Wheeling Gull Isle Spinn spindel, tvinn i tankar, kverv i syn.

She decided she wanted to make the trip to the island on her own. Towhee intended to disembark the same day Njord and Meerkat returned from their getaway, though she was waylaid by what her daughter had to tell her about the copse. Despite putting that particular bug in Njord’s ear herself, Towhee knew what Meerkat meant when she admitted the whole enterprise was as daunting as it was exciting. If those two settled the copse, Towhee didn’t know what she would do. The thought of uprooting again—and doing that to her kids—went beyond exhaustion.

In the meantime, she would stick to her plan. Towhee kissed @Sable and @Towhee Jr goodbye, knowing there were many eyes to watch them, and thanked @Phox for understanding her need to do this by herself. She set off from the foot of the mountain, striding past Moonglow and making a note to herself to arrange that puppy play date in Firefly Glen when she returned to Moonspear a few days from now.

The trip to the coast was uneventful, which was exactly what she needed. Towhee slowed down when she hit the beach, giving the residents of Sea Lion Shores a wide berth as she moseyed past. She could see the delta ahead, the speck of an island beyond it. Towhee sent some silent thanks to Meerkat for her easy-to-follow directions as she approached what felt like the edge of the world and called for her son.

Caracal looked like he hadn’t slept in a month, which made sense once he informed Towhee of her four newest grandchildren. She followed him across the partly submerged sandbar to the island’s interior, feeling only a moment’s disquiet as she trod on another’s territory. The views as they crested the hill were incredibly distracting, as were the scents of @Heda, @Simeon, @Malakai, @Judah and @Dinah on the salty June breeze.

Dated for June 10.