Moonspear Sal din hug og lat den ri og renna.

Did she know Hushed Willows? The name didn’t sound familiar, though of course it made her think of her willow, back in Epoch. Towhee swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked, redoubling her focus on her son-in-law’s face. She really only caught every third or fourth word, though it was enough to cobble together a reasonable understanding of what he shared.

When Hydra and I were allied, we were living in Sun Mote Copse on the other side of this mountain. That’s where Meerkat was born, actually. Have you ever been? Perhaps you two should go visit. Now that Phox and I are here, we’d be happy to babysit for you.

There was probably a fairly unsubtle hint in her words, though Towhee wouldn’t suggest it outright in their very first conversation. But ever since her very first visit with Meerkat here, she had sensed that it may not be the final stop on Meerkat’s journey. She knew her daughter was a traveler at heart, though Towhee wasn’t actually sure what Meerkat thought of leading her own village.

Anyhow, you just said the magic words, Towhee said, lifting her feet to resume their ascent. Anyone who prioritizes Meerkat’s happiness is a winner in my book, not that you needed my approval or anything. But it’s nice to have, isn’t it? she quipped, winking and huffing a dry laugh.

If she had been able to hear, she may have picked up on the sound of children’s laughter in the distance as they approached the rendezvous site. But of course all was silent for Towhee, who looked around herself with a long, slow exhale. She didn’t know if this was her last stop—probably not, honestly—and she wouldn’t be happy here right away. But the elder Redhawk hoped this could become a nice home for her, for a time.