Redsand Canyon Take my heart, I think you need it

Somehow she found the red canyon. It was a miracle, really — or maybe just determination to keep her promise to @Phox. Reverie was quite exhausted by the time she found it, and all but dragged herself to the border. Mountains were so — so — AHHH!
Yeah, Reverie wasn't a fan. She sat down for a moment and just looked around, taking it all in. Then she took a breath and called for @Fennec, a note of urgency to her tone. Hopefully Phox's daughter wouldn't be too perturbed by a stranger calling for her by name at her doorstep. Reverie realized right about then that she had no idea what to say; most likely Phox wouldn't want his daughter to hear the news from a stranger, but what could she possibly say that might encompass the gravity of the situation without giving it away? Heck.

Ooops, excuse nosy Killdeer.

He heard a call to his mother ring out and immediately meandered that way, despite knowing he should probably just mind his own business. 

What he found struck him to his core.

He froze upon approach, gazing at the golden vision with mouth slightly agape. He padded down, slowly, looking at her. Forcing his jaw to shut again.

God, you're an idiot, he told himself.

Hey, he greeted, trying for a smile. He probably looked dopey as fuck. You're looking for Fennec?

The wolf who answered her call was clearly not Fennec, and he seemed struck somehow by the sight of her. Reverie shifted a little uncomfortably at first as he approached, noting that he was much taller than she and red-caped about the shoulders. Then she realized that his stricken look was —
Well, it reminded her a lot of the way Lestan looked at her. Oh! Reverie couldn't help but smile shyly at him as he greeted her. He was cute, but he wasn't Lestan, and that was what she needed to remember. None of them could compare. Hi! Yeah, I am - I'm Reverie. Phox sent me! She glanced past him briefly, to see if Fennec was on the way yet. It's um - it's kind of important. Understatement of the year.

Fennec had needed a moment when the stranger called. When she arrived her paws were dirty, the only sign that she had been in her gardens. She was otherwise composed and regarded Reverie with her head and posture raised. She couldn’t look the visitor in the eye, and her stature was considerably shorter than her son’s, but she knew how to present a character.

If Killer wasn’t already there she likely would have slipped straight into outright rudeness. His presence eased the bleak impatience of the past weeks, a bit, but her voice wasn’t exactly welcoming.

I’m Fennec. What do you want?

Here, let him take a moment—wind his jaw off the ground.

There we go! Oh shit, it was still crooked.

Ah. . .that's my Ma.

Before he could explain further, Fennec herself was on the scene. Thank fucking God. He stepped back but still kept his eyes on the young golden woman, poleaxed. Fennec wasn't entirely pleasant. . .

But that was his mother, really. Part of her charm.

Fennec arrived and — oh — she was his mother?! Reverie blinked and looked between the pair for a moment. They didn't look much alike, and were even less alike in demeanor. She decided he must be adopted, and moved on, though it occurred to her that Phox was very old to have so many generations of descendants around.
Hello! I'm Reverie, She repeated her introduction with her usual cheer, though she was somewhat wary of Fennec's spiky demeanor. Phox sent me here. He wanted me to ask you to come to Epoch - um - it's very important. Reverie almost let it slip then and there! But she caught herself, thankfully, and left it at that.

Fennec was too caught by the mixed nature of the news to really notice her son’s reaction to this stranger. She was thrilled to hear that her dad was okay and in Epoch, but the summons (and it’s urgency) were inconvenient at a time when she wasn’t in the mood to be pushed.

Holy fuck, she wanted to snap. But biting the literal messenger of her dad’s safety was probably unreasonable? On the scale of less to more, probably on the lower end of reason.

I’m glad he’s okay, but it really isn’t a good time. Why do they need us? Fennec asked, maintaining neutrality with a bit more struggle than usual. She had only just taken the reins here… she couldn’t leave too.

I'm gonna. . .step back, Killdeer said briefly, moving himself out of the scene. He remained smiling, but he knew this didn't have to do with him.

Back he went until recalled. . .

Glad he's okay? Reverie blinked, a little confused even as she withered under Fennec's cold demeanor. She glanced to Fennec's son just in time for him to announce that he was stepping back, and her gaze turned slightly pleading: don't leave me with her! But it couldn't be helped. She'd been sent here for this purpose, after all.
It's um, really not the kind of thing you'd want to hear from a stranger, Reverie said after a moment, shifting on her paws and turning her eyes back to Fennec. She suddenly didn't want to linger even a moment longer than she had to. And I think Phox would prefer to tell you himself. It was the best she could come up with, but she had a sinking feeling that it wouldn't be good enough.

Killdeer dismissed himself and she listened to him back out of range without turning her head from where it was trained, for the most part, on the visitor.

She had no patience and the woman’s nervous way of stepping around the question wasn’t helping. Fennec’s tail lashed irately a couple of times, and her voice gathered a bit more frost now that Killdeer was not behind her.

You seem very sure of what I might want, for a stranger. And it’s apparently the opposite of answers, despite asking you specifically for them. She didn’t have the time for this.

Germanicus was absent. She had a pack to run and if her dad was not in immediate danger, he would understand. If he was in immediate danger then she would press this woman as hard as needed to get answers from her.

Unless there’s danger, it’ll have to wait. All she needed was a confirmation on this.

Fennec did have a point, didn't she? Reverie's ears flattened and she found herself at a loss. Phox hadn't mentioned anything about this! Shouldn't he have known that his daughter would want answers? Or maybe — maybe Reverie was supposed to just know what to do here. Surely normal people just knew.
So she took a breath and decided. There's no danger, She said, voice softer now. I'm - sorry to have bothered you. I'll go now. She glanced past Fennec to her son and tried to smile at him, if only to be friendly, but she was too stressed to really mean it. She didn't know if she could face Phox again after this; it had gone horribly! If Fennec didn't say anything to keep her there, Reverie fled promptly.

That wasn’t likely well handled, but Fennec couldn’t find it in herself to care as the woman fled. She’d gotten an answer and it came with some measure of relief, enough that Fennec breathed out a heavy breath as the woman’s stride faded in retreat.

She’d been planning on going anyway, soon, to visit. She wanted to see her parents more than anything right now, but she certainly didn’t need some stranger dictating and giving her orders. She had enough on her shoulders right now.

Finished here, she turned away to rejoin her son, mentally prepping for explaining to him why the woman left so abruptly. It didn’t bother her to own up to her habit for intimidating into retreat; he knew her well enough to know how she was.