Redhawk Caldera Anima resurgence.

More than a week had passed since Peregrine’s disappearance. Part of Towhee wished desperately to join the search parties, but cold reason prevented her participation. She still had to look after her daughters and, besides, her son was dead. Even if he hadn’t been killed outright, he couldn’t live without his mother’s milk and the pack’s protection. It was simple, cruel logic.

Even without a body to bury, Towhee found a sense of closure as she stepped out into the frigid December morning. So many had disappeared over the course of her long life, though all of them could have arguably survived on their own. It was different with Peregrine. She mourned him deeply, though she was ruefully glad to note the lack of complete despair. Her sigh was visible in the frosty air.

Loath to let her living children out of her sight, Towhee nevertheless made sure someone else was sitting them before heading down to the caldera. She walked to the place where she’d found her son’s scent, then gazed across the water. It was smooth as glass at the moment, reflecting the overcast sky. Was Peregrine’s tiny body somewhere below that mirror? Would it wash up eventually?

Something moved near her feet, catching Towhee’s attention. There was a feather stuck between some rocks lining the water’s edge. She idly rolled one, setting the quill free. The wintry wind immediately blew it away, Towhee’s orange eyes following it until it vanished along the curving shoreline. She glanced downward but saw no others. Her lips tugged into a frown as her gaze reluctantly dragged back to the caldera’s choppy and jagged surface.