Redhawk Caldera We are the dreamers

Three things happened back-to-back: Elwood explained that his parents were gone, echoing what the younger wolves had just told him; Phox yelled excitedly that he should stay; and Towhee pressed forward to introduce herself and her brother. Nightjar caught himself wondering how Phox came by his name when he looked nothing like their mother. Towhee was an unfamiliar term to him as well but he was willing to bet it had something to do with animals. The only member of his family that he was aware of who wasn't named after an animal was Wildfire, and even she had regularly been called something animalish by their mother. He couldn't remember what it was.

"I heard," he replied grimly to Elwood, and his silvery eyes asked the question he couldn't put into words: will you tell me how later? He was interested to know that Raven was back, because he had no idea where she'd gone, but he didn't know who Gannet was. Possibly one of his siblings from the litter he had never been around to meet. His parents had probably introduced the cubs the very last time Nightjar had seen them, but their names were long gone from his memory. He made a mental note to seek out this Gannet.

Then Towhee revealed she was deaf and Nightjar's features softened. He very nearly revealed that he was half deaf himself, and if not for Elwood, he might have done just that. For some reason, though, he still thought the Blackthorns and his own parents had never known (and maybe that was true), and he wasn't yet willing to make it known to Elwood. She went on to say if he wanted to stay, he needed to learn "tear-oh", and it was then that his features morphed into utter confusion. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out a deadpan, "what?"

Elwood helpfully supplied the answer to that question and Nightjar quietly muttered, "oh, I see," before fixing his vision back on Towhee and smiling. He didn't really understand how it worked and he wasn't even sure he was able to learn, but he happily agreed, "Sure, that sounds like a deal."