Heron Lake Plateau Norupo.

A second blow didn't come, if you didn't count the shove as he pushed away from her. Towhee's sharp eyes went immediately to his mouth, not really looking for words but wary of another attack. But she got the words, after all, and if the circumstances had been different, she absolutely would've relented and tried to make peace with him, whatever it took.

But he'd killed Z and Towhee knew in her heart that X would never return to the plateau. Why would she, after watching a longtime ally slay her offspring in cold blood? If someone ever hurt one of her babies, Towhee would never forgive them. Hell, she would absolutely kill them. She wasn't going to be able to forgive Tegan this, at least not anytime soon.

She didn't want to answer to him and wouldn't have except that she figured it was probably safer for Fig and Fen if she delayed him by engaging. "I didn't realize I needed your permission to move my blind daughter off a fucking plateau," Towhee said in a dull voice. "We're planning on settling somewhere nearby, somewhere where we can raise our kids safely, another sister pack." Glancing off where the pups had presumably gone, her ears folded backward. "Once you're a parent, you'll understand what it's like, when your kids become more important than anyone or anything else."

The Beta suddenly flinched toward her shoulder, which was bleeding so badly it was running down her leg and making her fur hot and sticky. "I'd like to go be with my family now," Towhee said flatly, waiting to see if Tegan planned to continue his assault.

Fenn was a whimpering mess under Fig for a good portion of the fight, her sensitive ears flattened to the ground and her eyes squeezed shut.  That was, until she scented the blood.

It took her a bit, but eventually, she managed to squirm her way out from under her brother.  As soon as she did, she made a stumbling beeline for the two adults, and her little fangs were bared as she planted herself next to Towhee with a growl.  Every hair on her pelt was standing up, but if Weeya was in trouble, Fenn wasn't going to let her fight it alone.  She'd remain like that, growling at the strange shape, until Towhee likely forced her back.

Fig’s sibs merely hesitated when Towhee finally stopped screaming and turned to address him and Fenn. He stared at her fearfully, his eyes wide and not completely comprehending. He was still too scared to really understand what she was saying, but did at least pick up on her orders to go hide. That made perfect sense to him since it was already what he wanted to do at that moment.

As soon as she turned away, the boy moved to try and herd his blind sister towards the bush she had indicated. Unfortunately, that gave Fenn the room to move and snake out from underneath him. He gave a shrill bark when she sprang towards Towhee, trying to call her back though he knew it was useless. Fenn never listened to anybody, after all. It was what Fig admired and feared about her.

Sterling his nerves, the boy darted after his sister. His intention was to grab her by the scruff and drag her to the damn bush if he had to, but his courage failed him when he found himself facing Tegan. Fig shrank then and wedged himself between Fenn and Towhee, mushing himself against the latter’s leg and anxiously trying to clean away the blood he spotted trickling down from her shoulder because he didn’t know wtf else to do with himself anymore.

tegan was the loneliest he had ever been in his life. maybe it was his own fault, not that he’d ever be so humble to admit that. he’d been left behind by friend after friend, sibling after sibling... even his own parents chose to make a life somewhere he wasn’t at. sure, finley visited, but it wasn’t even close to the same. but now that he was losing the last wolf in his life he ever deeply cared about, his only reaction was to push her as far as he possibly could away from him. that, and the fact that tegan had erupted into a full mental breakdown, and everything he had to say would most certainly be said. 

you made the decision WITHOUT ME, growled tegan, trying to reiterate his point, oh, and another thing!! and she’s not your fucking daughter — she’s phox’s. you cant play house with your own fucking brother, towhee. 

and then!! oh GOD her next comment. HAH. what did she think that would solve? oh yeah, a sister pack! remember how much you loved when wildfire did that? remember how happy you were when niamh left you?? he asked her, accusation after accusation. oh! and i already fucking know, towhee. remember? i was the kid that got lifted and moved away from my home — to run away from who? blackfeather?? he began again, teeth bared as the memory of screech boiled within him, HOWD THAT WORK OUT TOWHEE?? HOWS CEARA DOING?? SAFE?? HOW ABOUT SCREECH?? he only got louder and louder. 

if at any point towhee started moving away, tegan would move around so she could still see his screaming. when did i stop being family to you, towhee?? when?! it’s not today — because it was today you wouldn’t have just left me out to dry!! but you’re welcome!! for killing the god damn bird!! now you have a fucking excuse to disown me. just like every fucking one else!! not like she’ll need it when she’s off the dangerous plateau!!! if possible, he looked even more feral than before. ears still pressed against his own head, teeth bared inbetween words. but he didn’t strike again, he merely did his best to lock his gaze to hers, following her eyes and movements like a hawk. hah.

It was difficult to pay attention to Tegan's blustering, considering the pups now pressed in beside her. Towhee didn't think Tegan would hurt them, though their presence made her deeply anxious nonetheless. They were already frightened by this row and she didn't want to subject them to it anymore. She caught some snippets of his rant, though there wasn't time to feel any emotional response to all the vitriolic accusations he flung, both fair and unfair. She could think only of Fig and Fen now. That was the whole point. They had changed everything.

Wondering if the kids had called for their dad, Towhee tried to push them behind her, put herself bodily between them and the hollering Tegan. "What do you want me to say?" she asked, eyes finally finding Tegan's and boring into them. What did she need to do to get him to leave her and her children alone? She was breathing heavily, the blood still trickling down her leg.

literally? anything would’ve done. but tegan didn’t actually know, so he just stood there and bristled before her. fuck you, he seethed, spitting directly on her before turning and leaving, feeling nothing but the worst emotions he’d ever felt in his life.

Tegan could think what he wanted, that she couldn't "play house" and consider Fig and Fen hers. But he would also be dead wrong. As soon as he finally left, there was only one emotion: relief. She made no retort to his parting words, didn't have a mind for him at all once he was gone from view. She hurt in a lot of ways, yet the kids were here and they were okay. She was sorry that Tegan (and herself, honestly) had behaved that way in front of them. Hopefully there would be no lasting damage, to them anyway. Her relationship with her brother was now essentially scorched earth.

"You two okay?" she asked, leaning over to nudge them and wincing at her smarting shoulder. Fig had cleaned up some of the blood. "Sorry about all that," she sighed, then wearily added, "Let's go find your dad." She prepared to go in the opposite direction as Tegan and turned, plucking up Z's poor broken body as she went.