Redsand Canyon From the D 2 the LBC.

Here’s the map, in case anyone needs it for reference.

Towhee sidled out of the den she shared with @Maxim and the kids, then turned to peer back inside the doorway. She didn’t think they would need any encouragement, but who really knew how this would go?

C’mon, little dogies, she chirped, clapping a paw in the dirt, let’s go for some walkies.

She began striding westward toward the common area, glancing over her streaked shoulder to see if @Leona and @Jack Snipe were coming with her.

It was a nice day, so Jack did not need much persuasion to romp out of the den and after his mother and father. The boy checked over his shoulder once for his sibling, but only once… because who cared if Leona followed or not? Not him. He was a boy with a plan.

Jack bounded after Towhee with a happy bark. He looked up to his mom with a wagging tail. The young boy didn’t really know what they would be doing, but he was pleased that he was included in the event. There was nothing like being left at home while everyone else went out and had all the fun. Besides, he had grown increasingly interested in the smells that wafted into their home. This would allow him to feed that curiosity.

Leona was more than happy to be invited outside, and followed after Towhee with an eager churn of her legs; she caught the glimpse of her parent and then the look by her brother, and was prompted in to a more direct run. For a moment Jack was distracted by Towhee too, and barked, which Leona tried to take advantage of. She raced up to her brother and didn't intend to slow down; instead she lunged as she neared his hip and tried to grab at one of his ears over his back, pummelling him in the process. It was only for fun. Whether she succeeded or not, Leona was after the physical contact and her excitement bubbled over, prompting the wrestling match.

Halfway to her destination, she glanced backward just in time to see Leona pouncing Jack. She grinned, happy to see them both tagging along behind her, and pivoted to face the delightfully troublesome twosome.

Hey, you! With the faces! she shouted overly loudly, trying to get their attention. See those? Towhee motioned to the skins drying in the common area in the near distance. Last one there’s a poopy assbutt! she declared, feinting in that direction.

With Leona on the fast track to the WWE, Jack Snipe was wholly unprepared for her assault. The last thing he saw before being toppled into the dust was the wild look in his sibling’s eye. She gripped his ear, but the boy went churning faster than socks in the dryer. When he had landed, any hold that Leona might have gotten had been knocked free. Jack’s head wobbled dizzily.

Hey!

The yap was sharp. He tried to fix his eyes on her, but he couldn’t see where she’d gone. Meanwhile, their mother was trying to coax them into something more constructive with threats of being a poopy assbutt. Jack glared at her when he had his grounding. Leona was the poopiest assbutt in town, so he wasn’t going to lose.

Off to the races, Jack Snipe darted toward the drying furs with dirt falling off him in each step.

Leona was happy with the attention from her brother, even if he wasn't happy to be set-upon in this way. She laughed, and it was a trill that swiftly curtailed when Jack escaped her grasp and went cantering towards the skins.

The girl righted herself soon enough and went chasing after her brother, then spotted Towhee and changed the angle of attack; Leona was not yet large enough to contend with an adult for speed, but she wasn't about to give up either.

She'd heard Towhee say a funny word and with laughter in her voice, loudly shouted back: ASSBUTT!

Jack aimed a glare at her, which Towhee met with a shit-eating grin. It grew when both children took off toward the intended destination, Leo hollering something her mother didn’t catch.

No, you! she taunted, not caring if it made any sense.

As they closed in on the common area, Towhee remained in last place. Paying no attention to which of the two had come in first place, she sagged dramatically to the ground. She flopped onto her side, breathing heavily for show.

Guess I’m a shitty assbutt… she groaned, then flipped onto her belly to smile at her kiddos. But we already knew that, didn’t we? she teased as she playfully swiped in their direction.

Leona shouted back about the assbutts. Mom returned with a retort that placed the assbuttery back on Leona. 

Forget them both, the boy thought. They could be poopy if they wanted to be. He wasn’t about to carry that title around. No way. It was too much to ask of a promising young boy. 

Jack arrived at the furs and snorted. He turned as mom was slumping to the ground, claiming that she was the final assbutt. The boy watched her with a few wags of his tail. He plodded toward her on his puppy paws, stopping by her head to sniff. 

A poopy assbutts, he reminded her with a smile.

A paw came close to smacking her. Leona wasn't coordinated enough to fully dodge it but she tried, Matrix-style, and was caught by a toe and toppled. It was fun when mama played with them - she wasn't rough about it, and besides Leona felt like they could team-up against Jack! Girl power or something.

Leona toppled forwards and tried to sink her little puppy teeth in to her mother's wrist (or ankle, whichever foot it was, there were teeth on it). Jack said something about poop which sent Leona in to a giggle-fit and she lost her grip, somersaulting off of Towhee's limb and smacking in to her brother, ass first.

Jack toddled toward her, his face close enough to hers that she could read his lips clearly. Towhee nodded in agreement, then reached up to sling a foreleg around his neck in the hopes of giving him a playful noogie.

Leo put a stop to that by clamping onto her wrist, only to let go just as quickly as she lost her balance and careened into her brother. Towhee cackled and took the opportunity to shoot to her feet.

Guys, guys, she said, clapping her forepaws in the dirt to grab their attention again, so, this is the common area. We’ll hang out here sometimes. But the real fun is at the sparring pit. Wanna see…?

Once again, she didn’t wait. Towhee began trotting toward the arena, already plotting on putting her kids up to a fight—a playful one, of course!—once they got there.

The young boy liked that Leona had found his words funny. He looked at her, tail waving faster than before. He giggled along with his sibling before mom’s arm swooped in and snatched him in a tumble. All giggles were extended into hellish squeals of delight and surprise.

Jack kicked his legs, feeling the rub atop his head. She did not hold onto him for long. It seemed that she had mostly been trying to pull their attention. Well, mom… you’ve got it. What’s more important than determining who the poopy assbutt was?

She mentioned the sparring pit. Jack glanced to Leona to see if she was going to follow.

Since Leo’s on leave, I thought I’d wrap this one for us. <3

Towhee glanced over, the corners of her lips twitching as she watched Jack look to Leo, consulting her before the two of them began bounding after her. Not for the first nor the last time, she mused about how two might really be the perfect number. They shared a special bond with one another, and with the only pair of them, the workload was manageable for their parents.

And, of course, when you had two, you could pit them against one another in the arena. Towhee cackled under her breath, pausing just long enough to rub her paws together and give the kids a chance to catch up before continuing to head toward the pits.