The Sentinels Boarfish

It was noble, she supposed, wanting to help this man find his daughter. But it frustrated Towhee immensely. How much time had she wasted looking for wayward wolves throughout her life? She wanted to warn her grandson against such fruitless endeavors. Someone who went missing would turn up or they wouldn’t.

Case in point: Swordfish had reappeared after a great deal of time. And Towhee couldn’t possibly lose track of him. If she went back to the copse without him, it would break Meerkat’s heart all over again. And what if he never came to see them? What if her daughter went looking for him herself, only for Fish to vanish again? Every possibility turned Towhee’s stomach.

I can’t go back without you. It would kill your parents, she said baldly to him. I’ll help you look for this Blossom, but at some point, we have to go to the copse. This guy? The one you want to help? Blubbering in the water? That’s how your mom and dad have felt for the past couple years.