Redhawk Caldera All black everything.

She let out a sigh of relief which would've been quite loud if not for the hiss of rain. Towhee nodded when he told her they could go whenever she and the children were both ready. It would probably be a bit difficult wrangling the kids—she would never forget losing Alyx while trekking merely one territory away—but she liked the thought of her offspring getting to know their extended family on their dad's side. It made her think of how happy Meerkat had been to meet her father and learn more about her lineage.

She thought about offering to send Meerkat with word, though Reyes was probably right. There was some news that just deserved to be delivered firsthand. Besides, the yearling deserved a bit of a break. She'd been wandering the wilds in search of Phox for weeks on and off. Towhee knew Meerkat hated being away from the pups. It would be unkind to send her off on yet another errand.

"I don't think it's a bad idea for you to go on your own first," the Sovereign said. "Maybe you could go when Phox gets his ass back here?" That was assuming he was coming back. Surely he was coming back, right? "Or sends word, at the very least," she murmured, raindrops sliding down her cheekbones like tears.

"We should get out of this," she said in the next moment, gesturing. But she didn't want to head back to the Hobbit Hole just yet. "We could head to the cave?" Towhee said, unsure how she felt about it. Their three dead children were buried there. There was a part of her that had thought she would avoid it for the rest of time. But right now, she realized she needed its comfort and the memories of stealing away with him there for days at a time...