Ghost Lion Crag In the hall of the mountain king.

Hydra heard the apology, and rumbled a softspoken thank you, in turn; from Towhee, she knew it was sincere. Her way with the woman was entirely natural, effortless, and she trusted her implicitly. She perked some as Towhee mentioned that she was happy for her in the same vein, and Hydra smiled, the expression genuine. Though she wished both her parents could see her now, and meet their grandchildren, they were not; she was happy with what she did have, and did not, for a moment, take it for granted. 

When Towhee brought up Caiaphas, her ears leaned forward in interest. How strange that Towhee had her own history with the seawitch! What was she like, when she ran with you? She inquired, wondering if Towhee could recall. Evidently somewhat foolish, to think that she had any place at the helm of a pack named after the family that surely largely comprised it. Raven she remembered; Titmouse had attacked her, all that time ago. What had Raven done to deserve all of this in her own lifetime? The way Towhee had portrayed her, Raven was a kind and good woman. Her tactical mind whirred when she asked the question, wondering about her nature. Hydra advised, she has been making up stories of Easthollow; implicated them in the death of a wolf the boy Merrick ended, her muzzle wrinkled at that. No word of Redhawks or the like from her, though... likely because she thought them gone, as Hydra once had before she found out otherwise. 

Towhee went on of her own life then, far less enthusiastic than Hydra had ever heard her... but perhaps, she was mistaken. It had been so long; Hydra had once known for certain by the volume of her companions voice, or the awkward (but not unpleasant) shift in tone at random moments how the other felt... of course, that was all Hydra's own perception. Tone was hard to discern for those who could not hear it. Hydra could sense enough that she did not want to delve more into it, though Hydra was surprised to hear that Towhee was not leading at all. 

Hydra listened to Towhee, who spoke of motherhood. To Hydra, it was all she had ever wanted without knowing (other than leadership, naturally), and her own smile broadened to hear Towhee herself knew the joys of it. Fen, she echoed, fond of her already on principle. Have you taught her of the importance of borders? We have had incidents of others, young, ignore fresh markers and charge on through, a disapproving look crossed her features; she could not understand it, though also supposed they might very well be a part of Caiaphas's young band of murderers. That was how Hydra treated them, in any case; better safe than sorry. But now she considered, perhaps it was not a part of etiquette training. Hydra had been certain to warn her own children of it, and her younger siblings too, though. Hydra had been raised to be mindful, and what it meant to cross them. Still, Hydra pressed on in regards to her daughter: how old is she now? Is she as strong as you, yet? She grinned, tail waving as she, too, took a seat. 

The next inquiry surprised her, too; she blinked, genuinely thrown off by the statement that followed. I am indifferent to her, she admitted. It seems she thinks of me more than I think of her. We have no relationship, but we do have a history; she is a good storyteller, she drawled, wondering what sort of story she had spun for Towhee. She ran with Moonspear years ago. I had thought us friends, and discovered I was wrong when she left without a word, soon after Galaxy had died; she followed Rannoch, and Liffey, and Terance to a pack built on the concept that my sisters and I were monsters. They made an enemy of us, but Moonspear cared not at all for them after the way in which they departed. Years ago, I was hurt of course, she drawled, but age has taught me that I do not need fairweather wolves like Wraen in my life, nor do I desire them. Besides, I have also come to understand that they might not be wrong about me, she admits, ear twitching, I would kill for my family. When Galaxy passed, you know precisely how I felt—you were with me. If I saw him again, truth be told Towhee, I still would, she breathed. Not with her in the literal sense, of course, but Towhee had stood by her side.

She also once would have killed for her friends; she had nearly ripped the throat of Vaati out with her sisters after all due to his attack on Rannoch. But the narrative spun when they perceived Titmouse a man without guile... 

Galaxy would never know her nieces and nephews because of that bastard. He would harm a woman with child. But she had not heard from, or of, him in some time; she simply hoped he had met a terrible end. She did not care how, or why; in the face of death, after all, did not every being hope for some redeeming arc so that, if there was a Heaven and Hell, they had even the slightest chance of seeing the former...?

It went without saying that the same attention would be devoted to the three wolves she had named to Towhee. 

Towhee was likely the only remaining wolf that she would kill for not of her blood. Perhaps Terance, too, she considered; the only other wolf she considered friend in this lifetime not of her blood. He had betrayed her, but he had admitted he was wrong and had promised to her he would kill the bastard too, if he ever saw him. He was a man of his word. 

She finished with, I do not think Wraen thinks as I do, or agrees with my way of things, perhaps... So our separation is for the best, she drawled. She... is not a bad wolf, though. I do not think she would willfully harm another, and she was young herself when she departed... I understand she is your leader now, she considered for a moment before simply deciding on: I hope she has become a better woman than she was a girl. 

Evidently not so much, if she was still whispering of her—but was that such a bad thing? No, Hydra thought; it would keep the real monsters away. Hydra wondered if she might pay Wraen another visit to request that she embellish on how terrible she was... mmf. Better not. 

She was quiet now, patient; perhaps there would be questions. Perhaps not. But for Towhee, Hydra had all of the time in the world. She was a wolf in which Hydra could be truly honest with, just as Towhee could be truly honest with her (as she had been). Curious to what Towhee would make of it all, she surveyed her own face with passive curiosity.