The Heartwood Dance fruits.

Her little mirror image accepted her terms. Towhee smiled as the child made herself comfortable. She remained upright to keep her forelegs free, though she curled in closer to Jr, since it was a little difficult to see in the dark. She tried not to breathe directly in the girl’s face. The berry had sweetened her mouth but her breath probably still smelled rancid.

-This is the history of Redhawk Caldera,- she began, channeling a version of herself only a little older than Jr. -Your grandparents, Peregrine and Fox, lived in a pack called Blacktail Deer Plateau. The plateau’s actually not far from here, that way,- Towhee said, nodding to the north.

Her stomach gurgled, though it was probably just because it was so empty. Towhee paused, just in case things took an ominous turn, but she felt fine. Before Jr could get impatient with her, she continued.

-But they decided they wanted to find a territory of their own, so they set out into the wilderness to find the perfect place. They were exploring an old volcano with water inside it when Fox fell and broke her leg on the steep slopes. The choice was made for them. They decided to claim it and call it Redhawk Caldera.

Peregrine and Fox lived there with their growing family for several years, persevering through all of life’s craziness until one fateful night when Peregrine died very suddenly. Fox only lived a few months beyond him, just long enough to carry and deliver their last litter of pups: Phox—your Phother—your Aunt Orca and yours truly,- Towhee concluded, editorializing the ending a bit.