Redhawk Caldera I'm a phoenix in the water

With two blinks, she had her answer: "No." Towhee drew in a breath, realizing she'd kind of poked the bear inside herself by asking. First of all, she still missed her friend terribly, even after all this time. Secondly, talking about X with her daughter of course made her think of Y. Fennec should've had a companion to grow up alongside her, just like Towhee and X. But Tegan had ruined it all. She still hated him for it, though there was part of her that truly missed him too. It had been so long now...

The emotions came and they went. If Fen didn't remember X, she certainly wouldn't remember that fateful day, so she wouldn't mention it. Why make her feel worse when she was already in such a bad way? "I found her not far from here, when I lived here as a youth. She had a broken wing. I gave her meat to earn her trust, then brought her home with me. While her wing mended, we bonded, so even when she could, she never left me." Her chest tightened, so she took the opportunity lighten mostly her own mood by sharing, "By the way, I thought she was a he for most of this. She never bothered to correct me. Guess birds don't give a shit about gender."

She chuckled over that for a moment, then said, "I'd love for you to have a companion like that. I know you don't need one but they really come in handy. I miss X just because... but I also miss how she used to let me know every single time someone called for me or if there was a stranger at the borders. I can only imagine all the ways a critter might help you too," Towhee finished quietly, hoping Fennec took that in the spirit it was intended: camaraderie, plus acknowledgement that they were both differently abled but capable, especially with the right tools.