Ocean's Breath Plateau Vole little a vealwav.

She brought a paw to the place where her neck met her shoulder, rubbing absently. Towhee wondered if she’d pulled a muscle. Well, more like the sea lion had pulled it for her, yanking her around like some plaything. She considered glancing down at her tail but thought better of it. Anyway, someone was coming.

-“You should see the other guy,”- Towhee grunted, smiling despite her aches and pains. Signing hurt, so she gave it a rest when she continued, It’s a crazy story and I’ll tell you all about it. But first, is there anyone here who could run a message for me? I need them to go to Wheeling Gull Island and tell my grandkids I’m not dead.

She shuddered slightly. Even if she’d had the bandwidth to go back there herself, Towhee couldn’t imagine ever coming close to that godforsaken island again. And she just hoped the boys and Dinah would reconsider moving to the mainland, whether they joined her or went elsewhere.

The immediate threat was gone but even faithless Towhee knew a sign when she saw one and this one had been in neon flashing lights: Sweetharbor was no longer sweet, nor a harbor.