Snowforest Taiga aggun ≓

As the pack gathered together to disembark, Towhee thought of Sialuk. They were returning to the spine much sooner than anticipated, due in part to the sickness sweeping through the herds. Was the young woman happy about this development? Towhee wasn't sure how she felt about it yet. It was so strange, having no say in anything. It was freeing and frustrating in equal measure.

She wondered if Meerkat was nearby and might come to say goodbye, though she didn't see her daughter anywhere. She thought about their talk at the feast and wondered if Meerkat had heeded her advice. She'd urged the young woman to reconsider locking it down with Issorartuyok, partly out of selfishness; she would love more grandchildren. But Towhee also truly believed that guy would give her daughter a good life.

But, of course, it was Meerkat's life to live. Towhee wondered if she'd already gone into season, as she suspected, and that was why she hadn't seen her since that night. In any case, the former Sovereign also had her own life to live. She pushed Meerkat and everything else from her mind and braced herself for the long walk ahead.