Bramblepoint Will it ever stop

Rodyn contemplated for a moment, during which Towhee silently coaxed him. Her eyes flashed brightly when he eventually agreed. She shook her head as she turned, motioning for him to follow her back through the brambles to the foot of the nearby caldera.

I don’t think he’ll mind at all if I bring a friend to visit, she said en route, just in case he was truly concerned. He and Amalia are pretty easygoing, though I’d like to think they can trust my judgment too. I wouldn’t bring just anyone into our sanctum, she said with another sparkle in her eye.

It wasn’t long before they reached the foot of the slope. Towhee led Rodyn uphill to the rim, then down into the basin. She pointed out the Hobbit Hole on the far side, trekking past the sunken lake and then climbing again to reach the lair’s mouth buried in the hillside. She ducked inside, the rain falling in earnest now.

Welcome to the Hobbit Hole. Make yourself at home, she said, gesturing at the wide open space around them.

She stood near the doorway to shake out her pelt, then moved deeper into the oversized burrow. It was gloomy in here due to the weather, though the large doorway let in enough light that she could navigate with relative ease. Towhee took a few steps toward her makeshift nest near the back, though she paused to see what Rodyn made of the place.