Redhawk Caldera her lips are stained red

towhee jr moves with all the grace of an oncoming storm.

she had intended to give tzar his space, but his absence is felt keenly and prickles at every protective instinct towhee jr has until she feels like she might combust. a plethora of 'what if's' run through her mind until she sets off, paws finding and following the familiar path towards the wilds.

the war widow hides the unease she feels at the absence of ghost, having become accustomed to his alerts to danger that evades her eyes and sense of smell.

she makes it without trouble, reminding her of her travels when she was tzar's age, pre-ghost. where jr had to rely on the belief that she was the meanest thing in whatever territory she inhabited.

the caldera comes into view and her steps slow, drinking in the scents of the borders. noting her mother's and her son's. something eases in her chest, slightly. she tips her head back and lets out the breathy yips that serves as her howl, falling upon her deaf ears but felt through the vibration of her throat.