Redhawk Caldera i was war incarnate

striking out on his own, in reality, was a pale comparison to the romanticization he'd built up in his head as the month had yawned on. when he'd brought his desire to head back to the teekon wilds, to the place of his birth, towhee jr had held no qualms; did not clutch him to her breast. instead she agrees, on the condition that he seeks his grandmother in the caldera and she sends ghost with him. the peregrine falcon is a quiet companion but keen eyed. to keep him company or keep a sharp eye on him? tzar cannot help but wonder.

though the idea to disobey his mother's wishes, to see the rubble of what remained of the home they'd fled is strong. a morbid curiosity to find the deathbed of his siblings spurned by the churning finality that he had come to learn as he aged but had never yet come to full terms with.

that his father and siblings might be alive out there somewhere, escaped but separated from them was a strong motivator.

but ghost keeps the begrudging young crownore prince on course with a sharp nip to his left ear when tries to venture off path, to redirect them. resigned, tzar relents ... if only because he fears ghost might nip half his ear off at the rate they were going.

he is tired when he finally reaches the caldera, using his mother's communicated landmarks and casting his gaze skyward as ghost soars on ahead; seeking jr's look-alike @Towhee while the disheveled prince awaits at her doorstep.

*recycles post because HELLO!*

Tongues were quite resilient, apparently. Those first few days after biting hers were absolutely miserable, though it began healing more swiftly than Towhee could’ve imagined. She was lucky to avoid starvation, even luckier to dodge infection, and if she had to resort to Ptero much more lately, well, that was a net positive.

It was still quite tender several days on, plus the whole fiasco had really worn on Towhee. She hadn’t left the Hobbit Hole much, though she felt well enough to stand in the doorway late this morning. The skies were bright and clear, a strong wind blustering past and carrying all manner of leaves and whatnot. She leaned lightly against the doorway and just enjoyed the fall vibes.

Her eyes were closed when she felt a faint flutter deep within her core a while later. Towhee smiled without opening them, losing herself in that small, inward sensation. When they finally reopened, she didn’t think anything could possibly distract her, though that was before her orange gaze flicked upward and spotted a hawk—a familiar hawk.

Goes, Towhee mumbled even as she lurched into motion, her heart in her throat as she galloped to meet yet another wayward child.

Only it wasn’t her doppelganger waiting at the foot of the stunted mountain. Towhee slowed, breathing hard, her mouth absolutely throbbing in time with her pulse. She let the damned thing loll, eyes fixed on the figure as she closed the distance between them. She was certain she didn’t know him but the bird… the resemblance… his age…

-Are you,- she began a little jerkily, -who I think you are…?-

tzar does a double take when he sees the woman that greets him; head canting to the side with visible confusion as he studies her. though jr had been clear that she looked like his grandmother, tzar hadn't realized that his mother had been a direct copy and paste.

he's so busy starting at towhee senior ( looking both dumbfounded and a bit like fish out of water ) that he almost misses the ptero; but ghost perches upon him, sharp talons reopening wounds of shoulders not yet calloused and used to his piercing nails and the wince jolts him out of whatever stupor the crownore prince had fallen victim to.

luckily, just in time.

uh, he gives his head a soft shake. -you look just like my mom.- would he have been speaking it out loud, he would've blurted it out. still, the rushed and clumsy ptero convey his surprise accurately enough.

His signed response answered a few questions and evoked even more. Towhee sucked in a breath, a tiny part of her brain marveling at the fluttering sensation deep inside her abdomen. Where she’d once carried Towhee Jr, among others… and, on a technicality, this young man standing before her. What a wild thought.

-I am your mother’s mother, Towhee Sr,- she said, wondering whether Jr had ever informed her progeny of her likeness. That didn’t matter nearly as much as, -Your mom, how is she? And the rest of your family? Are you guys still living in that valley?-

She stopped herself there, as she didn’t want to overwhelm him. He already looked a little out of sorts. Her orange eyes tracked back and forth across his face, flicking to the familiar bird on his shoulder before performing a quick assessment of his physique. He was a little gangly, though that tracked with his age. As her gaze came back to rest on his face, she realized she had no idea of his name.

it startles tzar a little bit as he reads his grandmother's ptero that she hadn't been informed of the tragedy that had struck ... but they'd fled so quickly and he'd been too young to remember all the details that blurred viciously. -mom's fine.- he begins, trying to prioritize the news, starting with the best. -she stayed behind but sent ghost to keep an eye on me.- a small scowl is given to the bird perched upon his shoulder, eye rolling as his knight in feathers remains his forever shadow; an inherited guardian.

-there was ... well i don't remember exactly but something bad happened ... dad and my siblings didn't make it out.- tzar, too young to recall the facts in any sort of detail stuck with the simple, vague explanation. -just ... just mom and i.- part of the crownore prince hopes that he was just too young to gleam all the details, despite that he knows that jr would never leave her other children or husband unless they were deceased as he knew the sun would rise each morning.

-i'm tzar, by the way.- he offers after trauma dumping the quick and dirty events of tragedy that had happened months ago.

His mother was fine, which loosened a slight knot in Towhee’s stomach. Said stomach sank a moment later when he revealed the fate of the rest of his family. Her lips parted as she processed this news and tried to figure out how to feel about it. She had barely known Jr’s mate, had never met any of her children, and yet the loss stung. Towhee would’ve done anything to be able to offer her mini-me a hug right now.

But she hadn’t come, sending Tzar in her stead. At least, that’s what Towhee assumed. She stared at her grandson—Jr’s only surviving child—for another beat or two. She then telegraphed her intention to move closer before she did, resisting the urge to pull him into a hug but still breaking the touch barrier by settling a paw on his shoulder.

Reclaiming it after a moment, Towhee signed, -I’m so sorry for your losses. I can’t imagine what you and your mom have been through. I’m glad she’s okay, all things considered.- She paused pensively before wondering, -I assume you came here today to find me and tell me about this but you know what they say about assuming. So what brought you here today, Tzar?-

tzar is still as she reaches out to touch her paw to his shoulder; still finding it a bit strange that he's looking at his grandmother but sees his mother looking back at him. still, there's a wisdom to his grandmother's expression that his mother's fierce, hawkish gaze did not hold — an experience that could only come from age.

tzar's paws are quiet, his tongue still. he does not dare speak for jr in her absence, is not the leading authority on how well she is or isn't holding up. she'd lost her husband and her other children ... he is the only surviving of her first litter. if she was falling apart inside, she had always been careful not to let him see.

-in part,- he answers in ptero, the sweeping motion of his paws slow. almost sheepish. -i wanted to come back ... but mom didn't want to ... but she didn't fuss when i insisted on coming back by myself.- a glimpse is cast over his shoulder where ghost perches. it was true enough, even if he had been tethered by invisible rope to ghost who haunts him from the skies when he isn't perched upon his shoulder. tzar hadn't known it at the time but it'd quickly became apparent as to why. she hadn't needed to. ghost was more than an adequate cubsitter, and jr definitely had the upper paw the whole time.

-but i was only allowed to come if i found you and asked if i could join the caldera... and, obviously, only if i took ghost with me.-

Her throat felt thick when Tzar told her his mom hadn’t wanted to come along. She wondered why, though Towhee tried not to fault her daughter. She’d been through something unimaginable. That said, she was a little taken aback when she realized Tzar meant to stay.

-You are both more than welcome to stay here,- Towhee said, albeit with a frown. -But what about your mom? Where is she staying? Won’t she miss you? And Ghost?-

She assumed Jr had discussed these things with her son before sending him her way, so Towhee waited to see what Tzar would relay to her. She wasn’t entirely sure she could accept his answer, not that she could do anything about it. Towhee wasn’t exactly in any condition to go out and drag Jr home, especially against her will.

tzar gets the distinct feeling that his grandmother wished his mother were here, too. -she's at frosthawks,- he answers in ptero, paws making the familiar motion of the family branch off. easy now, because it'd been his home for some months. -probably...- hedges the crownore prince in regards to his mother missing him and ghost. -she might make her way back ... when she's ready.- it sounds profoundly mature for his age but it's just a mimicry of a phrase he heard adults use.

he'd been so young — was still so young — when it all took place that a big part of him still believed that jr had been wrong and that they'd just fled too soon.

-thanks for letting us stay.- tzar adds then, a bit sheepishly after a moment, realizing he hadn't said it before.

She hadn’t heard that name in quite some time. It soothed Towhee, knowing Jr was with family, Raven in particular. Her elder sister was a wonderful grief counselor in her way. Maybe she would teach Towhee’s daughter “yogurt.” Her lips pulled into a thin smile at the thought.

-Circumstances aside, I’m more than happy to have you here. Come with me, I’ll show you to the Hobbit Hole. That’s the communal den where we all live together. If you don’t want to stay there right away or at all, that’s fine, but know you’re welcome to join us anytime.-

She motioned for him to follow, then began to turn. The babes in her belly kicked as leaves swirled around her ankles. Her smile grew, even though her tongue still ached. Tzar would be in good company with all the other pups populating the caldera.

-I’ll introduce you to everyone, though I think you’ll be happiest to meet Caro and Ricky. They’re right around your age. Maybe one of them could take you on a tour. I would but… in case it wasn’t obvious, I’m carrying pups of my own. I’ll be plopping my fat ass down for a rest as soon as we get there,- she warned with mischief in her eyes.

Wanna fade here? You can assume she made quick intros, showed him around HH, etc. :)