Sun Mote Copse Children will Listen

AW, but hoping for Towhee and/or @Wraen. Niamh wants to go on her scouting mission, but I thought it'd be nice to play out her decision IC.

Since she and the others had returned to the pack with a very weak and injured Towhee in tow, Niamh had set Bronco on the mission of hunting for their guest while she continued to patrol the borders, stopping in to see how @Towhee was doing whenever she was in the area. She didn't want to overwhelm her friend with her company- and it seemed like she was being tended to quite a bit by Sugar Glider and Fennec. Sugar was an attentive young medic in training, and seemed to take her job pretty seriously. Because she was there, Bronco too stopped in frequently, not only to see Towhee but to see Sugar as well. It was good to see him interacting with others in a compassionate way. Thank goodness for Sugar Glider- it seemed like Bronco actually had a good friend to lean on. They acted like kids together, which was just what he needed. She didn't want him to feel like he needed to grow up too fast. 

She'd finished her patrol and had begun to head toward Towhee's resting place, bringing a rabbit with her that she'd dug up from a cache after having not had any success tracking prey along the borders. She felt concerned; there seemed to be less and less for them to hunt in the area, leading her to believe that they might experience a famine come Winter. She had done some scouting to see if she could find the trail of some deer or elk, and to find a good place nearby for shelter if the pack did relocate for the sake of hunting, but she yearned to do more. And the more time passed, the more she worried. If she was to go on a proper scouting mission, her best bet would be to leave soon. 

She didn't want to go now, though, not while Towhee was injured. She wasn't sure how long she would take on her mission, as she intended to roam beyond the mountains which would take her some time- a week at least. Towhee had already attempted to return to her pack once- what would stop her from trying to do so again? She'd been there to help her friend the first time- so she didn't want to be absent if Towhee tried again. Regardless, she'd need to sort things out before she left. What she wanted to do would benefit both the Firebirds and Asterism Grove, so she hoped Towhee would listen and stay put while she went off in search of better hunting grounds.

She felt a little better every day, physically, at least. She wouldn't feel emotionally or mentally sound until her family was in one piece again. Towhee let out a sigh, trying not to dwell on that just now. There was nothing she could do about it and beating herself up was a waste of time. Avoiding some self-flagellation was easier said than done, however. Towhee wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine even on her best days and when there were so many reasons to feel miserable...

A sudden sharp pain in her hindquarters distracted her. "Ah, shit," she muttered, then huffed a dry laugh and added, "literally," right before she painstakingly pushed herself into a squat to relieve herself. She'd just finished and was using her forepaws to kick dirt and leaf litter over her scat when she saw a flash of pale fur approaching.

Towhee's heart skipped a beat. She knew Fen was here but they hadn't caught up yet. Alas, today was not the day for such reunions. It was Niamh striding closer. Though crestfallen, Towhee did her best to hide this fact as she grunted and swung to face the she-wolf who'd once been her Person and was now her ally, friend and rescuer.

The rabbit that Niamh carried was fairly stiff from the cold, but it would have to do for now- it was the best she had, given the situation. When she caught sight of Towhee in the distance, she was pawing at the ground before she looked up to make eye contact. Niamh waved her tail as a greeting and held the rabbit up to show that she wasn't coming empty-handed, and that if Towhee was hungry, then the rabbit was definitely for her. She wanted her friend to rest, relax and recuperate. Her pack would be alright in the Grove until the pass somehow became open again, or until they found another way in or out. Niamh wasn't too concerned- whatever prey was in there was trapped with them, she just hoped there was enough there to keep them going until they were all able to get out. If it meant endangering their lives climbing the way Towhee had...Well, it would not be a good situation. Towhee had every right to be worried about her pack. 

She dropped the rabbit when she reached Towhee. -Oh good, you're still here,- She signed wryly. -I was wondering if you were gonna take off on me again,- She said, one eyebrow raised as though to chastize Towhee for trying to get home in the first place. Chuckling, she reached out to bump her nose against her friend's cheek. As stupid as it was for her to try to get back to her pack in that condition, she couldn't stay angry at her. Towhee was built to be a hero- even if it nearly cost her her life, and Niamh had not yet tired of pulling Towhee out of desperate situations. -I think you owe me...Twice now,- She teased, as she sat down. -Once for hauling you up the cliff...And now for hauling you back down a landslide- She grinned.

Shadowposted - sorry!

Hunting was a game of luck and chance. It had always been that way and Wraen, who could not get an adrenaline rush from a combat (because she would lose miserably) or a single-handed large game tracked, enjoyed the little victories in trapping the small animals. This had been the key survival skill of hers and almost four years spent in this world training and practicing daily, let her see a silver-lining in their current famine-looming-over-the-horizon situation. The circumstances had grown more difficult as the winter wore on this year, but she did not see them as insurmountable obstacles. Rather an extra challenge and chance to be more creative in the ways she hunted.

So - to her - the shortage of food was not as pressing as it might been for everyone else. There was always something to fill her belly in order to avoid the painful feeling of hunger in it. This was not the case with everyone else, of course, and now with an injured wolf to take care of, Wraen was more diligent in her search and felt the failures more keenly. Quite frequently her mind also wandered northwards, where the beaches were, or south, where Frosthawks had relocated to and where situation might have been better. But now did not seem the right time for a lengthy journey away from her people. She had been off before and, even if it had lifted her spirits and given her fresh view of the world, it had never felt fair to the rest of the pack, who relied on her. 

So with these thoughts in mind and maybe more, she happened to cross paths with Niamh, who had returned from a patrol and was having a conversation with Towhee. Again - a wave of guilt. Aside from her son, Wraen hadn't found anyone, who could and would join Niamh's small regimen. Something always happened, there was always something more important to do than to seek new, capable recruits. "Hey!" she called out to the resident sergeant-at-arms and their neighbour and joined the two. "How are you doing today?"

Towhee mentally added "provider" to that list as Niamh neared and dropped a stiff rabbit carcass at her feet. The smell of it made her mouth water and her stomach churn simultaneously. Not wishing to appear ungrateful, she thrust out a paw and settled it on the hare's prone back, all while keeping her attention focused on her friend's signing.

She'd gotten out of the habit herself, she knew, though it came just as fluidly as ever as she began to move her own forelegs. -"I think I used up all my 'fucking dumbass' cards,"- Towhee quipped dryly. -"I owe you my life,"- she agreed in a serious tone. Even as the words left her mouth, she realized that Niamh still was her Person, after all. The thought was warming and made her eyes crinkle.

Before she could say much else, Wraen appeared. Towhee angled herself toward the Sovereign and dipped her head. -"Hey Wraen, have I thanked you lately for looking after my stupid ass...?"- She'd made a point of it every time the leader dropped by, or maybe she'd only hallucinated as much. Towhee had been rather out of it much of the time up until recently. -"I really, really, R-E-A-L-L-Y appreciate you guys, more than I can say."-

Niamh had to laugh at her friend's suggestion, and though she admitted seriously that Niamh had saved her, Niamh wasn't about to get too gushy and feeling-y with her just yet. -Nah, we both still got a couple left sure,- She said with a chuckle. They were both still young, and capable of more misdemeanours- but for the sake of their lives, she did feel that they probably should slow it down a bit and be a bit less reckless. She had been concerned about Towhee when she'd showed up- and she did believe that Towhee had been foolish to try and get back to her pack in the condition she'd been in...But she understood that impulsively doing what she believed was right was simply something that Towhee did. She had a strong spirit, and had had good intentions. She nodded simply, then, and smiled. -I'll still have your back whenever you need me,- She responded warmly. There- there was the feeling-y mushiness that she could spare on rare occasions- and she meant it. 

She was about to mention her potential departure when Wraen caught her attention as she approached the two. Perfect- she'd be able to threaten that Towhee needed to stay until she was better and pitch her idea to Wraen at the same time. She stayed quite for a moment as Wraen checked up on Towhee, who then thanked her yet again, profusely. She nodded to Wraen and gave her an amicable smile. It was so much easier for Niamh to be pleasant when Towhee was around- it just felt right for them to be in the same pack again, though she had yet to realize that that was why her mood had brightened since Towhee had joined them. 

-I was hoping to see you today too, Wraen,- She said, speaking and signing for the benefit of both wolves. -I've been thinking...For the sake of both packs, with Winter coming, that I should go scout out more hunting grounds,- She said. She, of course, simply assumed that somehow, the wolves of Asterism Grove would be freed soon. -I want to explore North of the mountains...And while I'm at it, take a tour around the outskirts of the Strath to see if maybe there's another way in and out, maybe from another angle that can only be spotted from the outside,- She said.  Going North of the mountains would mean she'd be gone for some time- at least a week, possibly two. She knew the timing wasn't ideal- but it would only get worse if she waited longer, and would then have to travel through snow. -I think it's now or never.- She concluded.

Wraen looked down at Towhee and smiled, while her cousin was overflowing with gratitude. She sent a sly grin in Niamh's direction and rather than saying something noble, selfless and downright lame ("don't mention it", "what are sister packs for", etc., etc.), she teased the other leader gently: "Oh, do go on. I never grow tired of hearing that."

Then her sergeant-at-arms spoke and the sovereign listened attentively. Few weeks ago she herself had scouted the Great bear wilderness and tapped in the Kintla flatlands as well, but that had been a hurried mission and some chance meetings aside, she had never got proper chance to actually explore. Mainly because she felt the pull and need to return to her pack right away. 

The down-side of Niamh's plan was that they would be left without a dedicated warrior to watch over the borders. But would her departure for few weeks change things for them much or if at all? This side of the valley harboured no enemies of theirs and as far as she was concerned about their closest neighbours the Moonspear, they weren't interested in this area either. For now anyway. 

"Exploring North, the shore-line and the sunspire region would be very valuable," she told her levelly. "I was in the next valley - where Redhawks formerly resided - few weeks ago. Situation is not much better there than it is here. Except there are more packs that compete for overlapping strips of land and resources," she explained. 

"Keep your distance from Moonspear. They are not our enemies, but I and Hydra - their leader - are no friends either due to some stuff in the past. They are very protective of their hunting grounds - that's, what they told me, when we happened to run into each other," she added and it was not clear, whether there was any chance for an alliance as long as the head of the Cerberus was ruling the mountain and the Moonspear would speak to them from a position of power. 

"I would suggest exploring the shores too. Not too far from the sentinels, where I was born, there was a place, where the sea-lions enjoyed to gather. Perhaps, if the earthquakes have not scared them away, we might have a chance to hunt there," she mused. "Would you wish to take Bronco with you as well?" she finally asked, remembering their last in-depth conversation and the growing over-confidence of the boy.

Then, realizing that all of this would be too much for one wolf to cover, she cast a glance at Towhee and said: "Once you are able to walk, we could explore the area around the strath. Thus - Niamh - you will be free to do your job in the North."

It was always challenging to keep up with a three-way conversation, though Towhee did her best, gleaning the important details of Wraen's and Niamh's exchange. Of course, their words gave her a lot to think about too. The news of the Sovereign's history of animosity with Hydra was particularly curious, though ultimately irrelevant to the conversation at hand aside from her warning to Niamh. Towhee made no comment about that or anything else until Wraen turned to her expectantly.

The Kilonova weighed her thoughts a moment before speaking. -"That sounds like a plan. And while we're on the subject..."- She glanced off to the side a moment, a long breath blustering out of her before she faced her comrades again. -"It's obviously my hope that we'll be able to get them out of there. When that happens, there's the question of what to do next, where to go. The only thing I can say for certain at this point is that I am not going back to the grove. Even if the rock wall magically disappeared overnight, I couldn't go back there."- She paused, wondering if that made sense to them.

Drawing in another noisy breath, Towhee continued. -"We could reestablish ourselves in a nearby territory, maybe the sweep or even the glade. But I can't help but think it'd make a hell of a lot more sense to join forces with you guys. I obviously can't consult @Phox right now but I think he'd agree that merging would be the smartest solution. We can support one another as we pick up the pieces,"- since Towhee knew it wasn't just the matter of the blocked passage. The quakes had done all sorts of damage otherwise, including a prey shortage Sugar had mentioned in passing while keeping the healing leader fed.