Redhawk Caldera Sunglasses at night.

She still felt like garbage today, though Towhee pushed through her malaise in the name of duty. She performed her usual patrols, et cetera, but there was something else on the agenda today: she really wanted to speak to @Ruenna. She wanted to make sure her remaining Regent knew about her altercations with both her daughter and her former mate.

She climbed to the top of Hobbit Hill and sat down in the shade of the dogwood tree, panting. Her head didn't ache as much today, though her stomach felt sour. Towhee hadn't been able to eat much because of it and she felt a little shaky. She eased down onto her belly, trying to give herself a bit of a break.

The Sovereign only meant to relax, not fall asleep. She intended to call for Rue. But her eyes drifted shut and she slumped over, drooling on her own foreleg.

Ruenna might have been the intended recipient of Towhee's call that never was, but Killer came along first. He squinted at the sleeping woman, hesitating for a moment. Ma had been super sour lately—he'd asked to hang out with his Grandma and Caracal several times, and every time, she'd kept him at bay.

He didn't know why, but 'why' be damned.

Butts, he called out, then pressed his muzzle into the corner of Towhee's mouth, sliming his nose with drool. A sneeze burst from him, and he sat back, shaking his head, his ears flapping.

She dreamed of Wraen. Just as she had done a dozen times before, Towhee sought out her friend to talk about their (mostly Towhee's) problems and soak up her companionship. When she reached the borders of Brecheliant, she ignored a feeling of uneasiness and called for the gray she-wolf. Wraen came to her, all smiles and open ears, and the Sovereign found such comfort in her presence.

She probably would never have remembered the dream, except that Killdeer arrived right in the middle of it, startling her awake. She shot upward even as his sneeze shot him backward, leaving her blinking down at the pup in confusion. Her heart twisted when she realized it had only been a dream, remembering that her friend was dead and she would never see her again.

As much as that thought made her stomach (and every other internal organ) hurt, Towhee rubbed the sleep from her eyes and found the strength inside her to smile softly at her grandson. She was always glad to see him, especially lately. She was as of yet unaware that Fennec was deliberately keeping them apart at times.

-"Heya, Killer,"- Towhee said, voice gravelly from sleep. -"Man,"- she said, putting down her paw on the ground, -"who gave you permission to be so fuckin' cute, huh?"-

If he were human, he would have blushed. Instead, he grinned, rolling into his shrug with a giggle. He laid upon the ground, looking at Towhee, eyes beaming.

Whatcha doin'? he asked. You seepy?

Even as he spoke it, he yawned, not even trying to stifle it. It wasn't quite as hot as it had been, but it was still quite warm, and the air did have a tendency to put him (and others, apparently) into some kind of stupor. 

On his back, Killdeer continued his gimlet stare, then added, When you seep do you have dreams? I ha' dreams. Lotsa weird funny t'ings hidin' in the trees.

He'd never told anybody that before. All of his friendships had consisted of all wrestling, no conversation.

This post brought to you by Mickey's Uptown Coffee. #sponsored

She still found it difficult to read his (and any child's) lips, though Towhee sometimes caught enough to build meaning through contextual clues. "What'cha doin'?" was clear enough, though it took her a moment to parse what was meant by "s'eepy."

-"Not anymore,"- she fibbed before promptly catching his yawn. She reached out to poke him with a playfully accusatory, -"You made me yawn! I'm gonna get you back when you least expect it."-

Killdeer flopped down and stared up at her, his next words causing her expression to sober as she flashed back to her dream about Wraen. Towhee gave her grandson a speculative look, then glanced away for a beat, toward Brecheliant. Gods, she missed her friend, dearly and deeply. Towhee missed her and... everyone, really. So many gone.

Blinking, she focused on the conversation. -"I do have dreams, sometimes. I don't usually remember them. Are your dreams scary or silly?"- she wondered. Killdeer had used the word "funny," which could have two very different meanings.

She gestured, and it occurred to him that he'd never quite asked about what that meant. Her words were less important as he watched her, and shook his head, shrugging. Dunno, he remarked, almost flippantly, and then went on.

Why you do this? Killdeer queried, and launched into feigned ptero. Nobody else does it much as you. Even Ma.

He associated it with Towhee, now that he thought of it. Sometimes he saw it elsewhere, but it was mostly about his grandmother. Perhaps if he concentrated, he'd be able to match words with gestures—but he hadn't thought too much about it.

The boy wasn't too observant, having not yet caught on that his dam was blind and his granddam was deaf.

His noncommittal reply was an answer of its own, telling her she needn't worry too much about the possibility of nightmares. Her lips twitched in amusement at Killdeer's short attention span, though she certainly didn't mind the next topic he raised.

-"Your mom doesn't do it because she can't see,"- Towhee replied, -"and the reason I do is because I can't hear."- She paused, wondering if he really understood what that meant for either of them. -"I'm making words, the same words I'm saying out loud. But if I don't want to speak out loud, I can speak with my signs. It's cool because if you learn it too, then we can communicate secretly and nobody but other Redhawks will understand what we're saying."-

That was quite a lot of information, so the Sovereign pressed the pause button there. She imagined Killdeer might have questions, so she readied herself to answer them. Talking about her favorite subject with one of her favorite baby wolves was a great antidote to all that ailed her.

His ears came all the way forward, curiosity piqued. You can't hear? he asked, jaw slightly agape. Then, as if it would solve matters: YOU CAN'T HEAR?! He bellowed the words at Towhee, trying to make himself into a lupine megaphone.

Then how you unnerstand me? Killdeer continued. I dunno any of these. . . He made sloppy work of ptero back to her (probably signing something lewd, profane, or simply gibberish). 

Wait, did she say that Ma couldn't see?

Whaaaat the fuck. He continued with the signing, though blankly now, as if trying to put puzzle pieces together in his mind. Except they didn't fit. None of them fit.

It wasn't the first time someone had shouted at her in this context, nor was it probably the last. Sometimes, this really irked Towhee, though she could find no fault in Killdeer's attempt. He was only a little kid, after all. Clearly he was trying to grasp what she meant when she said she couldn't hear.

-"Magic,"- she teased when he demanded to know how she heard him without hearing him at all. -"I can read lips,"- she added more seriously in the next breath. -"Most of the time, anyway. Some people's are harder to read than others. But if you look right at me when you talk to me, it helps a lot. Speaking slowly is okay too, though not usually necessary."-

Her eyes studied the puzzled look on his youthful face. Assuming he was till thinking about her deafness and ptero, she assured him, -"Don't worry, Killer. You'll be a pro in no time. We can practice now, if you want?"-

His lips split, and Killdeer laughed. He studiously watched her ptero, trying to follow every movement and matching it with every word. His mouth moved and he tried to match it, but it was too difficult. . .for now.

Okay, he said and signed, and delighted—for he thought he had at least gotten that right.

He canted his head up to Towhee, then tilted it. Did I do it? he asked, wagging his tail. Yes? he signed. What else could he learn? It was like a secret language. So wonderful!

-"Yes!"- she replied, her movements particularly enthusiastic, -"You're doing it! Great job, Killdeer. You'll be a master soon enough."- Towhee couldn't resist the urge to reach out and clap him on the shoulder, then playfully ruffle the fur on his head.

As she pulled back, her stomach lurched. She felt something acidic creeping up her throat and thought she might vomit. She clenched her teeth, though it turned out to be a painful burp that escaped out the side of her mouth. Her throat made some strange gurgling noises but she felt a little better, excepting the slight burning sensation in her chest.

-"Yikes. Excuse me. Grandma needs to find something to eat,"- the Sovereign said, then thought of her mission to find Rue. She still needed to do that too but first things first. -"Want to help me find a snack, Killer?"-

Killdeer was enthused by her enthusiasm, but when her stomach started to make some strange sounds, he backed up a little bit. It seemed to him a lot like what he heard before he let out a particularly rank fart, and he didn't want to be anywhere near that, no matter how much he loved his grandma.

Yeah, okay, he answered, smiling, but the expression held more than a tinge of concern. You okay? He didn't smell anything strange, even after she burped. Maybe a trace of old food, but nothing more than that. But he was still worried.

He scooted away from her and Towhee tilted her head in mild confusion, unaware that he was reacting to the noises coming from her gut. She quickly forgot about it when he agreed to come find a snack with her, right before asking if she was okay.

She smiled at the young boy, touched by his concern, but quickly signed, -Yeah. I'm okay.- She paused to give him a moment to parse that before saying aloud, "I'm okay. Just hungry. Come on, let's go before I have no choice but to eat your cute little face," Towhee joked with a playful rumble before trotting downhill.