Redhawk Caldera Family don't end with blood.

Towhee accepted the information without question, for which Finley was grateful. Maybe someday she would be able to clarify, but with the firebirds so young and still so impressionable, she wanted them to have only good feelings towards their parents and the lives they had lead. A better way would have been to be honest - that even though the majority of the pack had disliked Fox, she had been too self-confident, ambitious and badass to care about their small-minded views of her. It would have been a much better lesson for the pup, but Fin was feeling soft-hearted that day, so Towhee got the Disney version of the tale.

Her goddaughter's question made her pause. She looked at the pup with a feeling of gloom and melancholy stealing into her veins. Her mind went to Liffey and Lucy, then wandered further along to Wildfire and Nightjar and Whip and Ferret and so many others that had left them. "Some do, yes," Finley answered, "It's not always a bad thing, though. Everyone at some point decides what they want to do with their lives and sometimes what they want to do is find a home and a pack of their own. I did when I was young. You might someday too. It's always sad to see the ones you love go, but everyone has to do what makes them happy and when you love someone, you have to be happy for them when they do, even when it's sad to let them go."

It was something she had only just learned for herself in the past few days from Liffey's abrupt departure. Fin knew it was good advice, but it was a terrible struggle for her just then to really practice it for herself. She was afraid of any of her remaining children ever leaving and wanted to do all she could to keep them there, even if it was selfish. She would have to let go and practice what she preached, but that was far easier said than done when her heart ached so much.