Redhawk Caldera Now if you'll excuse me, I have a little hell to raise.

Towhee steadfastly believed in her cause. But it was taxing to form a plan and execute it, especially when faced with opposition from her own family members, like Lagan. She decided to lay low for a few days before making any more ejection attempts. She would go after Burke and his mate again if she must, though there were other names on her hit list too.

Thunder rumbled as she slogged around the borders, mulling these things. Towhee couldn't hear it, though she felt the earth quake subtly beneath her paws. She stopped to study the storm clouds clustering over the mountain range to the north. She bit her lip and sat, her eyes growing glassy. She wasn't really watching the storm roll in; her mind was far away.

There was perhaps a surprising name on Towhee's list: her own. She was decent at hunting small game but her hearing impairment made it difficult otherwise. She was loath to consider the idea of departing the caldera for any reason—it went against the very grain of her staunch nature—though she thought she might need to start preparing herself to make that sacrifice. It would take great courage, which she wasn't entirely sure she possessed.

The worst part was that she would have to leave @Phox behind. Tears sprang to her eyes and Towhee angrily swiped a paw across her face. The very thought made her want to vomit. She was certain her brother would tag along should she make this most difficult decision but she knew she couldn't ask that of him. The pack needed him now more than ever, especially since he was becoming quite the adept hunter.

If Towhee did this, she would do it alone, and that scared the hell out of her, especially because of her deafness. Her face grew solemn as the storm cast its shadow over her, the first drops of rain pattering at her head and white-streaked shoulders.

@Sebastian