Redsand Canyon briefing

after his discussion with the imperator, he cut towards the dens he shared with @Towhee and their children in hopes that she was there. he figured, worst case scenario, she would return soon enough and he could tend to things inside while he waited.

fixing furs the children kicked around, tossing old bones out. the visual demonstration of domestication.

When Towhee arrived home after a patrol to find Maxim tidying up the place, she paused near the doorway and stared for a moment. She wasn’t a particularly sexual creature outside of her annual cycles, yet even during those first few heats, she had never felt as turned on as she did right now.

Have I told you lately, she said, after clearing her throat, that I lu—st you? Towhee wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

it was with a worn deer skin between his teeth that he turned to look at her over his shoulder. he felt...almost sheepish!

he had come here for business, not business.

he dropped the skin he had been holding and neared towhee. lu—st me? he understood what she was saying, he merely wished for her attention. something that likely showed in this mischievous look across his face.

Yeah, Towhee bantered, and that’s just about the highest compliment I can pay you, so savor it.

Sidling past him, she peeked inside their freshened home before ducking out again and taking a seat beside the doorway. She motioned for him to continue what he was doing. She didn’t want to get in his way if he was housecleaning. And she kind of wanted to keep watching. It was really doing it for her.

truthfully, he wished to abandon his work and pay mind to towhee.

there were things he had planned to speak on, important matters. but there was something undeniably better about this moment. the tidying of their space while she relaxed for these moments.

she deserved this, at the very least, he thought.

if she left him work through it all, he'd be done soon enough. only to emerge from their den with a fur that had seen far better days in his mouth. dropping it at the mouth of their den before he spared her a long look.

He continued until their small dwelling was spick and span. Maxim carried an old, worn fur outside and dropped it near the threshold. Towhee peered down at it for a second, thinking it would make a decent welcome mat, then glanced back up at her mate’s face.

Hey there, hot stuff, she purled, smirking. Thanks for doing that. What’s the occasion? Are we expecting guests? Or, Towhee quipped slyly, are you trying to butter me up?

this new affection often energized him. today it gave him...something softer. perhaps because he knew what he had to ask her.

maybe butter you up. he teased, softly, aiming to lean into her some. i had come to talk to you. get your thoughts on something. both as wifey and praefectus.

Knew it, she proclaimed triumphantly before warily asking, What do you want?

He said he wanted to talk to her, get her thoughts on something. Towhee raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to elaborate.

Well, spit it out, she said, ignoring the slight pinch in her belly even as her curiosity piqued.

glaukos is gone and elitus is open. he believed the in between went without saying, that it was a spot that could be filled.

by him.

it requires a month in akashingo. i know that is a long time to be away from you and the kids. his toes flexed at the earth beneath him.

Her head tipped at the news about Glaukos. Was he gone away on a mission or had he disappeared, she wondered? But she forgot all about the wayward man as Maxim continued, revealing the reason why she might’ve needed buttering up today.

Her reflex was to tell him “no,” not just because he would be away but because Towhee found it such a waste. Her eyes fell to his toes digging nervously into the dust underfoot and just that tiny motion revealed to her how anxious he really was about her response. Towhee’s eyes drifted up to his face, knowing he would do anything she asked, even if that meant refuting his chance at a promotion.

Man, you just told me the other day that you’d never leave me… Towhee quipped dryly.

They both knew it would only be temporary. A month wasn’t even that long in the grand scheme of things. But Towhee did still have some concerns, even if she refused to hold him back out of pure, selfish need. She could absolutely handle the kids on her own, especially with the support network here, but could they handle their beloved dad being away so long during such a crucial phase in their lives?

I support your pursuit of Elitus. But I hate this requirement with the fire of a thousand suns. You shouldn’t be away from your young children that long. What if you permanently damage your relationship with them? Towhee voiced her concerns, deciding against any kind of sugarcoating.

there was a softening in the slope of his shoulders as she spoke. his concerns laid bare and amplified by her own. they were still fresh to acknowledging love and the child were still in need of both of them, regardless if they could be raised just fine by towhee and mereo in his absence.

his ears slid back for a moment, before he shuffled to lean into towhee, if she did not move.

i do not wish to be tribunus forever, but perhaps i do not have to be elitus. i could learn to be a tactician. we have so many budding warriors and guardians. only you and the imperator are capable of tactician tasks. he confessed thoughtfully, turning his gaze towards her.

we have not seen a triarius yet, i do not think.

He immediately relented to her logic, which riddled Towhee with guilt and relief in equal measure. He offered up some alternative plans and she watched his lips moving carefully. When he finished, she didn’t reply right away, taking a moment to read his eyes and facial expression.

You should go after whichever rank you really want, she told him, speaking slowly, even if it requires the tour in Akashingo. I just recommend waiting a bit longer, until the kids are a bit older. She paused. Which is unfair, by the way. I’ve spoken about this very thing with the Imperator. Maybe that stipulation flew before this pack was full of married couples with children. Now it’s just asinine.

She drew in a breath, aware she was speaking a bit too freely. But Maxim was her partner, so she knew he wouldn’t judge or mind. In fact, he hopefully appreciated her candor, even if it put a bit of a damper on his plans.

For the record, I think you’d be great at any role you chose. And you definitely deserve the esteem. If Elitus is what speaks to you, we’ll figure it out. She paused to take a deep breath. Just don’t bang any of their slaves or I will castrate and divorce you, not necessarily in that order.

truthfully, he did not understand the tour in akashingo. why not tour in the vale? or another ally? why not offer an exception to the tour, if you were waylaid with young children?

he supposed the answer to all of that might be due to dedication and loyalty. perhaps even the concerns that towhee voiced. to be faced with...slaves. who apparently offered temptation!

his features screwed up playfully with a look of mock disgust at her loose threat. i hope you would, if i did. truthfully, his eyes did not wander beyond towhee these days. although he understood how he had arrived in the spring. a young buck.

thank you for being honest. he meant it deeply. i do not think leaving the children so young and us so fresh is a good idea. even more so now. it is not worth the esteem. i could work on triarius, revisit the idea of elitus later?

a shrug of his shoulders.

She chewed the inside of her cheek as he reiterated her own thoughts on the matter of their children. It wasn’t worth it, though Towhee resented the fact that they were forced to choose between their duties and their families. It went against the grain for her.

Choosing not to press further on that particular sore spot, Towhee nodded and replied, I don’t want you to feel like you can’t go for Elitus at some point, so… yeah, let’s shelve it for now. But I don’t want you to give up on it indefinitely. She paused. Check me out, being the supportive wifey and shit…

not indefinitely. he shook his head. you have been a very supportive wifey and pointed out that it just is not time now. and the look on his face conveyed (he hoped) that he was truly okay with this.

the children had grown plenty, but they were still too young to be without. and the matter of a true relationship with towhee was also fresh. perhaps too much to be near anything she worried about.

but if i want to be triarius, i might need more support. he teased warmly, offering her a grin as her tail tapped behind him.

Just let me know how I can help, Towhee replied to his tease, a smirk on her own face despite the sincerity in the sentiment. Not right now though, she added with a huff of laughter, shoving at him playfully, ’cause right now, I’m going to grab a nap in our fresh and clean pad.

She sidled past him into their humble dwelling, lowering herself to the floor with a sigh. She wondered what Jack and Leo were up to right now, though she didn’t worry. They were around here somewhere. She didn’t imagine they would even think about trying to escape the canyon, though if they somehow scaled the walls and evaded the eyes of the resident soldiers, then power to ‘em.