Bramblepoint I'll follow you way down to your deepest low.

She allowed the gentle touch, though Towhee stiffened a little at Bronco's offhanded joke. He couldn't possibly understand why that mental image was so far from funny to her. She reminded herself of that, and his good intentions. He just wanted to walk her home.

"Okay," she replied, gingerly heaving back onto all fours. A loud breath gusted out of her as she teetered a bit, then shifted to balance better. "Hey, thanks for letting me bitch," she added, saying nothing else as the two of them slowly made their way back through Bramblepoint toward the caldera.

"Do me one more favor?" Towhee asked when they reached the borders, turning slowly like a bloated sloth. "Ask Meerkat to swing by? I know she was just here and tell her she doesn't have to stay. But it would mean a lot to see her."