Heron Lake Plateau Shadows alive.

Towhee lowered her muzzle after howling for @Quixote and @Niamh, then settled on her haunches beneath the naked, scraggly branches of a Pacific red cedar. Naturally, her mind wandered as she waited. The mercenary hashed and rehashed what she wanted to say for the nth time. Her eyes occasionally strayed to her leg, which felt almost normal today; she would've said it was operating at 80% capacity. That definitely bolstered her decision.

A thoughtful sigh escaped her. She would've liked to say she was prepared to make this offer chiefly in service of the pack's best interests—and that was a large part of it, sure—but that wasn't the whole story. It wasn't a power grab though. Towhee was familiar with power, as well as responsibility. She had voluntarily walked away from both of these things in the past, for a variety of personal reasons. While she could hardly blame Raven for making a similar decision, it left Towhee feeling as if she didn't have much choice.

Towhee cringed even just thinking it but... it just didn't feel right not having a true Redhawk or Blackthorn represented in leadership. It made her an elitist, she was aware, and if Quixote and Niamh sussed out the real reason driving her offer, they might feel understandably insulted. Towhee hoped they wouldn't press the issue and simply accept her offer to step up again, at least until Raven felt up to the task again. Because whatever her motivations, she truly felt the pack could use her support in this way right now. They were running full speed toward winter, after all.

But what would the current leaders think? Would they agree? What would she do if they didn't? One of Towhee's canines sink into her lower lip as she shifted her weight, titian eyes pensive. She'd considered seeking counsel from @Finley and @Elwood prior to approaching Quixote and Niamh but it had felt disingenuous, considering all the history there. Maybe she should have pulled @Raven aside and spoken to her privately first too...

She let out another sigh, hoping she was over-thinking everything. It's just a friggin' conversation. Least I'm not pulling a Caiaphas, Towhee thought with a twist of her lips, the thought injecting her suddenly with confidence that she was handling this correctly.