Redhawk Caldera her lips are stained red

She didn’t want Jr to go, though she understood there was much she must do now that she was here, starting with finding her son. The elder Towhee bobbed her head, returning the nuzzle and nipping fondly at Jr’s whiskers as she retreated out of reach.

-Happy you’re here,- were her parting words before her elder daughter departed the Hobbit Hole.

Hopefully Towhee Jr herself would one day be happy again too. Huffing out a quiet breath, she stared after her lookalike’s retreat for a long moment before the newborns recaptured her attention. A memory struck her as she gently shuffled them closer to her warmth: a very young Meerkat running around, spreading smiles to her bereft pack mates, including her older siblings.

-Okay, I know I’ve told you guys all I need for you is to survive and grow. But I have a new assignment…- Towhee signed, chuckling lightly at herself as she dropped her forelegs and bundled her babies closer.