Northstar Vale I can shoot a shotgun, I can catch a fish

She didn’t recognize his gait and it spooked her for a second. She thought it might be an injured Meadow, coming to turn her away… or Reyson, though he hadn’t faced the cat to her knowledge. His voice tipped her off immediately.

She joined the embrace eagerly, pressing her face to the warmth of his pelt and breathing in that familiar, comforting scent. She felt tears prick at her but didn’t let them go. Not here.

I’m glad you’re okay. Mom told me you were missing, and we looked, but there wasn’t a trace. What happened?

With his steps he had an injured leg, which would explain why he hadn’t come back to them. And she’d known when he left that he wouldn’t… he’d only been going to trial Epoch, but he wouldn’t have left Towhee for her. Unlike with Killdeer, that fact wasn’t a source of jealousy, though a large part of her wished they’d both stayed.