Redhawk Caldera her hands sticky with fruit

Caro hadn't newest aunt. She'd come in with a boy — more family, but not a brother or an uncle — who was not much older than her, but who was most assuredly much larger. She was more interested in getting to know the latter than the former, but family was important in all its many forms. She was eager enough to go and speak with her aunt, at any rate.

She might have more information about Peregrine.

The girl came slinking up to Gigi's lookalike, her head slung low and her tail whisking in supplication.

-"Please, Auntie, did you bring any news?"- she asked, watching her familiar and beloved (but young!) face for signs of hope. Of course, Towhee would go and tell the grown ups about it first, if she did have news, but Caro was too desperate for resolution to think of this.

-"I can help look,"- she said next. She'd not yet pitched this idea to her parents or Gigi. She felt she might have a better chance with someone who'd said no to her fewer times in her young life. For Towhee, that number was exactly zero. It would set a bad precedent to deny Caro the first thing she asked of her, wouldn't it?