Cedar Sweep Such owls as you.

@Phox and @Figment were off doing some father/son thing, so Towhee nabbed @Fennec and guided her through the pass and across a narrow section of the river. When they reached the sweep on the far side, she nudged the girl to a stop. She had already told her daughter why they were out here, yet she repeated the message they needed to convey. Without any frame of reference, Towhee could only hope that their combined voices would reach everyone in the three surrounding sister packs... as well as the ears of any Blackfeathers still lurking in the area.

"BLACKFEATHERS SIGHTED IN BONESPLINTER RAVINE!" Towhee and Fen howled together. There was no way to know their intentions, so they simply repeated that message twice more before inviting the packs' leadership to join them in the sweep to discuss a game plan if they wished.

Tagging pack leadership but I'd love for others to show up and/or howl back... @Liffey @Quixote @Elwood @Finley @Wraen

Likely just a howlmeo (howl cameo) for Niamh.

Not too far off, closer to the ravine, Niamh had found two of the children that were in the area, both likely belonging to Moonshadow- who she'd only met hours ago. Neither child met the description that Moonshadow had given her, leading her to assume that that missing pup was still out there. Not knowing who it was that Towhee had seen, or what exactly was meant by her message, she replied, once she had the kids in her line of vision. There was no way for her to know if Towhee would hear her message, though given the fact that Towhee hadn't been alone when she'd howled (seemingly accompanied by a child) there was a chance that her child would hear Niamh's response and report it to her. 

"I've found two Blackfeather children. Near the ravine." Came her reply, arching over the trees in the area and into the warm air.

The howled messages reached Elwood's ears and sent a chill down his spine. For a split second, he felt like he had been transported back in time, into the midst of the war with Blackfeather. When his family had left Redhawk Caldera, it had been with the hopes of leaving their enemies behind, and they had been successful for a time. It seemed that things were changing, though.

Children weren't necessarily a threat in themselves, but Elwood knew that the parents likely wouldn't be far. So after listening to both Towhee and Niamh, he headed toward Cedar Sweep. His expression was grim as he approached Towhee and Fennec, his gaze searching his goddaughter's. "Tell me more," he said, his logical mind seeking information even as fear and anger fought for control within him.

Towhee saw the moment when some sort of reply came, as Fen tilted her head to listen. "Someone from over that way," she translated, pointing blindly back in the direction of the grove, "says they found two Blackfeather kids near the ravine." The deaf Kilonova read her daughter's lips carefully, her own mouth a grim line. "I don't recognize the voice," Fen added, which drew Towhee's lips into a frown. The call had come from home, hadn't it?

Before she could dwell on that, someone materialized in the sweep. Towhee felt herself sag with relief when Elwood padded over to them. There was no time for introductions, though she made a point to nudge Fen and say quietly to her, "It's your Grandpa Elwood." Technically, he was her great uncle, yet that seemed like an unnecessary mouthful right now.

Facing her godfather, Towhee said, -"I ran into a pup named Rowan Blackfeather in the ravine near the grove."- That he'd actually given her a hyphenated name was not a detail she recalled consciously. -"I'm sure you just heard someone howl about two pups. Who was it?"- But she supposed that didn't really matter. -"They've found us,"- she finished, face contorting in disgust and rage.

There was no fear, at least. With the three packs forming a stronghold, Towhee wasn't worried about another war. If the Blackfeathers tried to invade, they would be slaughtered, of that she had no doubt. But the principle of it still rankled her on a visceral level.

Elwood hadn't actually met Towhee's children, so he wasn't sure who, exactly, was accompanying her now, but he was certain that it was one of Phox and Camilla's offspring. It was somewhat surreal to see Towhee in the role of mother, even though he was already aware of this fact, but the solemnity of their meeting didn't allow him to dwell on it for long. He gave a small smile when he heard Towhee introduce him to the girl, then he focused his attention on Towhee's words and gestures as she filled him in.

She explained that she had come across one Blackfeather pup herself, then inquired about the howl regarding two children only moments before. Elwood glanced at Fen, assuming that she had interpreted the message for her mom but hadn't been able to identify the owner of the voice. "It was Niamh," he replied as his mind began to carefully consider the implications and their options.

"What did you find out from the pup? Do you know why it was here?" he asked. He hoped it was something as simple as being separated from its parents, but that invited more questions. Why, and how, had it ended up so close to the Redhawks and Blackthorns?

She licked her lips at this bit of information, ears folding backward. -"What I'd really like to know,"- she voiced in response to Elwood's question, -"is how in the fuck people are getting to the ravine beneath our notice. We guard the pass and there's no other way to access it, as far as I know."- At the moment, that included Niamh, although Towhee was naturally less concerned about her presence there.

-"Pardon my French,"- she added for both her daughter's and godfather's sake, drawing in a steadying breath. -"All I really got was a name: Rowan Blackfeather."- There had been a middle name or something, though Towhee discarded that fact as unimportant. -"I told him to scram. I wasn't about to beat a kid's ass, even if he was a Blackfeather,"- she grumbled, looking at Fen, who was staring blankly ahead as she listened to the adults' conversation.

She shook her head with a muffled growl. -"It might've been a one-off, though I don't know. And I hate it,"- she admitted before another thought entirely struck Towhee. She raised her head a little to look into her uncle's face. -"Hey, how are things over there? Niamh told me about Colt."- She shot Elwood a sympathetic frown. -"How hard up are you guys?"- she questioned baldly.

Towhee's rhetorical question was one that Elwood wanted answered, as well. Part of the reason they had settled where they had was because it was secluded from the other packs; it had seemed almost impenetrable. And now, to know that a pup had stumbled into their midst, presumably by accident? He didn't like that one bit. It opened up too many possibilities for more dangerous adults to stray too close to their borders.

He mostly listened as Towhee spoke in vehement tones, even with her characteristically flat affect. His own face was darkened by a scowl, and he nodded his agreement and understanding with her words. "I hate it too," he said, shaking his head. "We'll have to keep an extra eye on that area…" His musing dropped off into a thoughtful silence as she asked about Colt and the state of the Firebirds. This prompted a sigh from Elwood.

"I think we're okay for now, but I'm already worried about the winter -- and now, with this Blackfeather mess? Wraen stepped up to lead, which I think is good, but there's just not many of us. Me, Fin, Eljay, Niamh, Wraen…" The puppies were growing, and would be able to earn their keep in time, but the weather would turn before they were fully mature. He wasn't sure what that would mean for the pack.

When Elwood said he thought they were okay, Towhee exhaled with relief. He went on to list the adult members of the pack, voicing concern about the upcoming winter. But Wraen had stepped into the role of Sovereign and they were at least staying afloat, by the sound of it.

-"If you guys ever feel the need, you'd be welcome to come team up with us, even temporarily. It might even be a good idea, what with the possible threat..."- Towhee trailed off and cocked her head, thinking. Nobody would even have to be bumped from leadership, although all those puppies... -"I'll feel a lot better when they all grow up some,"- she opined, gazing fondly at Fen.

For a few beats, the Kilonova said nothing, turning things over in her mind. When she finally spoke up again, she said, -"Think they heard us over in the glade?"- Little did she know... -"The good news is, between the three of us, we can stomp out any threat. Still, I hope it's more of a false alarm."-

Towhee made an offer that hadn't really needed to be spoken out loud, simply because Elwood knew in his heart that his family would always have a place for them should they need it. But he appreciated it anyway, and was somewhat comforted by the knowledge that, should they require assistance when winter arrived, Asterism Grove would be there for them. -Thanks,- he signed with a smile, expressing his gratitude earnestly through the gesture rather than the word.

He glanced in the direction of the glade with a nod. "I'm sure they probably did. I'm hoping it's a false alarm, too. If it was just some pups...maybe the parents will scoop them up and bring them home," he mused. He knew he would, in order to avoid conflict, but he just couldn't be sure of the Blackfeathers. "I think I'll head back towards home and do a sweep of the surrounding territories -- keep in touch, okay?" he requested.

Elwood spoke some optimistic words before announcing his intent to go home and perform a sweep. Towhee nodded and said, -"Of course. Take care,"- even as Fen offered a simple, "Bye!" Towhee's orange eyes followed his departure, only bouncing over to Fen's face once Elwood had gone from view.

"Come on," she said, stepping forward to begin guiding her daughter back toward the strath. As they turned, she squinted in the direction of the glade, uncertain about the lack of response from that quarter. "We should do a hardcore patrol too," she thought aloud, putting her concerns aside as she concentrated on directing Fen and the task ahead of them.