The Heartwood Dance fruits.

Towhee knew the pups were a bit young for a field trip but if she didn’t get out of Epoch for a little bit, she was afraid she really would lose her mind. She refused to leave any of her kids behind, so she asked @Phox for his help and gathered up @Jack Snipe, @Sable and @Towhee Jr right after breakfast. She asked her older son to notify the rest of the pack: “We’re headed to Moonspear to visit family, be back soon!”

Minding the youngest members of their little caravan, Towhee slowly led the group out of the vale via Razorback Ridge. She kept an eagle eye on the little ones as they shuffled their way to the neighboring plains. There were so many pack scents on the crosswinds here, it really set her teeth on edge. They faded a little as the party of five passed through a hollow into The Heartwood, so Towhee decided it was a relatively safe place to take a break.

Phox caught a rabbit, which Towhee split into thirds for her kids. After settling the pups down for a nap and nodding at Jack’s mention of exploring the neighboring glen, she looked for somewhere where she and her brother could park and relax. They could see Moonspear through a break in the trees here at the southwestern corner of the woods. Minding her scars, she relaxed her back against the trunk of a middle-aged oak and let out a sigh.

Towhee didn’t actually care if they made it all the way to Moonspear. She definitely wanted to see @Fennec and @Killdeer, Meerkat and her family too, but whether they went there or they came here really didn’t matter. In fact, it probably made the most sense to meet in the middle. In any case, they were away from the vale and that was the important thing. Towhee felt like she could breathe freely and think about something other than her mate’s absence for the first time in days.

We should try calling them, Towhee mulled aloud to Phox, swiveling to look at him in the gathering gloom of dusk, maybe in the morning? She paused thoughtfully, looking down at her paws kneading in the unfamiliar forest floor. I don’t mind taking our time, spending a few days here…

Anyone who’s tagged is welcome! :)