Grouse Thicket [m] fear the lioness, paint her face black and golden

Not long after parting ways with Meerkat, Towhee slowed a little and let Skipjack venture ahead on his own. As her orange eyes trailed him, she couldn’t help but think of her grandsons on the coast. Now that she was back on her feet, she should go back to the island. But just the thought of going near that godforsaken place made her feel panicky. And she’d passed a message. Still…

A sudden cramp cut into her thoughts. Towhee paused in the shade of an elm, ears twisting backward as she breathed through the ache. It passed after a few seconds, at which point she began looking around for someplace a little more private to pop a squat.

Hey Skip, if you can hear me, I need to take a sh— Towhee yelled, probably loud enough that not only Skipjack but Meerkat and everyone else in the hinterlands could hear.

It wasn’t an awareness of this that made her cut off mid-swear. Rather, it was the sudden and unmistakable scent of blood: a coppery tang tinged with the perfume of pheromones.