Sun Mote Copse When the world went long.

I'ma date this for the 22nd.

In the days following the pack's evacuation, Towhee came to realize they'd definitely made the right call. The deluge continued and the copse slowly vanished underwater. She wondered what they would find once the rain stopped and the water receded. Would the copse be inhabitable again or would they be forced to stay in the glade?

She couldn't think about that just now. "@Fennec! Penn! @Savaktuk!" she shouted for the nth time, sloshing through ankle-deep water near the copse's southern edge. "IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, MEET ME AT THE WESTERN BORDERS!" Her voice was hoarse, not that she knew it. She had been shouting the same line for hours days.

Eventually, she made her way to the rendezvous point along the western edge, orange eyes scanning for any sign of @Figment or their two missing comrades. He had taken the northern sweep, now they were meant to touch base in the middle. Towhee stood there, sopping wet, breathing a little heavily. Soon, they would have to give up and catch up with the rest of the pack in the glade. But it felt like such an impossible call to make.

Searching the territory for Fennec and Savaktuk was proving to be quite difficult. Not only was the land hard to traverse, but the rain was doing a pretty thorough job of washing away the scents and other land markings he would otherwise have relied on. His nose was filled with the smell of water and earth and little else while any visible signs that someone had been through were drowning in the downpour.

Needless to say Figment was pretty frustrated and worried by the time he made his way to meet Towhee. He too had done his fair share of shouting (though he couldn't boast his calls had quite the same jarring effect as his mother's), but to no avail. He wouldn't give up, of course. He didn't actually know who Savaktuk was, but that didn't particularly matter to his motivation--though it was obviously Fennec that was the catalyst for his anxiety.

-"Anything?"- he asked as he came to a stop before Towhee, twitching his muzzle away as the move of his paw sent a bit of mud glopping up towards his face. He repeated the sign slower, just to make sure his twitch didn't muss up the translation, even though he could already see what the answer would be.

wanna get this in my log! Depending on timing I'll hop in and have her show up

Fennec didn't hide away forever after her fight with Penn, but she did so long enough to miss the meeting and the leaving.  As she began to look for her parents, the longer she went without finding anyone, the more she began to slowly panic.  She even went so far as to check near the river, but despite shouting over the torrent, no one showed.

It would be her luck that she'd chose to stay and then her family would ditch on her too, wasn't it?  She knew there had to be an explanation, but the sheer audacity of losing Penn and then immediately everyone else set her to laughing (with only slight hysterics).  God, what the fuck.

There was no way she was chasing down Penn.  She didn't care if she never saw his stupid face again right now (or so she adamantly convinced herself) and besides, he was probably long gone.  She had no idea where to even start, so she took the age-old advice and stayed put.  She just had to hope they came back.

It was a while later, time passed by wandering and thinking about how she was going to get some food, before Fennec heard Towhee's calls.  Oh thank fucking god.  It might take her a bit, even at a slightly more reckless pace than usual, but she immediately set off for the western border.

It wasn't long before Fig appeared, his swarthy figure cutting through the sheeting rain. It was raining so hard that Towhee could barely make out his lips, though the signing served well enough. She gave her own weary legs and vocal chords a break and merely shook her head as a wave of anxiety washed over her. She wasn't too bothered about Savaktuk (sorry, buddy) but she couldn't stop thinking of Fennec standing so close to the rushing water...

-"Maybe she and Penn are holed up somewhere together,"- she shouted when she finally found her voice. But it wasn't really Towhee's style to be optimistic and there was no hope on her face. There was only the naked fear for the blind yearling, plus the heartache of having to make the call. Could they really give up on Fennec?

No, her inner voice decided, I won't give up until I find her. Less than a second after this thought seared through her mind, she said aloud, -"You should head on to the glade, catch up with the others. I'm going to go to Moonspear, let Meerkat and Bronco know what's happened and ask them to keep an eye out for Fen."-

As he'd expected, Towhee's search had yielded no more results than Fig's. He frowned thoughtfully, considering her words. It was what he too thought was most likely, though something bothered him. Something in his mind wouldn't shut up, and that something was pretty convinced that while they were indeed holed up together, it was miles and miles away from here. It was an unfounded thought. He knew his sister and there was no way she'd just up and bail on them. Penn though... He'd do it. In a heartbeat.

Fig looked sharply at his mother at the recommendation she made. She was going to Moonspear? Alone? In this weather? He shook his head. -"I want to keep looking,"- he asked, trying hold back the authority that had started to come so naturally to his voice when he'd been leading Penn and Fenn around, -"I doubt they'd make their way to the glade. Penn... Penn wouldn't take her there, even if he knew that's where we were moving. If they're still around, they'll be in the Copse."-

That much he was certain of. Penn didn't like being around the pack, anyone could see it. He would take the opportunity to steal some blame-free alone time with Fennec. Fig felt his hackles prickle a bit at the thought, but he steadied himself. As for Moonspear, this relationship with the pack was something foreign to him. He didn't know what he thought of it, but he did know that Wraen, Arcturus and Maia were gone because of it. He wondered.

-"Do you really think they need the heads up? I'd be shocked if Bronco hasn't been keeping an eye out for Fenn since the day she left with Penn,"- Fig reasoned, not wanting to blatantly tell her he didn't like the idea of her going.

One call was enough to set Fennec on the road to where she needed to go, but the western border was long, and the rain made everything harder.  She felt her breathing pick up as she imagined Towhee leaving without her, and she yelled MOM!? before even realizing that it was pointless.  They were such a shitty combination, but this time, she didn't have it in her to laugh about it.

Was she even by the borders? She didn't know.  She slowed to a walk, and then a halt, letting her head hang down miserably as water dripped from her nose.  She'd already been here so long, waiting.  She didn't know what had happened or why everyone had left, but maybe she would have if fucking Penn hadn't... god damn it.  Why did he have to be such a fucking crybaby?

FUCK!!  This came out half as a yell, half as a shriek, as frustration overwhelmed her.  Then she sat down, both ears pricked to listen.  There was so little chance, but maybe, just maybe, Towhee would yell again.

Her son's words gave her pause, not because he insisted on continuing the search but because of what he said about Penn. Towhee frowned, her expression going stony when Figment questioned her plan about Moonspear. Why did everyone want to prevent her from getting word to the kids there? There was an interesting inference about Bronco and Fennec in there somewhere but Towhee was too distracted to acknowledge it right then.

-"Bronco and Meerkat plan to visit regularly. Do we really want them risking the trip... and finding the copse like this? Flooded, with no sign of anyone?"- Towhee shook her head. -"I'd rather let them know what's happening."- She paused to shake some water out of her eyes. -"If you want to come with me, we don't have to go all the way there. I could howl and you can be my ears. If they respond, then we can head to the glade and see if Fen and Penn somehow made their way there?"- she suggested even as the thought crossed her mind.

Fig had overlooked the part of her statement where she'd wanted to let them know they had moved. But not even that really convinced him that they ought to go. Bronco wouldn't let Meerkat come visit in this mess. It was too dangerous, and his stepbrother was not a moron. In his mind, Meerkat was just a little thing still. The thought that she was old enough to make her own decisions, and perhaps big enough to go on her own regardless of what anyone told her, didn't occur to him.

He could tell Towhee was agitated, though, so he didn't really want to press the issue. Going with her would have to do, but he still didn't want to go until they spent a little more time looking for Fenn. His ears twitched in that moment--he thought he'd heard something. But as the sound of a distant branch snapping and crashing into the ground overtook his attention, the hope that it had been Fenn screaming FUCK!! was quickly whisked away.

-"Can we do one more round of looking for Fenn first?"- he requested earnestly, and maybe a little stubbornly. Bronco and Meerkat were in no immediate danger that they were aware of, so long as they were smart and remained on their mountain (which he was fairly confident they would). Fennec was lost in the storms with Penn Blackthorn. She needed them far more now.

They really left her.  All of them.

The pounding in her ears grew louder the longer she sat.  She couldn't even cry... she was just numb.  It was a secret fear she carried, but not one she'd ever thought would actually happen.  Not like this.  She knew it didn't make sense, and that her parents and brother would never actually abandon her.  But rational thought wasn't something in large supply when she found herself completely alone and with no clue where to begin looking.

She was drenched, hungry, and exhausted, but she didn't move.  Towhee was obviously gone.  There was no follow up call, and slowly Fennec stood.  Her mind was blank; instinctually, though, she began to walk.

She couldn't stay here.  She didn't know when the water would stop but she remembered how worried Towhee had been.  She needed higher ground, and from all of her trips as a kid, she knew where to find it.  Maybe they'd come back, maybe they wouldn't.  Maybe she'd starve before they did.  Either way, she couldn't just sit here and wait.  Slowly, she began to make her way north.

feel free to skip me until they run into her! Or, if they don't, until I just wave my hands and say she teleported there magically

She could see her son contemplating what she'd said. In the end, he didn't reply directly, which was fine with Towhee. Hopefully that meant he would come along. But first, he wanted to make one last circuit before calling it quits on their search for Fennec. She could hardly say no to that.

-"Yeah, of course,"- she replied right before noisily sucking in a wet breath and screaming yet again, "FEN!!! PENN!!! SAVAKTUK!!! IF YOU'RE OUT THERE, PLEASE HOWL OR COME TO THE WESTERN BORDERS!!!"

Fig was relieved when Towhee agreed to continue the search for Fenn a little longer, but he tensed quickly when he saw that telltale intake of breath that told him the hammer was about to come down on his ears. His mother was certainly capable of being loud when she needed. He tried not to cringe as she screamed into the rain, not wanting to offend her. It was always rather jarring though, especially when standing so near to her when she did it.

He let her voice echo through the trees for a moment before he made his own effort to call for Fenn. He opted for the more wolf-ish route and merely tipped his head back and howled. It was a less... alarming... way of going about it, but still loud in spite of its eloquence. Once his voice was the one echoing about, he looked again at Towhee. -How about I go South this time and you go North? See if I missed something?- he suggested, opting not to speak aloud so he could listen to see if Fenn or any of the others might call back.

I'll just have her come to them XD

The lake was her aim.  It had been her frequent target in the rebellious days when she'd frequently disappeared alone, trying to go farther and farther past her limits and still manage to return.  The last time had been the time Wraen saved her from attack, but with the rain, the danger had to be lower.  Besides, what other choice did she have?

Her stomach tightened uncomfortably.  She knew what would happen without the pack - unless she stumbled on an easy meal, she was in trouble.  The familiar anger that always came when she was forced to confront her limitations was colored with a very real, soon to be overwhelming, tinge of fear.

Then, distantly, another call.  It was softer... she'd moved on.  But she recognized Towhee's voice.  Fig's sounded right after, and she changed directions immediately.  She began to run at a fairly reckless pace for herself, but she needed them to hear her before they moved on.  Summons were maddening for her - there was only so much accuracy one could gain when the calls carried for miles.  

She lifted her head and howled back, desperately.  Over and over again, until they answered, her steps carrying her in the trajectory she'd heard their voices from.  Every time she slipped, or tripped, she immediately rose and charged on.  By the end she was a mud-soaked jaggernaut crashing her way through the sodden copse.

She watched Figment raise his head and howl, though of course she heard none of it. When he finished, he turned back toward her with a question on his lips. Towhee nodded. It was as good a plan as any. They had already covered the same ground again and again, though it was the wilderness. With the rain falling so heavily, obscuring just about everything, it was entirely possible to miss one another by what felt like mere inches.

Shorty so we can get to Fig hearing Fen, haha.

He didn't hear her.

JUST KIDDING. He did this time because he has to. He was nearly about to head off to the South as he'd suggested when he caught the sound of Fenn's call over the pounding rain. -"Wait"- he said immediately, straining to hear better, praying she would call again. She did, but relief didn't take him just yet. She sounded frightened.

-"It's her,"- Fig said as he took off into the trees, heading towards the sound of her voice. He howled again as he ran, trying to encourage her to keep calling (though telling her to stay put probably would've been wiser). He didn't notice if Towhee was following him or not as he charged through the muck and water until finally he spotted her--soaked to the bone and covered in mud. Likely not much different than he looked, except for the anxiety on her face.

Actually, he probably looked the same in that respect too.

"FENN!" he shouted as he finished making his way to her, reaching for her as soon as he could. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked, nosing at her face.

Fennec was decidedly not okay... and in her rush failed to brake, essentially plowing into her brother.  She just stood there for a moment as she tried to catch her breath and gather herself, for once barely hearing what he said.  Her own blood was pounding in her ears so loud right now.  

Where the fuck did everyone go!?  She asked finally, still shaking.  Despite the words, there wasn't a lot of heat to the statement.  She probably could have been mad, but right now she was just too damn relieved to have caught them.  Plus, from what little she caught, it was obvious Fig was just as relieved to see her.

They both began to turn toward their respective destinations when Towhee somehow caught the signal to wait. Her head whipped back toward her son, rain streaming off every taut edge of her body as her eyes bored into his face. He appeared to be listening to something. Towhee rarely thought about her inability to hear, much less let it bother her, yet right now she cursed her deafness inwardly.

-"It's her,"- Figment said eventually. Simultaneously, Towhee's heart leapt and every muscle in her body seemed to go pliant with relief. In the very next instant, they bunched again as she sprang after Fig, the two of them careening haphazardly though the rain-soaked copse... and directly into the bedraggled Fennec.

As her two yearling children crashed together, Towhee skidded on some slippery mud and nearly lost her footing. Somehow, she avoided impacting either one of them, though she quickly righted herself and slammed into Fen anyway, albeit a little more gently. She didn't catch her daughter's indignant question, what with all the movement and the rain, and the fact that Towhee buried her face against Fen's sopping shoulder.

Now that he'd ascertained that his sister was whole and well, he allowed the relief to come fully over him. He smiled at her angry words, knowing there was no real venom in them. -"Where did we go? Where did you go?  You didn't show up for the meeting,"- he commented as he stepped away, letting Towhee have as much space to fret over Fennec as she needed.

-"The pack is relocating to the Glade until the rain stops and the flooding goes down,"- he explained, -"They've already gone ahead, but we stayed to look for you, Penn and..."- He paused, blanking to his embarrassment on the name of the other wolf they sought.

The meeting.  Fennec wondered after, but she hadn't figured at the time the meeting was for that. Why should she?  I followed Penn, but, he's gone. Abrupt, flat, to the point. Then everyone else was too.  I couldn't follow, or find anyone...  how long had it even been?  The rain that had made it impossible to follow also made it hard to track the days.  When the sun never showed itself she couldn't tell by the warmth what was night and what was morning.

So I've been here.  She said finally, exasperated, exhausted.  Now that the fear was gone, all she felt was drained.

When she pulled back, she saw Figment simultaneously signing and speaking. The former was for her benefit, of course, and she appreciated it as she cottoned onto the gist of their conversation. Her eyes flicked to Fennec's lips to catch her response, though Towhee was still too happy and relieved to focus on any other details—including her son's momentary brain fart—aside from her daughter's safety.

Towhee gathered her wits enough to say, -"We called a meeting and evacuated,"- just like the two of them had discussed just days before. But none of that mattered. Nothing did except getting to higher ground. -"Fig, can you guide her to the glade? I'm going to do one final circuit to see if I can find any trace of Penn or Savaktuk. And I'll try to get in touch with Moonspear while I'm at it. I won't be far behind you."-

Fig frowned at the explanation Fennec gave about what had happened to her. There was something odd about the way she said Penn was gone. He wanted to ask, but he turned his attention to Towhee instead as she she provided her own explanation. He nodded once to agree to her request, though he knew this meant now she'd be going to Moonspear alone as she shortly confirmed. He didn't like that, but there was much about the situation he didn't like.

He turned to Fenn again, hesitant, but unable to let go of that nagging feeling. -"Fenn, what do you mean Penn is gone?"- he asked, already suspecting. The yearling had been unhappy here, there was no doubt about it. Figment could see him taking the upheavel as an opportunity to bail. But had he really?

Fennec's expression darkened when Towhee mentioned finding Penn, and she went to interrupt, but then remembered her mom couldn't hear anyway.  Fig asked anyway, of course.

Don't bother looking for Penn.  He left when you did.  She said, voice steadier but slightly flat.

Let's just go.  She didn't want to talk about it, so she leaned into Fig, hoping he'd get it without her having to say it.

Towhee blinked chilly rainwater out of her eyes, catching most of her children's words. She blinked again, not sure what to make of this information about Penn. It made no difference as far as her plan went though, so she didn't remark.

She took a moment to nudge each of her grown children and mutter, "Be safe. See you soon." Her lips twitched into a faint smile at the sight of Fennec leaning against Figment before she turned and disappeared into the rainfall.

She didn't elaborate on what had happened, but there was no mistaking her words. Fig frowned softly, feeling the weight of disappointment sink into his stomach at the realization that Penn had done exactly as Fig had always suspected he would. He'd bailed on Fenn and broken her heart.

He wanted to be angry, but he couldn't find the emotion. He was only sad for her, and sad because he wasn't surprised in the least. "C'mon," he murmured as Towhee left, taking Fenn's cue. He nudged her cheek gently before they began the long, difficult trek to the Glade.