Honeyed Pasture calendula arvensis

tag for reference!

She wouldn't be gone long—she never was—but Ty left Waxwing and Silktail safe in the confines of the den. They were rapidly growing, their eyes now beginning to peel open and taking their first wobbly few steps. She was overjoyed with how they reacted to each little thing. Silktail was the noisier of the two, while Waxwing was quietly impatient in all things, willing to use what little brawn he had to get what he wanted.

Her short trek took her only a few minutes away to a small stream so she could grab a drink of water. She assumed @Aditya was around nearby, though his presence felt fleeting and fragile. Tytonidae found that she enjoyed the time they spent together, but his words had been clear: he had done this before and left his former families behind. She reminded herself that she was prepared to do this alone if she needed to, and so she did not always check to make sure he was there when she left the den.

She slurped up the water as quickly as she could, knowing time was in limited supply. It would only take a moment for a predator to discover and ruin the two small lives she had created.