Ghost Lion Crag In the hall of the mountain king.

Hydra didn't seem thrown by the non sequitur, though the circumstances of Sugar's disappearance perplexed her, if Towhee read her face (and lips) correctly. "Yeah, we went there in search of food." And they'd found it. In fact, they'd been so intent on the feast, Sugar had slipped away and vanished without anyone noticing right away. Towhee felt the familiar pinch of guilt in her gut. She felt responsible and was also trying not to resent Wraen for taking them out there; it wasn't as though she'd dragged them by force...

Towhee nodded dumbly at her comrade's reassurances, taking them to heart but too wrought to come up with much to say. Only when prompted with specific questions about her little sister did she speak again. "Yes, she looks like a Blackthorn: gray fur, paler underside, black stripe down her back... she's small, with black eyes and a pink nose." She swallowed thickly before tacking on, "She's only six months old."

And with winter upon them, was there any hope she'd survive if they didn't find her and soon? Towhee didn't think so, though the same thought went out to Fig. She'd assumed he and Phox were together, wherever they were, but what if they weren't? That thought pierced Towhee with horror. She couldn't even entertain it. She shoved it aside, as well as all her doubts about Sugar's own chances. She needed to stay focused and hopeful. It was early days yet.

"Hydra, I have to keep looking," Towhee announced after a few beats, her tone regretful. "You're welcome to join me, though I assume there's other things you need to be doing." She certainly wouldn't fault the queen for prioritizing her duties to her kingdom, though the mercenary wanted her to know she was welcome. "You're one of the few I have left. I won't let another year pass me by before I see you again." Her orange eyes captured Hydra's, burning bright with friendship, and the tip of her tail slowly waved in a salute of companionship and respect.