Sun Mote Copse Sword of Damocles

Towhee and Meerkat were napping together in the shade, as it was the easiest way to avoid the midday heat. The former was having a wildly inappropriate dream about @Bronco when the cold press of a nose right between the eyes startled her awake. She snorted and sat up with several blinks, looking around for danger, before her orange eyes fixed on the frantically signing Meerkat.

-"What? Where? Take me to her,"- the Regent said when she picked up the gist of it. She sprang after the pup when Meerkat bolted, temples pounding in rhythm with her heartbeat.

Meerkat stopped abruptly and Towhee very nearly tripped right over her. "Meerk—!" she shouted in surprise, brow furrowing when she saw a strange expression on her child's face. Meerkat looked like she was in pain. "What is it? What's wrong?" the Regent said, her heart now leaping into her throat.

Before Meerkat could reply, Towhee felt the reason for herself. "Ow, fuck," she hissed, turning to nip at the spot on her shoulder where an insect had bitten or stung her. But there was another buzzing around her ear. She couldn't hear it but she felt it, her ear automatically flicking in response and earning another sting even as Towhee spotted several more hornets swarming toward them.

"SHIT! MEERKAT, RUN!!!" Towhee bellowed, shoving the pup back toward the rendezvous site. Wincing, she waited until her kid scooted before facing forward and bursting into a fresh gallop, straight into the thick of the swarm.

She spotted Wraen before long, Arcturus standing over her, and ran up to the fallen Sovereign as more stings rained down on her. Although they hurt, immensely, she ignored them as she moved in beside her comrade and also latched onto Wraen's scruff. Sorry, Wraen, she thought even as they began to heedlessly drag her.