Redhawk Caldera Be like Elsa, let it go.

This thread is still in progress, so I'll make revisions if they become necessary.

When they made it back home, Towhee resisted the urge to beeline directly to her godparents with the bad news. She also asked @Colt and @Quixote not to say anything to anyone just yet. "I need a minute," she said when they crossed the borders. "I'll come find you soon," she added, orange eyes lifting to watch X circle overhead. She barked at him and then turned to stride away along the borders, the hawk's shadow drifting in her wake.

By "minute," she evidently meant more like "twenty-four hours." It wasn't until dawn that Towhee made her way to the Beta pair's den. She thought of summoning her cohorts from yesterday but decided it could wait until after she'd spoken to her co-leaders. There was no sign of X, though that wasn't particularly unusual; he didn't often accompany her near this part of the territory. She paused outside the door to take a deep breath and gather her thoughts, which had been racing ever since spotting the white wolf near the woods. At least her emotions—her towering rage at discovering the woods still inhabited despite the monumental efforts and sacrifices made in the name of removing that threat—had simmered somewhat overnight.

She approached the den's mouth slowly, then peeked inside. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, though it wasn't difficult to discern both @Elwood's and @Finley's silhouettes in the gloom. "Hey guys, sorry to bother you so early." Truthfully, Towhee hated to bother them with this at all, though a single glance down at the slumbering puppies reminded her of the critical importance of this discussion, of the weight of the decisions she and they would need to make this morning. "I'm glad you're both here. I need to talk to you about something, something important. Want to step outside?"