Sun Mote Copse boots on the ground i'm ready to go

her trip had expanded for much longer than she'd intended, but jr had not forgotten her conversation with her mother and the conclusion she'd came to during it. with ghost flying overhead, her steps slow as she approaches the copse; her heart in her throat. she isn't sure why she suddenly felt nervous: meerkat and njord were her siblings.

but she knows that doesn't mean they would accept her.

she doesn't expect that nepotism; doesn't want it. if there was one thing jr was big on, it was forging her own path in this world.

still, she lingers at the borders; hoping that either ghost would let out a shrill cry to announce their presence, or that either @Meerkat or @Njord would see him and come investigate.

After escorting @Eshe to her destination, Towhee made a beeline further west herself. She considered stopping by both Moonspear and Moontide as she passed, though they could wait. She knew it wasn’t time for Meerkat to deliver quite yet, though she was due soon. Towhee wanted to check in on her before the big day. She might even stick around for it.

Dog-tired and footsore, she arrived at the borders just to find out she’d already made it here. Towhee’s head reared back as she spotted Jr’s unmistakable back. She felt relieved at first, though she was pretty cranky after her long trek and it soon mixed with a feeling of irritation.

-“Jr,”- she said, making a roundabout approach because, despite her pique, Towhee didn’t want to startle her, -“what are you doing here? Dutch was looking for you.”-

her mother's presence does not entirely surprise her, per se, but jr herself rears back at the question. she doesn't want to feel the guilt that gnaws at her like an insistent itch as she reads the words that dutch was looking for her. she wanted to talk to njord or meerkat before she made any sort of decision, and truthfully was avoiding saying 'goodbye', admittedly; warring between not wanting to be a disappointment and the thought that she, given her disabilities, was not as important as others in morningsong.

there was nothing that had made her feel that way, necessarily, except her own self-conscious thoughts that most days she was good at hiding.

her ears flatten against her skull, her paws still as she contemplates why she felt like she was in trouble. -i'm going to say goodbye -, she flounders for a moment, tripping over herself to sign the words quickly. -but i want to have a plan first.-

it was a weak excuse for her prolonged absence from morningsong and jr knows it.

Towhee Jr immediately looked contrite, which soothed her mother’s flaring temper a bit. She knew she’d been the one to suggest Jr come to this very place and she was glad her daughter had heeded her advice. But that didn’t excuse her ditching Dutch’s pack without a word.

-“Why didn’t you at least tell him you were going to visit the copse?”- Towhee asked with only a mild edge of exasperation. -“You were so upset about Ariadne dipping without a word, so why would you turn around and do that to somebody else? It’s okay to find a better fit, it’s not cool to just take off without saying anything…”-

She sighed. Despite her pointy words, she slid her muzzle alongside her daughter’s in greeting. She really was relieved to find her here. Towhee knew Jr was capable but she’d still worried. The wilderness didn’t show any mercy to those with physical shortcomings.

-“Is Ghost around here somewhere? Did you want me to call for your sister?”- she offered, backing away and taking a seat because she was exhausted.

She was cleaning out her bourie when Meerkat heard an unmistakable voice. Carefully backing out of the small burrow, she walked slowly toward the borders, ears pricking at the one-sided conversation. Who was Towhee talking to? Who was Towhee yelling at, rather?

No need, she announced, arriving on scene, -“I’m here.”-

Her eyes drifted from one Towhee to the other, eyebrows raised in polite inquiry. She was quite glad to see them both, though there was a distinct tension in the air. Jr looked rather chastened, she noted, eyes lingering on her younger sister.

The commotion at the borders attracted Njord’s attention. For wherever Meerkat went, her husband wasn’t far behind.

To his surprise, he saw not one Towee, but TWO.

“Towhee Jr?!” He exclaimed (forgetting to sign) in an enthralled voice. He had no idea the youngster had taken up residence at Morningsong. The last he had seen her was when Njord had given TJ the task of seeking out the wolves of Redtail Rise. When she had not returned, it weighed heavy upon the man’s heart.

Any fuss went right over his head. His expression was pure merriment.

-“It good… seeing you!”- he signed. Admittedly, his ptero skills had grown a bit rusty. Njord’s red tail waved happily as his blue eyes caught the gazes of others. He had interrupted something. It gave him pause, and so the Laird waited for an explanation.

-because i didn't even know that i was until i was already exploring.- it was the truth, even if it did not help the light she stood in currently. -i didn't see the point in going all the way back to travel the whole way here.-

-i'm not leaving without telling him! i will tell dutch if i leave morningsong.- but she hadn't made up her mind either way, and so jr thinks there isn't anything to tell him yet.

though her ptero was fast, jr's body language is not defensive. she understand how this looks, and she understands what her mother's saying. -he was,- a rise of her gaze tells her, her feathered shadow was not hovering, but had flown off, likely deeper into copse territory. jr is not bothered, knowing she was likely in ghost's line of sight even if he wasn't in her's.

it doesn't take meerkat — who looked about ready to pop — or njord long to come across them. -hi,- jr signs sheepishly. -it's good to see you both again.-

Njord came upon the scene, clearly overjoyed to see Jr after all this time. Meerkat smiled, endeared by his slightly clumsy Ptero. Her eyes cut between the two, before finally taking a closer look at the elder Towhee.

Mom, she realized aloud, -“you look dead on your feet! Why don’t I take you to The Taigh? You two can join us if you like, of course,”- Meerkat said, shooting her husband and sister a brief glance.

But whether they came now or caught up a bit and joined them later, she swept insistently to Towhee’s flank. Together, they slowly shuffled into the copse.

Carry on without (both of) me! :)

Njord picked up that he definitely had missed some part of their exchange. Meerkat was quick to shuttle away her mother, who looked more ornery than usual. Or maybe it was exasperation? He met Meerkat’s gaze and, with a nod, let them leave without insisting on small talk.

Then, his attention turned back to Towhee Jr. She had grown so much! A young girl had become a young woman with rugged, amazonian features. Plus, a few new scars, to boot. Truly, she was her mother’s doppelganger.

And even though she was technically Meerkat’s sister, Njord had always felt very responsible for her… like how an uncle or a father would. Honestly, she was too young for him to think of himself as an older brother.

When they were alone, Njord exhaled and deflated a bit as his expression became knit to convey his concern.

-I worry… I was worried… very worried- Njord corrected his tense. -You did not come back to Moonspear.- He signed the obvious. Then, his good ear turned to TJ as if to ask why?

jr watches as meerket whisks their mother away, before her attention turns back to njord. just in time to read the movements of his paws and find out that she had caused him worry. guilt rears its ugly head within her and her ears flutter against her skull; chastised and apologetic.

-i found redtail rise,- she doesn't add that she thinks. she had found the territory of the rise, but whether or not it was the redtail wolves that claimed it she could not say. -i stayed with them for a bit but there was a power struggle and i grew concerned for my safety.- which was true, but also, she had not wanted to wedge herself in the middle of it when she was the sore thumb outcast who, at the time, couldn't even read lips and thus was not able to fully understand the scope of why it'd happened in the first place.

so, she'd bolted.

-and then i was recruited by ariande for moonsong. ...at least, before she and her husband abandoned it.- that wound is still recent. still stings. just as towhee's words about her doing the same to dutch smarts ( and rightfully so! ).

-a man named dutch leads it now, calls it morningsong. mom thinks i should give him a chance but ... i did not agree to be his subordinate. i had the idea to start my own pack, even, but ... i am young and i cannot handle that responsibility ...and i came here hoping maybe you and meer would have room for me. that you two could maybe tutor me.-

it's a lot to throw at njord at once and though jr tries to be considerate and slow her ptero she knows that she might've hurried some parts in her eagerness to get her story all out and to have all the information laid in the open for him.