Sun Mote Copse words of wisdom

Towhee's eyes followed a leaf as it finally detached from the bough of a maple and twirled gradually to the forest floor to join its hundreds, thousands of brethren already dead and decaying there. Watching the seasons change inevitably made her think of the future. The copse still showed some signs of damage from the summer's flooding, yet they had restored their borders and their caches in plenty of time for winter. They were as prepared as they could possibly be for the colder months.

She resumed walking again, her mind straying further ahead. Her heart did a little skip when she thought about spring. Everything would be different next year, wouldn't it? She knew she could bear offspring now, so there was a sense of hope. But there was trepidation too. She had never been choosy about her partners of yore, yet she should proceed with caution now. They weren't just lovers, they were potential fathers, at least genetically. Towhee scoffed harder than ever at the idea of a proper romance, after dealing with @Pippin, @Arcturus, and even her fleeting attractions to @Bronco and @Perdition. It was all so pointless... and not for her.

But she definitely wanted more children, which meant she needed to sort out a baby daddy. A loud laugh escaped her as those words flitted through her head. She'd reached the river forming the far eastern boundary line of the copse. Towhee began threading south, letting out a sigh when she realized she hadn't even seen "Perdy" since that first encounter. Anyway, she couldn't bone him in good conscience, not with all his issues. Could he even get it up, she wondered? Even if he could, what if the lightning had zapped his swimmers? She snorted inelegantly.

It was impossible to be sure, yet Towhee had always suspected @Kaertok was Meerkat's biological father. She wondered if he was still around these parts. Was he up for a second round? It had worked out pretty perfectly; she'd been given an absolute treasure for a daughter and he hadn't had to contribute anything beyond his initial squirt. If she ever crossed paths with him again, she would definitely float the idea of a sequel. Of course, this all assumed Towhee would maintain any semblance of logic and reason during her next heat, which was not a safe bet, historically...

The sight of Eljay scattered her thoughts. Towhee paused, feeling her guts clench when she realized he was near the graves. She wondered if he'd ever noticed the disturbed dirt. They hadn't relocated Wildfire's remains very far from her original burial site, yet still... Towhee truly hoped he'd never find out about it. She could just see it sending him spiraling into a whole new round of gloom and woe. Even the most well-adjusted wolf should never have to see their dead mate's decayed corpse.

-"Hey, Eljay,"- she found herself saying as she approached, keeping it casual even as her orange eyes roved around the little cemetery. Everything looked, well, normal and peaceful.