Ghost Lion Crag Just a groove.

She'd felt a little better ever since her conversation with Niamh. The prospect of grandchildren, however distant, served as a buoy in a stormy sea of emotions; she latched onto it and clung. Taking advantage of the slight boost in her mood, Towhee departed from the copse. This wasn't an idle walk. She strode deliberately toward the nearby crag and began to climb.

She settled in the same spot where they'd rendezvoused last... and also the spot where she'd taken Arcturus's virginity. That was the silver lining to her otherwise bad news: she most definitely didn't have to worry about birthing his bastards. The confirmed emptiness of her womb hopefully meant she needn't fear @Hydra's wrath, so Towhee took a chance and howled for her sister.

The boy from the copse had led him carefully through the Firebird claim and after a curt farewell, Asa was left in the shadowed valley between the mountains. It was more like a chasm - but there was less cover than the hinterlands proper and Asa finally felt like he could breathe easy. It sucked to leave the region behind but he had places to be, people to track down (and potentially confront if his luck held out) so he did not dally.

As he hiked along his heavy steps crunched the snow; he paused along one ridge to look back, seeing the treetops from an angled vantage point, and sighed deeply. Maybe he would come back this way one day. As Asa moved on, he heard what sounded like a cougar in heat yowling from an adjacent ridge - it was a blood curdling drone without any pitch control, making him wince in physical agony until its conclusion. He opted to avoid it.

In doing so however, the wanderer put himself on a direct path with the true culprit of ear-shattering dissonance: up ahead among some trees stood a black-and-ginger wolf. The man looked around skeptically before steadying himself across the stonework and began closing the distance, making himself known merely through the beat of his steps. If there was some sort of creature lurking here, it was best to stick together.

Could be a cameo if preferred! Could not help myself.

Just like last time, it wasn't Hydra who appeared, but a strange and masculine figure. Unlike last time, he did not look like the mountain's queen, nor did Towhee find him in the least alluring. She turned slightly to center her gaze on the approaching stranger, her orange eyes narrowing slightly as the fur along her back prickled warily. She tipped her snout lightly to sniff the air, yet there was nothing telling about his scent, other than what her eyes already told her: he was young, healthy, strong.

Idly, the mercenary wondered why her calls for her sister always drew strange men out of the woodwork (or stonework, in this case). Were her calls not as clear as she hoped? That was entirely possible, given she couldn't hear them. Towhee huffed a breath, wondering if the black monarch would eventually appear. In the meantime, she couldn't exactly ignore the unfamiliar wolf lurking nearby.

Actually, maybe she could consult him on the matter. "When I howled just now, I was intending to call for someone by the name of Hydra. But I can't hear," Towhee said in lieu of a proper greeting. "Am I actually saying something like, 'strange dudes I don't know, come hither'?" She gave him a pointed look.

When she turned and caught his eye, Asa slowed. He did not want to intimidate her or make her uncomfortable, merely keep her apprised of the possible dangers lurking - chivalry and all that - but the look on her face appeared to darken. She volleyed some words his way, which brought proper understanding to Asa and he felt immediately guilty for his assumptions. That might not have been a big cat that he heard after all.

There was a slight lilt of humor to the woman's words but they were overshadowed by the look on her face.

Apologies then, he comments with a shy dip of his head. I misinterpreted the call and thought there was something dangerous lurking nearby. What had he hoped to achieve, save a damsel in distress? She wasn't in any distress and, as he sized her up with a glance, she looked fully capable without him. He paused and offered a thin smile.

Clearly he had no reason to linger, so he nodded a silent farewell to her and began to move again, presuming she did not stop him.

A brow arched at his response. Before Towhee could think of how to respond to that, he started to shuffle away. "Hold up," the mercenary said without thinking, "what about it said 'danger' to you? I mean," she continued, holding out a foreleg in the universal gesture of, come on, "I'm really, actually deaf and I don't know what I sound like. Was it too loud or... screechy or something?"

That word made her mind blip briefly to her disenfranchised brother, though only for a moment. Her gaze settled on the stranger, studying his features. Although they didn't really look that similar, Towhee's thoughts suddenly shifted to another former loved one: Rye. He had gone missing sometime during the quakes, along with a handful of others whose fates she still didn't know, might never know. She frowned without realizing it, her heart giving a single throb of mourning as she thought of her old friend. Even more than Pippin, he had come closest to breaking down Towhee's romantic barriers.

He stopped when bade to, turning to face her. Having never encountered someone fully deaf before, Asa wasn't sure how to approach this conversation. The elders of the mountain he had come from were in various stages of degradation due to their advanced ages - but that was different. He doubted that shouting words would be of use (which was practically the only way to speak to those older wolves and be understood). He felt a little like a fish out of water as he listened to her.

He did not want to insult her.

I... I thought what I was hearing... was a cougar. His ears fanned awkardly in place, twisting back and then forward, a flash of apology crossing his face. It was unlike anything familiar to me. I suppose... Screeching is accurate? No offense meant, miss.

Hopefully she would not tear his face off; Asa really wished he had ignored the call at this point, even if that went against his nature, his nurture, and everything else.

Her head cocked at his answer. He'd thought she was a cougar and described her call as screechy. Well, damn. Why hadn't anyone told her about this? Towhee's eyes turned to slits as she thought of all the wolves in her life who could've mentioned she sounded like a donkey getting its ass slapped. For crying out loud... (literally).

Her nose wrinkled at the formality. "You can call me Towhee," she told him, "and don't worry, I'm not offended. I'm glad somebody told me, I had no idea I sounded like that." She muttered a couple other things under her breath, then queried, "So, who are you, anyway?"

She glanced at the surrounding mountainside, peeping for any sign of Hydra. But her friend hadn't shown up yet, might not appear at all. Towhee should not only work on her summons, she should probably find a new locale. Come to think of it, she had no idea why she'd reused this one. Aside from their one chance meeting here, it had never worked out particularly well.

Miles away, Hydra had heard; she howled belatedly in turn, having dealt with a trespasser in the midst of Towhee's own call. For Hydra, she was used to the strange summons of Towhee and thought nothing of it; to her, it was still a howl, simply far more pitchy. With a shake of her furs, Hydra took the coyote and cached it before heading out to meet Towhee. 

On-her-way post!

The name is Asa, he says after her question. He smirks sheepishly, but the expression melts from his face when he takes note of how she's looking around. Maybe his talk of cougars has spooked her? But she does not look worried, just a bit impatient or something. It occurs to him that maybe she'd been trying to alert someone to her position; so he backs off a step and looks around too, wondering just who might emerge to greet her.

You uh, one of them Firebirds? She must be; he had not encountered any other claims in this area and he had just been escorted through their territory; perhaps that was a fact he should avoid sharing, although he would have been carrying Bronco's liberal scent. Unsure if Towhee caught the question, he waits until she's less focused on the surroundings and adds, Pretty nice area for a home...

Her attention fixed on the stranger once more, only he offered a name, so now they were officially acquaintances. He wanted to know if she was a Firebird, his exact phrasing amusing her and prompting Towhee to arch a brow. She wondered what Asa knew of the pack.

"Yeah, I'm the pack's Regent, which is a fancy title for second-in-command," she said, unaware that Hydra had called from en route because, naturally, she couldn't hear and Asa hadn't given any indication he'd heard anything either. "How 'bout you? Do you live around here somewhere?" A thought hit her and she couldn't help but crack, "Are you one of Samantha's?"

Oops, meant to mention I could be skipped another round but I don't think I did????????? ANYHOW HERE I COME

 

It had taken Hydra some time to arrive, but arrive she did. The she-wolf approached from behind Asa, and her eyes assessed him openly; Towhee did not seem to be disgruntled or anything of the sort, and so she had no reason to think he was an enemy to her. Moving to greet her sister-in-arms with a friendly nip, she circled to place herself between the two. It was not a quick trip from here to Moonspear, and so whatever conversation transpired thus far between them Hydra had missed. 

A cursory sniff told Hydra this was not a Firebird; perhaps it was a recruit, then. I am Hydra Ostrega, she introduced, ears pricked, and you are...? she inquired, cognizant of the fact that she had likely missed introductions. She did not think he would have answered a call not meant for him, and was also conscious of the fact that it had taken her time to arrive here—so she said nothing to that point, thinking him only a wolf passing through.

Sorry for the wait!

The regent? That sounded impressive. Having never met one before, Asa didn't know how to approach further conversation - but it wasn't too pressing, as the dark woman continued without issue. She mentioned someone named Samantha and he shook his head, opening his mouth to say no — right as a presence swept in to his periphery. The newcomer was large, dark, and full of confidence; they came up behind him quickly and he bristled a bit, turning to face the wolf with the threatening aura.

This second wolf introduced herself; it meant little to him. Asa looked between the women and noticed that the regent was unaffected, so he took her nonchalance as a cue to relax a little bit. With three healthy wolves in one space, even if there was a cougar they could make short work of it.

Asa Morgan, he finally manages to say, peering between them both. And I don't know any Samantha.

Before he could reply to her mock accusation, Hydra materialized behind Asa, a leonine shadow. Towhee's muscles froze as she held her breath. This was the moment of truth. She remained motionless as Hydra padded around Asa and slipped her a nuzzle. Towhee felt the tension in her body loosen immediately. Perhaps a little too enthusiastically, she returned the gesture with a bump of her own, even a little lick to the other female's whiskers.

She felt a little impatient as Hydra's attention strayed to Asa and they exchanged introductions. Towhee didn't want to be rude, though now that her sister-in-arms was here (and obviously not out for blood), she desperately wanted to catch up with her. She hoped Asa would take it upon himself to leave, forgetting to even acknowledge his response to her question.

Asa Morgan. Hydra's ear twitched in quiet acknowledgment while Towhee greeted her, tail swaying behind her. Samantha was not a wolf Hydra had ever heard of either; she supposed she would, though, if she was of any importance. It seemed not to be so, given Towhee's lack of response to that. Sniffing the air for indication of any other wolves that might be in the area, or predators, the Ostrega could detect none. 

It seemed there was no recruitment effort being done here, and Moonspear was too full for her to consider doing so herself. Not only that, but she thought such a thing to be lacking in tact in the moment. Hydra regarded Asa again, and drawled: do you seek to claim this place? For she would not chase him away from something he was seeking to build, though she would relocate to quit his company (Towhee in tow) and let him work on establishing it. It was clear he had done no such work toward that end yet, given she and Towhee stood in the middle of it.

Sorry for the wait!

One woman was dismissive; the other asked him some pointed questions that made him uncomfortable. All he had been doing was passing through (and potentially rescuing someone) but now it felt as if he was not needed, and more than that, not welcome. He shook his head to the dark wolf first. No. I'm -- just no.

Then, when it became evident by the way Towhee disregarded him that there wasn't really any reason for him to linger, he ducked from between the two women and began to depart their company. He spoke as he went: Nice to meet you, I guess, but I have places to be.

And with that, he removed himself.

She didn't intend to be rude, though she was just that as she gave Asa's departing back a dismissive look and no other acknowledgement whatsoever. Towhee's attention then returned in full to Hydra, her neck instinctively stretching out to sniff noses with the other she-wolf again. Her tail stirred, so gladdened that there didn't seem to be a drop of bad blood between them.

"I'm doing much better than the last time we met," she couldn't help but say, though she bit back the urge to launch into a long soliloquy about her family's return and everything else that had transpired since their last meet in December. "How about you? How are you, Hydra?"

Oh? Well, do not hold back, tell me more, Hydra encouraged, and then thoughtfully asked: were those lost to you found? The Ostrega hoped so, and imagined that this in itself might be a great source of happiness for Towhee. They were both quite family driven after all, though perhaps there was something else. The other did seem quite happy, happier than usual even, though Hydra attributed that moreso to the others mentioned good-fortune as of late than anything else. 

As for how she was doing? Hydra hummed, well, Isilme was found; she got turned around in the Winter, though found her way back fortunately. Your niece and nephews are growing so fast... some taller than us, she marveled with a smirk. The season has been a bit... stressful, I admit. We have more she-wolves than last year... though given their lack of mates, I was able to curb their heats or else monitor them, Hydra had given them the choice, though the stress of her presence was enough to end any heat prematurely, it seemed. I expect you will have more nieces and nephews yourself, though, not quite yet, since she had not gone into her own season yet. 

Speaking of nieces and nephews, will I be getting any more this year? she quipped, not knowing that Towhee was barren (narrator note: so we THOUGHT, we been FOOLED) and mateless alike. Truthfully, she marveled that she had been without a mate thus far. As far as Hydra saw her, Towhee was one of the most brilliant women that she knew. So perhaps something had changed this year, or perhaps not; the semantics of Figment and Fen not being brought to life by Towhee were just that to Hydra, who only recalled in the moment that she already was a mother; they might not have been birthed by her, but that, to Hydra, did not mean that Towhee was incapable of bringing her own into this world when she found a suitable partner.

In reply, Towhee simply nodded. That was enough for now. She wanted to hear Hydra's news before she offered up further details. For someone who couldn't actually hear, she liked to think she was an attentive listener. Her eyes latched onto Hydra's lips, drinking in every word she spoke as she regaled the Regent with her recent goings-on.

The bit about curbing heats struck her as extraordinary, though Towhee didn't interrupt to ask about it. Her lips curved at Hydra's good news. She anticipated the question that came next and steeled herself for it. It still stung a little, having to hash out this subject again and again, though Towhee didn't feel nearly as emotionally bruised about it by now.

"No, I can't have children of my own," she replied simply, "but it's okay. Phox and Fig returned, so I have them and Fen. That's all I need. And, one day, I hope they'll give me grandchildren." That was her buoy in this stormy sea, which had calmed a lot lately, though she knew big waves of grief would come now and again. "I'm happy to hear about your growing family and everything else. Sugar also turned up, though she's gone again now. She's living with family elsewhere." She doubted Hydra's interest in the matter went much further than that.

Speaking of nieces and nephews, Towhee almost forgot to add, "Phox and my friend, Niamh, are mates now. They're hopefully going to have a litter soon. I'll be an aunt many times over this season." Her tail wagged, her entire demeanor so much lighter than the last time.

The news came as a shock to Hydra; she had never heard of a wolf that could not bear children. And hearing it from Towhee did bring a sadness to Hydra, as she could not imagine her friend not wanting such for herself as family-oriented as they both were... but she did not hold on to it for very long. Towhee would not want that from her, or surely anyone. Hydra would not linger on the topic in her belief that Towhee likely did not care to, and fortunately Towhee pressed right on. 

So they had returned, as she had supposed and hoped. Her tail waved to hear it, and Hydra further hoped that they would do as Towhee wanted to so Towhee could get all she wanted. Sugar had returned too, which earned another beat of her tail—though hearing she had left again caused her plume to slow to a stop in its sweep. Towhee did not seem wounded by it, though. Likely because she was still with family out there. 

Hydra remembered Niamh, though they had met very long ago; that Phox and Niamh were mates was not unpleasant news at all, and Towhee seemed glad for this too; indeed, there was a lot for her to be happy about. She was glad to hear it, really. My own siblings do not seem to be in any rush to find mates or have children of their own, she drawled, well, except for Alya; she has a mate, though they have not asked me about children this year yet, her voice was not absent of disappointment; she had hoped that her children might have cousins. And as for my younger siblings... I had to educate them on all that comes with this season. I really am not sure what my mother and father were able to tell them before... Hydra's tongue seemed to become too heavy to move, to press against her teeth to announce the words they died... but she did her best to recover from the lapse, licking her chops and saying: anyway, I wonder if they have any love interests; they do not talk to me about all of that, she admitted with a small laugh. Granted, she did not ask—but there were some things she wished they would just want to share with her. So she simply imagined, there were no suitors of them—and they were courting no one themselves, yet. Was that even an interest to them? 

Hydra felt very much like a mother then, and not simply to her own children. 

Pushing the thought away, Hydra grinned to Towhee: so, any men for you? Just because Towhee could not have children did not mean that she could not have love, or a little crush, or what have you. At the very least they could speak with one another of these things; from time to time, Hydra liked to indulge in these little moments where she could just be... and their friendship was something she valued greatly. She could only speak so with her own identical sisters and no other; with Towhee, there were these precious little instances where Hydra could be just a girl.

When Hydra mentioned Alya, one of Towhee's ears splayed. She couldn't imagine choosing not to have children, so she wondered about the delay. It was none of her business, ultimately, so she didn't ask. Her lips twitched into a sympathetic smile when her sister-in-arms drawled on about educating the youths in Moonspear, though they just as quickly twisted into an empathetic frown when Hydra mentioned her parents' absence. Towhee remembered that they had died not so long ago. They were both orphans now, technically, a title even an otherwise mature adult never embraces easily. The Regent reached out again, touching her nose to Hydra's earlobe.

Hydra's question might've teased a smile from Towhee if not for the fact that, yes, she'd had many men; and none of them was a serious option; and that included Hydra's own brother. She paused, wondering if Hydra even knew about it. She probably didn't and it was almost definitely better that way. Towhee's tongue ran over her teeth as she contemplated having this secret between them. She didn't like it and might have confessed just to make sure there was nothing off limits in their sisterhood, except that she didn't want Hydra to turn on Arcturus. She may not think much of him but she didn't want to risk destroying the siblings' relationship for no reason other than a clean conscience.

"I've had many men," Towhee eventually said, forcing a smirk though her eyes were careful on Hydra's face, "but no one serious. I don't know, I'm just not interested in romance. And I don't care for sex either, except when I'm in season." Her shoulders rose and dropped in a shrug. "I'm happy this way, for the record. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. But, tell me," she continued, eyes sparking with a little genuine mischief now, "what's it like, just boning one man again and again and again? I wouldn't know." She finished by batting her eyelashes innocently, then braying a very unattractive laugh.

An appreciative look was given toward Towhee's touch; she knew Towhee was there for her, at least. There were so many living that she loved that it simply did not make sense to linger for very long over what she had lost for too long. As Towhee spoke, Hydra gave a look of intrigued surprise; many men? 

Hydra went to work at rationalizing it in a manner that would justify her preconceived notion of this being, well, not a good thing. Towhee could not have children, so it only made sense that she do so perhaps in the vain attempt to see if she even could. If it was her, or if it was them. Evidently it was her, if she had many and it yielded nothing which was a shame. But Towhee shared it was not something she even wanted for herself, so perhaps not such a shame after all. Although Towhee could still go into season, which was interesting. A terrible tease, that, given its purpose was to procreate. Hydra found that for these reasons, she could hardly judge Towhee—would she not have done the same in her position? Of course she would have. Hydra would do anything to achieve what it was she wanted. 

So her expression was not without some delight to hear this juicy tidbit. In fact, as Towhee said, no one serious, Hydra—playful and coy—drew a foreleg to her chest and inquired with a little gasp: strangers?! before acknowledging the rest of what Towhee said after a minute or two of thinking. I am glad to hear it, really. Also for the record, you are brilliant on your own. One man, many men, none at all—it does not change that, Hydra hummed. Who needed interest or romance? Towhee was an accomplished woman without all of that. She was no less for her lack of interest in romance, or inability to have children. 

The question, though, was one rewarded at first with a chaste little grin. When Towhee laughed, though, the sound was so obscene that Hydra found it contagious enough to laugh, genuinely, herself. With a shake of her head, Hydra drawled: very good, if I wish to do it again and again and again, she drawled, that chaste grin all but gone now as a playfully triumphant expression took hold of her features.

She couldn't know what Hydra would make of her promiscuity, whether her sister-in-arms would approve or disapprove of Towhee's temporarily spates as the town bicycle. Her playful retort earned a little snort from Towhee as she made no effort to relieve her of this impression. Yes, most of them were (or had been) strangers prior to bumping uglies. Many of them remained that way. Pippin was the only true exception nowadays, although Towhee's conscience reminded her that Arcturus wasn't really a stranger anymore either...

Hydra made a pretty clever joke in response to Towhee's question. She snorted again, enjoying the risque turn the conversation had taken even if it flirted with dangerous territory. "You're right, whether or not we have men makes no difference. We're still queens. Well, ah, I'm more of a Regent. I don't think I mentioned that yet, did I? I'm Wraen's second-in-command now." She may not be a wife, nor a natural mother, but she was a born leader.

Without being very aware of it, Towhee hummed under her breath, tail stirring. She found herself thinking ahead. No one could say when Hydra's season would come calling, though the Regent supposed it might be a while before their next rendezvous. Her sister-in-arms would either be fertile, expecting, nursing or raising young pups soon. Towhee could come calling at Moonspear, though it didn't seem like a particularly good idea, all things considered. They had gone much longer without meeting before, so she supposed it would be all right, though she would miss Hydra's companionship in the meantime even as she wished her all the best.

They had right now, though, and Towhee was in no hurry to return home just yet. And she hoped Hydra didn't have to go soon either. Regardless, the Regent would savor every moment they could spend together this day.

Towhee was—ah, she elaborated. The matriarch had hoped that Wraen may have perished, or something to that effect that would make her otherwise indisposed. True that Hydra did not wish the she-wolf any ill, but if illness struck it would not be a crying shame to the Ostrega. There was not a lick of disappointment to be seen on her features despite the fact that no such thing had happened. You did not, she hummed with a wave of her tail. I am glad to hear it, though truth be told I cannot say I am surprised. Of wolves that are meant to be leaders, you certainly spring to mind, Hydra complimented. Wraen would be foolish indeed to neglect Towhee and what she offered as a whole. Hydra saw Towhee as more of a first-in-command sort of wolf, though held her tongue there. Towhee was happy, and that was all that mattered to the Ostrega, truly. 

On the subject of Wraen, though, Hydra wondered of how she fared. Neither enemy, nor friend—there was a cool indifference Hydra felt for her. Still, perhaps one of her siblings might care to know how she was doing. It did seem the polite, right thing to do. Good-naturedly, she inquired without personal interest and a wave of her tail, does your first-in-command expect cubs of her own this year as well as Niamh? She wondered if there might  be many new Firebirds this year, as she hoped there might be a gracious plenty within Moonspear. A manageable amount, of course—but more than simply her four.

"I concur," Towhee agreed with a playfully haughty smirk. The subject suddenly made her think of Raven, who had been thrust into leadership (by yours truly), rather than naturally assume the role, like Towhee and Hydra. She now shared that burden with three others, which seemed to be working well for her. But Towhee didn't let her thoughts stray too long or far. Thinking about her elder sister drummed up her sorrow over their last meeting.

Hydra's question caught her off guard a little bit. Towhee pursed her lips, wondering if she should tell Hydra that Wraen was infertile as well, as far as she knew. But like with her own tryst with Arcturus, it really wasn't her information to share. Instead, she replied, "I don't think so. Wraen doesn't have a mate either. I think she likes kids well enough but I'm not sure she wants any of her own." That was truthful, too. "And I think," she continued ponderously, "my godparents are done as well, though who knows?" Only Finley and Elwood themselves, for now.

"Hey, Hydra?" Towhee changed tack in the next breath, her entire tone and facial expression suddenly changing, "I can tell you anything and you can tell me anything, right? We can be completely honest with one another?"

That was interesting, though she could not say Wraen had ever struck her as maternal. She had a soft spots for dumb wolves, though, like Korei Julia... and all children could be dumb when they were young. So somehow, Hydra found herself a little surprised to think she never wanted them. Strange too, given she was head honcho. Hydra was driven herself by the biological instinct to continue her own line, though she was quite unaware of it. It sounded as though only Niamh and Phox would be having children then, though that was not a bad thing. Certainly increased the survival rate of their brood. About to respond, Towhee's features morphed into something else and she clapped her mouth shut to listen. 

The question was not one she expected, admittedly. Of course, Hydra said, her own features serious. Have we not always been that way? She asked, voice not absent of warmth—to be sure, Hydra herself openly shared all that she could with Towhee, not thinking anything of her own transparency. Hydra had, for her own part, never been anything but honest—and she did not suspect Towhee to have been dishonest herself. Still, she listened on, sensing Towhee had more to say.