Northstar Vale Flower with no name.

Maxim’s smile was the sensation of cupping cold hands around a cup of hot tea, then taking a sip, the warmth spreading through her chest and soothing her nerves. Towhee twitched her tail in response, slinking closer and pressing against him, her teeth combing through the soft fur below his nearer ear.

Arsenio arrived within moments, signing a greeting. This was like a shot of whisky in the aforementioned cup of tea, sending happy fire through her veins. She was already making her mark here in Epoch. That boded well.

-“Hey, thanks for coming,”- she signed and spoke simultaneously, getting ready to ask about his wife’s whereabouts when Tamar appeared at his flank. -“I think it’s safe to say we’re doing pretty fantastic,”- she answered the Arche’s question, glancing at her mate for corroboration.

After giving Maxim a moment to add his two cents to that, Towhee drove right at the heart of the matter by saying, -“We wanted to ask you guys if we could plan on another litter in the spring.”-

There was a lot she could add—the urge to toss in a joke was nearly irresistible—but Towhee kept it short, sweet and to the point. Maybe once they got their official answer, then she would provide some comic relief.