Redhawk Caldera 8ths.

While @Killdeer prioritized @Amalia and the kids, Towhee took her deputization quite seriously (even if she still didn’t think much of that title). Thankfully, she had energy to spare now. She was feeling so much better, Maxim’s presence had grown dim and distant.

But he was still an unseen shadow behind the elder—not currently eldest, that honor belonging to Whip—Redhawk as she searched for @Alivia today. She’d seen the young woman in passing plenty of times but wanted to sit down and have a conversation with her too. She deserved a show of appreciation, which was why Towhee carried an entire deer’s leg in her mouth.

At a distance, Alivia could see Towhee hauling a deer haunch and wandering around like she was looking for something. If Alivia hadn't known better, she might have thought Towhee-- in her old age-- had forgotten where to find the cache. 

But Alivia did know better. Even though things had gotten a little dicey when Killdeer was missing, Towhee was still a force. Her rate of recovery had astounded Alivia, who was unfortunately all too familiar with the process of watching an elderly wolf fade away. 

Alivia picked up her pace to catch up with the Deputy, swinging out to approach from a 45 degree angle so she would be visible in Towhee's peripherals. 

When she had Towhee's attention, after a nod of greeting she asked, "Headed to the cache?" She followed up with some rudimentary Ptero, Can I help?

It was hard to discern a scent trail with fresh meat in her mouth, though Towhee paused with the intent to set it down and suss out some clues. That was when Alivia appeared in her peripheral vision. The Redhawk started a little, her fangs digging into the leg to the point that cartilage crunched, which she felt rather than heard. She quickly relaxed when she realized it was only her de facto niece, evidently reeled in by Towhee’s bait.

Yeah, she said as she let the leg fall unceremoniously from her mouth. It thudded at—partly on top of—her forefeet. You can help by taking and eating it. It’s for you, she said, withdrawing one paw at a time before pushing the shank toward Alivia.

Towhee made a sweeping gesture, then stepped back and took a seat. She motioned for Alivia to do the same. Whether she ate the gift now or stashed it for later, she didn’t really mind. She just hoped she wouldn’t have to waste any energy convincing Livi to accept the token.

You’ve been a steady presence for a while now. I feel like that deserves some recognition. Not just in the form of snacks, either, but I need to have a conversation with my grandson and his wife before I start unilaterally handing out promotions. I’ll definitely be putting in a good word, though… and speaking of words, probably taking a giant shit on his idea of titles.

But she was starting to ramble. Towhee cleared her throat and decided to stretch out into a sphinx pose. It would probably get hot later in the day, though it was rather pleasnt right now. She didn’t mind basking in the August morning sun for a few minutes. If she got too hot, she could always go for a swim.

Anyway. How are things, Livi?

Alivia's eyes lit up. Score! When someone in the Caldera had fresh meat, it usually went to Amalia and the pups first. She couldn't even remember the last time someone had thought of her like this. 

"This is awesome! Thank you!" Alivia was touched. She dug into the flank immediately, perhaps to mask the grateful tears that were threatening to well. Being taken care of like this reminded her of Mom. 

She listened as she chewed, choking out a scoff when Towhee revealed her thoughts on the titling system. "Eh kinna like my tydul," she admitted through a mouthful of food. Resident. It made her roleplayer feel like she was a hotshot young hospital doctor on a medical show. It made Alivia felt like she belonged somewhere.  

Although, this talk of promotions was interesting. Could she really get promoted just for sticking around long enough? 

How were things? She swallowed the enormous bite she had been chewing. 

"Better now." No one could argue with that. Things were finally settling down after the Killdeer-is-MIA drama. "Before, you kinda had me a little scared, for a minute. I got back from searching for Killdeer, and you were just..." Just like Mom was at the end.

Alivia didn't finish that thought. She wished she had been a better support for Towhee and a better friend for Amalia. But she couldn't have been in two places at once, and Towhee had insisted that she needed the Caldera wolves out searching.

Alivia did not argue with her accolades nor their accompanying charcuterie. Towhee watched the young woman indulge in the fare, a pleased grin pulling at her mouth. Her head cocked when Alivia tried to speak around her food. The elder rolled her eyes.

Don’t talk with your mouth full, she admonished in a teasing tone. I don’t give a damn about table manners but I can’t lipread for shit when… Towhee gestured toward Livi’s mouth. Just…

She must’ve swallowed, because Towhee could clearly pick up the next thing she said. Her tail tapped thoughtfully behind her, her lips pursing at Alivia’s own “just” trailing off into nothing. Only hers was a lot more loaded than Towhee’s.

I know it wasn’t easy for anyone to see me like that, the Redhawk acknowledged around a slight lump in her throat, and I’m sorry. But things are better now. I’m still kicking. More importantly, Killer’s back with his family.

And while he readjusted to life after that terrible blip and made up for lost time with his wife and kids, Towhee wanted to step up to the plate for them. She was too old to lead on her own—and she didn’t want that—but she could certainly delegate while the the Patriarch remained on sabbatical.

Now that things are back to normal…ish, Towhee continued after a moment, and we can make time for hobbies and that kind of thing again, what do you like doing with your spare time?

Alivia's ears flattened. Towhee had clearly already closed the book on the last moon, and she had no intention of reopening it. She was sending a loud and clear message that she was moving on. So that meant Alivia should too. 

She swallowed thickly and nodded. 

Normal-ish. That was the point they had reached as a pack, supposedly. And normal-ish wolves were supposed to have hobbies, it would seem. 

"No hobbies really," Alivia admitted, feeling like the most boring wolf in existence. "I just like to, you know, hang out. Spend time with packmates. Come up with fun stuff to do." Realizing she was coming off like a flaky yearling, she scrambled to add, "But I have been making myself useful. I cleaned out someone's old medicine den from ages ago. I thought maybe I could..."

She shook her head without completing the thought. Then she began again. 

"..Do we have a medic in the Caldera?"

There was something very endearing about Alivia. Towhee couldn’t help an indulgent smile as she insisted she didn’t have any hobbies. Surely that couldn’t be true. She laughed through her nose when the young woman mentioned coming up with fun things to do. Sounded like a hobby to her—a worthwhile one too!

But just as Towhee opened her mouth to mention the merits of a pursuing a coaching specialty, Livi inquired about medics. That was an even better vocation, in Towhee’s not-so-humble opinion. Her tail waved.

I don’t think we do. And we could absolutely use one, if recent events tell us anything, Towhee said as lightly as she could, though a slight grimace passed over her face before she continued. My eldest daughter was—still is, I hope—a talented medic. She’s not here, though I mention her because I can assist to some extent. I can ID a handful of plants, for example.

The topic suddenly jogged her memory. Towhee wondered if Livi’s interest in medicine had anything to do with her mother’s maladies. Rue had left the wilderness to seek healing she could find nowhere in the Teekons. Had she ever found anyone who’d really helped her? She wanted to ask Alivia—probably should’ve long before this—but hesitated, wondering if the girl was prepared to discuss her deceased dam.

Alivia nodded along, intrigued. Guilt prickled the fur on the back of her neck as the medic daughter was mentioned... if the old den had belonged to this daughter, then Alivia had just thrown out her entire stash of dried herbs. Hopefully she wouldn't come back looking for them. From the way Towhee talked about her, it didn't sound like she visited frequently. 

The guild doubled when Towhee mentioned helping her identify some plants. Could Towhee read minds? 

"Oh-okay," she managed to stutter out. Belatedly remembering the garden she hadn't gotten around to ripping up yet, she added a bit more confidently, "I found an overgrown garden that may still have some useful stuff. Maybe we can look at it sometime." 

She could probably handle a day with plants-- as boring and stupid as they were-- if it meant getting to hang out with Towhee. The Elder seemed excited to have a potential medic in the Caldera, but what would she think of a medic who hated herbs? 

"I don't know much about the plant stuff," she admitted. "The medic who finally helped Mom didn't use any of that. He called himself a physical therapist." Miro Vitale's regimen of exercises and meditation had been a welcome change after the months of stomach-turning medicines and bizarre rituals prescribed by the endless lineup of herbalists and spiritual healers they had tried before finding him.

The mention of a garden really stoked a sense of nostalgia within Towhee. How many times had she stood over one with Fennec? How long had it been since she’d seen her eldest daughter? Or her brother, for that matter? She had to tuck those thoughts into her metaphorical back pocket, lest she get swept up in her ponderings about all her wayward sons and daughters.

I’d love to help out with it. Maybe we can rope the kiddos into it too, the elder mused, then drew in a breath and stiffened slightly when Alivia made a reference to her mother. She finally found someone who was able to help her, then? she asked, her breath slightly pinched.

It wasn’t quite nostalgia that struck her then, so much as a sort of longing. There were so many wolves Towhee missed and Rue was high on the list, alongside her progeny. It still made her deeply sad to know she wasn’t somewhere out there, living happily ever after, and that any chance of a reunion was gone forever. No matter how many times she went through it—and she was more than a veteran by now—it never stopped being painful.

Alivia visibly brightened when Towhee suggested including the pups in their garden day. That would definitely liven things up. "It's a plan."

The conversation turned to Ruenna. 

"Yeah, we did, eventually. It took a long time and we ended up really far away from Teekon." Too far to visit, unfortunately. 

Sensing Towhee's unease, she spoke again with words of empathy. "Mom wasn't in pain when she... --I mean, she was content." Not happy exactly, Alivia had come to understand, but content. "She missed you, and Liri, and Kukutux..." Alivia added, rattling off the names she'd heard a hundred times, "..and Dad, I think. But her happy memories in Teekon were a comfort to her." 

Alivia bent down to tuck back into the haunch, in case Towhee needed a moment to process that without someone staring at her.

Towhee did need that moment to process Livi’s words, particularly the mention of her dad. What had ever become of Germanicus? Just thinking his name pulled the proverbial white sheet off the ancient, dusty furniture in a corner of the Redhawk’s mind. He’d gone on to quickly marry and divorce the same daughter she’d just mentioned. She had respected him so much as an Imperator, but their last few rendezvous had left a blight on his memory.

You know, I wish I could give you some intel on your dad, she said slowly as Alivia crouched over the meat. The last time I saw him…

Towhee trailed off into contemplative silence for a beat. Should she air his dirty laundry to his daughter? It seemed in poor taste, though as she remembered more and more about that final confrontation, she felt heat creeping up the back of her neck as old anger woke.

He didn’t do right by your mother, nor the women that came after her, to tell you the truth. We had words. Rather, she’d hurled curses at his ever-implacable back. I never saw him again after that, she said, frowning thoughtfully—then a touch apologetically—at the younger woman.

Livi hadn’t even asked. Towhee shifted her weight and tucked those memories back into storage with a sigh and shake of her head. Hopefully she hadn’t just spoiled the girl’s image of her father, or her appetite.

Alivia's ears flicked forward, and her eyes met Towhee's at the mention of her father. She didn't stop chewing, but she was listening intently. She blinked when Towhee got to the "women that came after" her part. It hadn't really occurred to Alivia to wonder whether Germanicus had moved on when she and her mother left, or who he had moved on with. Now she was wondering if Towhee had been one of those women herself. The way she spoke about him, it sounded personal. 

Alivia swallowed. She chose her words more carefully than usual. 

"Mom didn't talk about him much.. I assumed because it was painful. I never really knew why." She'd always thought that the source of her mother's pain was love and longing, but Towhee's intel seemed to suggest something darker. 

"Bushtit said that Mereo is gone now, but you guys still go back to the canyon sometimes. Maybe next time I could go too." She bent down ripped the last enormous strip of flesh off the shank, leaving behind a clean legbone.

Alivia didn’t seem particularly perturbed, though Towhee planned to drop the subject. She was glad when the younger woman did it for her, more or less, her son’s name causing a small twinge in her chest. The mention of Mereo, of visiting the canyon, made Maxim’s presence stir around her. She started a little.

Absolutely, she said a bit quietly. Clearing her throat and raising her voice slightly, Towhee questioned, Do you remember much about it? Mereo? The canyon? The palazzo? Not “Germanicus?” though. I hope you do. I have so many, myself. There was something particularly unforgettable about that time and place…

She glanced sideways without moving her head, as if she might glimpse Maxim out of the corner of her eye. There was nothing there, of course, and she felt him fade away again. Towhee wondered if she was imagining it when she felt a little colder in her core. Then again, it was probably all in her head.

For a brief moment, Towhee looked as if she had been surprised by Alivia's suggestion, but she agreed quickly enough. Alivia wagged her tail.

"Do you remember much about it? Mereo?"

Nope, nothing. She was about to reply, but Towhee added, "I hope you do," in such a wistful tone that Alivia swallowed her initial answer. 

"I'm hoping that Redhawk Caldera will be the time and place I remember like that," she answered instead. She wasn't all that old, but she had already seen so many places, and they all seemed to run together. 

That sounded like a big fat “no,” which made Towhee feel a little sad for her. Well, she would just have to regale her with tales of Mereo’s heyday. She’d love an excuse to reminisce about the good old days with Rue.

Well, you’re off to a good start, carving out a promising future here, the Redhawk said, pointing toward the food that, of course, represented her pending promotion. We’ll make lots of memories here, she added, without saying the quiet part out loud: they were likely to be both good and bad. And I have no doubt you’ll come into your own as our medic.

That seemed to tie a neat little bow on their conversation, though Towhee was in no hurry to rush off and do other things. Being here with Livi was like spending time with part of Ruenna. Her lips pulled into a fond smile.

What if you kept eating and I told you one of my favorite stories about your mom? I have many, though I’ll start with one. Before we lived together in Mereo—and after we lived together in a doomed place called Asterism Grove—we made a really awesome biffle sandwich right here in Redhawk Caldera…

Want to fade here?

Alivia waved her tail at the praise. A "good start" and a "promising future" were not things that she had ever really expected for herself. Even after all of those years of taking care of her mom, it still surprised her to hear that caring for others was something she might actually do well. All this time, Alivia had assumed that her mother had sent her here so that the Caldera wolves could take care of her, but perhaps Rue had known that they would need Alivia just as much as she needed them. 

"And I have no doubt you’ll come into your own as our medic."

Alivia took a bite and chewed slowly in order to hide her shy smile. Towhee has obviously picked up on what she'd been putting down. 

She perked up at the mention of a story and nodded eagerly at Towhee's offer. "Whaffa-" she began to speak and then stopped, belatedly remembering Towhee's correction from earlier. She made a point to swallow her bite before she spoke again. "What's a sandwich..? And a biffle..?" 

They clearly had a lot of ground to cover, but that was okay. There was a lot of deer haunch to eat. 

Perfect! :D