Sun Mote Copse vine energy

When little Quetzal practically crawled into her arms, it took all of Towhee's inner strength to resist hugging the puppy to her chest. She still didn't want to invite the drowsing Niamh's ire, just in case, so she held still for a moment before gently nudging the pup around so she blindly faced the direction she had come. Thus pointed back inside the den, the Regent withdrew her snout and watched as the undeterred puppy began to mouth her foreleg.

"I don't think you'll find what you're looking for," she mused aloud. Gently, she slipped her leg away from the pup's gums and leaned forward, trying to give her another helpful prod toward the den's interior, where Quetzal would find mother's milk.

Towhee jerked abruptly, lifting her head away from the pup as a thought crossed her mind. Could she nurse Niamh's pups? Would she want that? Would it be weird? She stared speculatively at the youngster now, adding that question to her checklist. She would ask both later, when her friend was more alert.