Redhawk Caldera No, I don't have a harp.

She stared at him for a beat after he spoke, trying to parse his meaning. It occurred to her that Nightjar must be speaking of Eljay. Although she initially felt defensive—how dare he speak ill of the Alphas' offspring?—Towhee gradually realized that she didn't exactly disagree. Although she wouldn't call the eldest Blackthorn cub a "wreck," she kind of understood what Nightjar meant. Eljay had always seemed rather weak and wishy-washy to her too, though she still found her brother's words blunt.

"Who says that?" she rejoined. "They're going to be strong," she added before giving him any time to answer. "And they're going to be loyal too, if I have anything to do with it," Towhee added, speaking lowly without even realizing it. It was totally possible these puppies would grow up to leave too, like many Redhawks and Blackthorns before them. But right along with teaching them ptero, Towhee intended to impress upon these four youths the importance of fealty and pride in their land and legacy.

"I don't understand why anyone leaves," she continued after a brief pause, squinting at Nightjar. Her orange eyes weren't exactly accusatory, though they demanded an explanation. He had come back and he was lucky the Alpha pair was so forgiving, allowing him back into the fold and swaying Towhee's own opinion of him too. But still: why had he ever left in the first place?