Sun Mote Copse Cloud nine

Bye! he called after Towhee, knowing full-well that she wouldn't be able to hear him. It was the thought that counted, right? He returned his attention to Nellie then, listening as she explained that Bronco had been avoiding her. Oh, he said, acutely remembering how Towhee had acted when he had returned to the Redhawks. It'll probably take some time before everything's back to normal. It's hard when somebody leaves, especially a sibling. I did that to Towhee once, you know? Probably a little older than you when I ran off, but she was pretty upset when I came back. But now? Now we're closer than ever.

This time, Phox's disappearance had been unavoidable. In fact, one might say Towhee could have been blamed for all of it by scrambling up the landslide. But Phox was well beyond blaming anything but the loose footing. He'll come around, Phox assured her, even if he couldn't be sure it was the truth. Not wanting to dwell on the more serious subjects that he could have, Phox decided to suggest something else entirely.

You like hunting? I found a groundhog trail just a ways back. We could track it down and make a meal out of it. Phox could freshen up on his small game skills, and he'd get to spend some quality time with Nellie. Seemed like a win-win.