Swiftcurrent Creek Fear of Sleep

The quiet moment was cherished, and Tuwawi's eyes shut peacefully at the touch of her husband's maw to an umber cheek. They had been together for so long that these exchanges had become second nature, but never were they dull or stale. Even though the seasons came and went, Njal was always there for Tuwa to fall back on and her true trust laid with him... and him alone. Not Swiftcurrent, nor Kindred, nor Tartok, could rip the northern's wife from his side, and even though she felt duty tie her to the creek's many responsibilities, there was little holding her to this place as everything turned to ruin.

Two members of the creek Tuwawi barely knew had been captured, and Fox's inexperienced hand had left her dead or indisposed somewhere in the wilds. Bazi, equally fatigued by the constant state of turmoil, issued commands to the subordinates... but what wisdom did she posses to back up her instructions? Scimitar and Jace had fought... but why? Their burly comrade had a taste for action, Tuwawi had noted, but she wasn't fond of his rash decisions. Altogether they were just a hodgepodge, with Njal and herself at the core.

What do we do? he asked. Tuwawi hummed a pensive note, lids lifting and gaze becoming sharp. Could they leave? No... it wasn't possible for two adults to carry four puppies who could barely walk. What if Fox returned? What if she wanted war? What if their alpha left forever? Could Tuwawi trust Bazi? Trust Scimitar, Danica, or the others? Did Fox ever had the intention to protect her subordinates? There were too many variables.

Plus, as Njal had informed her, there was a cougar in their midst.

She sighed in a defeatist way, saffron shoulders rolling as her eye line watched the shimmering river travel south. A fished surfaced, licking a dragonfly from the water's crest. Eat or be eaten... that was the way the world worked. Tuwawi's gaze lifted to distant, unnamed peaks in the North. She was a summer wolf by birth, unaccustomed to traversing craggy mountain sides. But she could adapt. But their children... the children limited their options for travel. "I'm not sure," Tuwawi admitted, but her eyes suddenly became sharp and hungry. Like a small flame, a wanton desire emerged and her voice became firm and resolute with ambition, "all I know... is that I do not want to run below Fox any longer."