Heron Lake Plateau Norupo.

It was difficult to pay attention to Tegan's blustering, considering the pups now pressed in beside her. Towhee didn't think Tegan would hurt them, though their presence made her deeply anxious nonetheless. They were already frightened by this row and she didn't want to subject them to it anymore. She caught some snippets of his rant, though there wasn't time to feel any emotional response to all the vitriolic accusations he flung, both fair and unfair. She could think only of Fig and Fen now. That was the whole point. They had changed everything.

Wondering if the kids had called for their dad, Towhee tried to push them behind her, put herself bodily between them and the hollering Tegan. "What do you want me to say?" she asked, eyes finally finding Tegan's and boring into them. What did she need to do to get him to leave her and her children alone? She was breathing heavily, the blood still trickling down her leg.