's style," she quipped, purposely butchering Colt's title. "And, I mean, real talk: I don't think there's any room at the inn. There're like four hundred and sixty-two pups living here already."

Jokes aside, she shook her head again. "No, the plan is for Phox, the kids and me to spin off and do our own thing." Towhee paused for a beat. "Fuckin' nuts, huh?"

Niamh laughed out loud and bumped her shoulder against Towhee's, falling back into old habits with ease. "I've been waiting for the moment to call him that!" She confessed. She'd decided to wait a bit- considering that Wildfire's death was still recent and the title still held some reflection on her- though Niamh would never have come up with the term had it not been passed to Colt. It didn't reflect Wildfire very well. For a moment, it felt like things between the two of them were exactly what they'd always been, but it was short-lived, given the fact that Towhee was turning the idea down. 

She frowned when she considered the fact that they were already short on adults, and overflowing with pups- especially since Kiwi's departure and Wildfire's death. Sequoia too had left, and Epic had gone off as well. They were already outnumbered by pups, and even with the addition of two more adults came the addition of two more pups as well- and one parent had to be with the kids, making one parent a bit less of a contribution. She saw the point, but still wished there was some way that they could make room for Towhee, Phox, Fig and Fen. It made her realize that the pack was hurting for strong, contributing adult members, but she'd tuck that worry away for another day. All she could do was nod, and offer a small, sad smile. Towhee was right, even though Niamh didn't like it. 

She was worried when Towhee said, then, that they'd go off on their own- with the kids. That concerned Niamh. It was hard enough trying to parent while being outnumbered with pups while still having boundaries to keep them safe. "But where will you go? And just the two of you? I mean...I know you guys can handle yourselves- and I'm not doubting you as parents, but...I think I'd be too scared to try, just because of the kids." She said, ruefully reflecting on the fact that both of her brothers had been attacked by cougars- and one of them had been killed. Poignantly, she touched her nose to Towhee's cheek. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Phox, or your kids." She said softly. "I wish there was something I could do..." But she couldn't just up and leave. Because if she did, the kids would have to as well- and Colt, and then with so few adults and so many pups, the pack would likely disintegrate. "Is there anything I can do? I mean...I'm absolutely hog-tied at the moment but...I could maybe....Well, where are you guys going? Can you come somewhere close by?" Normally, Niamh knew better than to talk too much, but she couldn't stop her stream of thoughts.

Towhee patiently waited out her friend's spiel, waiting until the end before bothering trying to answer any of the questions fired at her. "We'll be totally fine," she replied with a shrug, ignoring the small twinge in her shoulder. "We can take care of ourselves. We have been. Small packs aren't unheard of, right?" Her orange eyes skirted Niamh's face. "Don't worry about us, you have enough on your plate. But that's the idea, yeah," she finished, "we're hoping to set up shop in a nearby territory, maybe become a third sister pack, but..."

She hadn't told anyone except Phox about her altercation with Tegan. She didn't plan to either, not Niamh, not even Raven. Towhee wasn't really sure why; it was complicated. And Tegan hardly represented the Redhawks on the whole. But between Raven's initial reaction and Tegan going completely off the reservation, Towhee really wasn't sure what to expect out of that particular detail. She couldn't even imagine Quixote's take on all of it.

"But," she repeated, picking up another thread entirely, "enough about me. I came here to hear about your life, not talk about mine," well, other than to deliver her confession of sorts. "Are we there yet?" Towhee pressed, using the same joke she'd unleashed on her godfather.

She was slightly reassured by the fact that they would be nearby, and that they wanted to be associated as well. She nodded. She couldn't necessarily speak for Colt- as he was Quixote's buddy, and Niamh had acted irrationally toward him before, partially due to her relationship with Towhee- but she was all for Towhee's pack becoming a third sister in their alliance. "I'll make sure that happens," She said. Of course, she had no idea how the Redhawks would feel, but that didn't particularly interest her, either. She was still on Towhee's side when it came to how she felt about Quixote. He was milk-toast. "An' I think you'll do a great job." She said, faithfully, to her friend. She felt relieved that Towhee had come to her to talk about this- it meant she wasn't completely out of the equation, and that perhaps this move might bring them closer together- not only concerning their living space, but as friends as well. 

It seemed for a moment, like there was something else that was bothering Towhee, and she came close to saying it. Instead, though, she changed the topic, and Niamh- not being the most empathetic wolf on the planet, nor the most adept at properly observing nuances- smiled softly when the topic came back to her and her new kids. "Almost- the den's just up ahead near that big ash tree," She said. "And this...This is pretty much my life now. I haven't really done much other than Mom. The kids' eyes have just opened, and they're starting to get around now...Won't be long before they're going everywhere and into everything," She said. "I've been useless to the pack for a while too 'cause I was overdue and just couldn't freakin' move," She groaned. "I don't go anywhere, I don't do anything. Colt's so busy now, since he stepped up after Wildfire..." She said, and her glance slid to Towhee. "I'm so sorry, Towhee. It all seemed so sudden...You doing OK?" She asked. She hadn't managed to steer to topic completely to an upbeat subject, but the tough things needed to be talked about too, sometimes.

"Thanks, Niamh," was all Towhee said on the subject of what more or less amounted to politics, the statement accompanied by a look of genuine gratitude and a matching smile. Things might be a little rocky at first, though hopefully the whole lot of them would emerge stronger for their bonds, in time.

She stayed silent as Niamh launched into a spiel about motherhood, a smile tugging at her lips as she "listened." Her expression grew a little more neutral at the news of Colt's bid for leadership following Wildfire's death, though it wasn't sadness. Towhee felt sympathy for her sister's family, of course, and she supposed that included her. They'd never been close though.

"Colt, huh." She hadn't even thought about who might take over in the Sovereign's stead. Now she wondered what this might mean for the alliance, although this meant that Niamh's comment just a moment ago was a lot less platitude than Towhee might have guessed. There was no love lost between Towhee and Colt, yet they were not the only ones in their respective packs and if they could ally with Quixote, they could ally with Colt too.

In response to Niamh's condolences, Towhee shook her head and shrugged simultaneously, voice slightly quieter than usual as she said, "I'm sorry she was sick and that Eljay and their kids are suffering, but they're the ones who need your sympathy, not me. I'm fine."

Towhee was super pragmatic- as she probably had to be, and Niamh was relieved that she was doing alright, but just because Wildfire and Eljay's kids needed sympathy didn't mean that Towhee didn't deserve any herself. She'd been with Towhee when she'd found Orca, and she'd been with Towhee when Screech had been sentenced to die; so she'd seen how much losing a sibling could hurt...But perhaps she'd become a bit desensitized over time. She hated to think that losing siblings could eventually become something that one could simply endure. 

She opened her mouth to speak again, but she heard a series of squalls and squeals from the densite just up ahead. She could hear Colt's voice rumbling, egging the kids on, enciting more squeals and happy screams. She rolled her eyes. "Oh good. He's got the kids all riled up." She said, and she was overheard. She gave Colt the raised eyebrow as he coyly exited the den and sidestepped to allow them access the den of brawling, yelling youngsters, as though to say 'they're all yours' before he grinned, winked and left them be. "C'mon. Let me introduce you to our minithings," She said, raising her voice over the din that came from the inside of the den. 

Both pups were wide-eyed and awake, and as soon as they saw their mother, their cries intensified- but came to an abrupt halt as soon as they saw Towhee. This was, of course, the first time they laid eyes on a wolf other than their mother and father. She laughed. "I think they prolly think all wolves look like me an' Colt," She said, given the fact that Nellie and Bronco were more or less carbon copies of their parents. Towhee's markings definitely set her apart. "Mini-me is Nellie, and Mini-Colt is Bronco." She said, forgetting that she'd already told Towhee their names earlier. "Kids, this is your auntie Towhee," She said, looking then to her friend to gauge her reaction.

They finally reached their destination and Towhee stiffened a little when Colt exited. She said nothing as he slipped away into the copse, leaving the two she-wolves to wrangle the pups. There was a brief moment of hesitation before the visitor thrust her head inside the den. She couldn't hear any of the noises they were making, though she saw the way her presence gave them pause.

She honestly missed the introductions, her own eyes fixed on those two sweet faces peering up at her. It was a boy and a girl, just like hers, only very different. "Heya, guys," she greeted, tail swinging gently as she lowered herself to the den floor, welcoming them to come closer to investigate if they wished.

It was a pleasure, getting to spend time with Niamh and the two miniatures, even if one of them looked like Colt. She didn't think she was their godmother, though she was just happy that she'd been able to reconnect with her old friend and have this. It wasn't exactly the same as before (it could and never would be) but by the time Towhee was ready to leave and get back to her own kids, she was content, the recent altercation with Tegan and everything far from her mind.

"Thank you, Niamh," Towhee said when they stepped just outside the den's door. "Do you want to call Colt or a sitter so you can walk me out?" Sure, she could see herself out but the thought of crossing through claimed territory without an escort didn't sit well with her at all, alliances be damned. "Or we could see if Uncle Elwood or Aunt Finley or somebody else wants to chaperone my ass outta here," she quipped.

I fast forwarded a bit, lol... hope that's okay!

Though Towhee looked much different from the two wolves the kids had seen, she was welcomed by them eventually, though they were stil so young there wasn't really much that came along with interacting with them. She felt happy, seeing Towhee with her kids- this was how things should have been- Niamh with the family she'd so desperately wanted, and Towhee there with her to play with them and teach them Ptero. Of course, Niamh would do the same on their own- so that they, like their mother and close friends, could communicate effectively. 

When the time came for Towhee to depart, she suggested calling Finley or Elwood- but Niamh knew that Colt would be close by, just waiting to relieve Niamh, so she shrugged. "I'll shout for Colt. Put him to work, it'll be good for him." She snickered, before she called for her mate to come and take care of the kids. Once they were looked after, she began the trek back toward the borders with her friend. 

"Seriously, though- let me know once you guys are settled, OK?" She asked. "An' I'll get Colt or someone to babysit so I can come and meet your kiddos." She said with a soft smile.

Niamh opted to summon her mate back to watch the pups, freeing the two of them to make their way to the borders together. They traveled there in companionable silence (or so Towhee assumed, knowing no difference), then turned and faced one another when they arrived at their parting point.

-"I'll come when I can,"- was Towhee's promise. There was so much that needed to take priority over another visit or even sending word, so she couldn't say when they'd meet again. She knew they would though. -"See ya, Niamh."- She reached out to touch her nose to her friend's muzzle, then turned and trotted back toward the plateau, the pain in her wounded shoulder flaring, growing worse with every step.