Heron Lake Plateau A shadow moves, a renegade, all broken and bright.

She had expected Towhee would approve of the idea, for she knew of the friendship that had blossomed between her sister and Niamh, but the beta's answer pleased her nonetheless. She smiled and nodded, making a note to bring it up with Quixote so they could make the final decision together and then inform Niamh. The honey-colored girl was young and still had some learning and maturing to do, but she had already come a long way in her time with the Redhawks and she showed a lot of promise. As far as learning to be a leader, well...they were all sort of figuring out that part together, so Niamh would fit right in.

On the subject of leadership, and the other major milestones Raven had reached in her life, Towhee inquired as to how they were adjusting to it and the alpha shrugged. "Well enough, I guess," she grinned. "Having a mate is different and we're both still getting used to it, but it's...wonderful, honestly. And the kids are great. Reminds me of when you were that age." She grinned, her tail flipping to and fro behind her on the ground. She loved being a mom, and Towhee's litter had been her first foray into the world of childrearing. She liked to think she'd done a fairly good job, regardless of how Screech had turned out. "We're still figuring out the alpha thing. Since the pack hasn't burned down yet, though, I guess that's a sign we're doing something right." Her grin widened as a humorous gleam twinkled in her eye. Maybe Aunt Flea hadn't had any faith in Raven's ability to lead, but with each passing day, the sable healer's confidence in herself and her abilities as an alpha grew.