The Heartwood graunsheika

The tears in Heda’s eyes did not bode well. There was a pit in her stomach as the young mother stepped forward, looking utterly cowed as she relayed a story to Towhee. Her orange eyes hung on Heda’s lips, various expressions crawling across her face. By the end of it, her eyes were squinted and she wore a look of severe frustration, having to parse Heda’s words through a fit of crying.

Before Towhee could possibly process everything and formulate a response, there was some sort of commotion behind Heda. The Redhawk stretched her neck to watch as Malakai and Dinah appeared to shout at each other, though Towhee didn’t catch any but the last few words from the latter’s lips: “Get away from me, I hate you!”

Dinah Redhawk, Towhee thundered as the girl tried to slip away. Gritting her teeth, her eyes cut to Heda. You don’t solve problems by yelling at people, then running away and crying all over yourselves. Everybody here needs to put on their big girl—and boy—pants right now. We’re all going back to the island, she said imperiously, shaking her head, where we will talk to Caracal about his issues and be there for Judah.

Although she wanted to demand why Heda had decided rounding up (almost) all of her kids and running away would solve anything, Towhee pressed her tongue against her teeth. She did think it was an emotionally disproportionate response to the situation but Towhee knew firsthand what cruel challenges had been thrust upon her son and his wife via their eight children. Instead of yelling more, she touched the young woman’s shoulder.

You have to communicate with him, Heda. It’s not you against Caracal, it’s you and Caracal against the problem.

Towhee sighed and dropped her paw, looking around to see what the kids made of her words. Hopefully this exodus hadn’t done much further damage, especially if everyone turned around and went back right now. Towhee couldn’t see any reason the family—what was left of it—couldn’t be reunited and reconciled on that holy island of theirs.