Redhawk Caldera Fire away, fire away.

Something she said seemed to trigger him, his demeanor shifting subtly but suddenly. He asked her, point blank, if she would refuse him should he ask. Her lips parted as she contemplated how to answer what was a very complicated and emotionally loaded question, especially now. After all, the leaders were given preference over anyone else—and for all his dedication, he wasn't part of her Council—but then Towhee wasn't sure Niamh was fit to be a leader. It wasn't as if Towhee could renege her blessing now though. They were both due in just a few weeks, with Towhee's own good fortune possibly spelling Eljay's misfortune.

Her brow scrunched and she lifted a paw to rub at the pinched skin between her eyes. "It's not that I don't want to give you permission, Eljay, it's just that I don't know if we'll have the resources here. Any pups we bring into this world deserve the best possible chances, right? That's why I think the fen may be a better option." She almost mentioned the idea of a spin-off pack but this conversation felt too heavy for an off-the-cuff idea like that, when part of this issue was Eljay wasn't the leader type. "It's about logistics, not feelings," she concluded, letting out a breath and pulling her paw away to give him a look that could only be called apologetic.

She almost voiced her uncharitable thoughts about Niamh, though she managed to keep her trap shut. She'd already unloaded too much of that on Wraen. Besides, there was nothing she could do. There really was no going back now. Towhee could've solved everyone's problems by eating Niamh's children, except they weren't just Niamh's. They were Phox's too. And hers. Fuck, why was everything so complicated?