Sun Mote Copse How can we live in charcoal towns?

When Towhee returned home after a very brief and impromptu visit to the Frosthawks, she sorely wished @Phox was there. She knew he was off on his sabbatical, hopefully clearing his head after the fallout with Niamh, so her thoughts turned to @Figment and @Fennec instead. She felt her throat well up with emotion as she realized she desperately wanted to see her kids. She bustled toward the rendezvous site, trying to ignore the painful stitch in her chest.

It had been wonderful to see Raven again. But the visit had been overshadowed by Sugar's recent disappearance and then, well... then Towhee had tempted fate. She'd asked her older sister—seasoned medic, mother twice over and even a veteran of a false pregnancy—to give her a full physical examination to look for any signs of pregnancy.

Now her chest felt like it was burning, forcing Towhee to stop. She took steadying breaths as she closed her eyes and leaned against a nearby pine tree. She didn't notice the sticky sap that clung to her fur as she relived that moment when Rave had completed her thorough checkup, caught Towhee's eye and simply shook her head.