Redhawk Caldera unrequited sass

When her aunt repeated the news about the pups, including additional details, tears continued running down Wildfire's ruddy cheeks. She couldn't help but think of the puppies she wasn't having anytime soon. Pain lanced through her chest and she drew in a shaky, sobbing breath. Of course, Finley wouldn't know the difference; she would surely chalk it up to lingering pain over her parents' deaths.

Wildfire briefly wondered if she should burden her godmother with the goings-on in her life, especially now that Fox wasn't here to help her unpack her baggage. But she dismissed the idea out of hand, not because she didn't trust Finley but because the woman already had enough on her shoulders, what with with surely leading the caldera and mothering the orphaned newborns now.

"You and Elwood are raising them?" she asked, although she was already pretty sure of the answer. She, of course, didn't know about her prodigal sister's recent return or involvement with the puppies. "What are their names?" she wondered, momentarily forgetting her parents' tradition entirely and not even contemplating whether or not the Blackthorns planned to uphold it.