Haunted Wood Grim, grinning ghosts.

Belly full of elk meat, Towhee did some rounds to work off the heavy meal. When she came full circle near the southern fringes of the caldera, she spontaneously broke away and headed into the neighboring forest. She still did not aspire to avenge Maia, though she certainly kept her eyes peeled and her nose quivering as she skulked through the dark and dreary woods.

She spent nearly an hour prowling. Towhee saw no sign of a black wolf with orange eyes, nor anyone or anything else of particular interest. She began to trot back toward the caldera, her gait less tense than earlier.

Hydra headed toward the Caldera; she had intended to take her sons with her, and her daughter, too, but decided that next time when the tidings were better to take them along with her. She was relieved that Towhee lived so near now, to be able to share news both ill and good... but also, simply to spend time with her. How long had it been since they two had sparred in the Bramblepoint? And now, they could do so again... older, and wiser. 

She passed through that territory, looking at the familiar foliage. Along the way she ran into no trouble; she paused at the Caldera, thinking to call to her brother. Despite the way he had left things, he deserved to know. Whether or not he considered her sister or Revui his brother any longer meant nothing to Hydra. His scent, though, had been entirely absent... 

And so she continued along, wondering where it was he had went. His scent was not the only one missing, she recognized. She ranged beyond the Caldera, to another set of Woods. She sniffed the air and was pleasantly surprised to find a familiar scent there. Tail waving, Hydra adjusted her course to meet her.

Then she saw it—a glimpse of dark fur through the trees—and suddenly she was as tense as a piano wire on the verge of snapping. She froze in place, posture immediately shifting into a mercenary's stance as she prepared for a fight. A rumbling growl sounded in the deeps of her chest, broiling up her throat...

The scent hit her and the noise died against the cage of her teeth. Towhee's lips parted as she raised her head and called, "Hydra! That you?"

The response of Towhee was one that brought Hydra to a standstill. Not for a minute did Hydra think the display was directed toward her, and the matriarch adopted a similar stance as her eyes sought their common enemy. It did not matter who, or why—Hydra would have her sisters back, without question. But hearing the sound die, Hydra was given pause before she heard the holler. 

Lifting her head, Hydra drew nearer and confirmed her sisters suspicion: in the flesh, before looking around them once again. Looking back to Towhee again, she inquired, who are we looking for? Naturally, Hydra would help. It would prove to be a good distraction, and if she could set her teeth upon someone... even better. There was nothing upon her visage to indicate these thoughts, only the earnest desire to be there however Redhawk needed her.

She licked her lips as Hydra strode out of the trees toward her. When she came close enough, Towhee thrust her muzzle against her shoulder, her tail waving slowly. It stilled at the question, which prompted the Sovereign to sweep the forest with a cursory glance before redirecting her gaze back toward her sister-in-arms.

"A dark wolf with orange eyes," Towhee replied, drawing in a breath, "attacked a former pack mate, Maia, in these woods." She wondered if Hydra recognized the name of Wraen's sister but didn't loiter on the thought. "I didn't find anything... well, except for you." Her tail stirred again.

"How are things, Hydra?" she questioned in the next breath, head tilting curiously. She didn't expect any major news, though she wondered what had brought Moonspear's Alpha out this way. "What brings you to the Haunted Wood, ooooo?" Towhee added with a playful twitch of her lips.

Hydra accepted the embrace and returned it in kind, stilling with Towhee as she spoke to better hear her. A dark wolf with orange eyes. She knew no such wolf; her sons, and her brother, had bright yellow eyes... or else golden. Easy to distinguish from orange, at least. Maia. The name brought no recognition from the matriarch. Though they had met, they had never shared names. It rang a bell, but Hydra imagined it might simply be because they were a former packmate of Towhee's. Is Maia alright? Hydra asked, concern apparent. What sort of damage could this adversary deal? And then, after a beat, did you catch his scent upon her...? wondering if there was anything else to go on. 

At her sisters inquiry Hydra drew in a breath. Despite the playfulness there, Hydra could not bring herself to laugh in the moment. At the very least, she need not delve into small talk and such; she knew she could speak with Towhee about anything. And so she would. I actually had intended to stop at the Caldera—I was looking for Arcturus, she started, shifting her weight, our brother... Revui... difficult to say. She had not needed to with Dirge; he had anticipated this end along with her, sad though it was to think.

How to say it? Her tongue was lead, but she imagined Towhee might know, too, somehow. They had been friends long enough. He has died, came her voice, tight and constricted. Her jaw was set in an effort to keep herself together, and she looked away for a moment so as to regain her composure.

Towhee nodded at the first question. Well, it would take her some time—and the Redhawks' resources...—to recover, yet she was alive and Eljay would make her well. In response to the second question, she puffed out a breath and shook her head, telling Hydra, "No, I wasn't there for any of this." In fact, she hadn't even gone by to see the invalid in person, oops.

It caught her by surprise when Hydra admitted she'd been looking for Arcturus at the caldera. Towhee's brow furrowed. The history between the siblings was wrought, she knew. Maybe that was why this had never come up before now. "Arcturus hasn't lived with us for a while now," she gently brought Hydra into the know. "He, Wraen and Maia left because..." She paused. "They didn't approve of our closeness," Towhee said outright, gesturing between the two of them.

But none of that mattered particularly at the moment. Their brother had died. Revui... Towhee pondered the name a moment but it didn't ring familiar. "I'm sorry," she said, studying Hydra's countenance even as she glanced away. The Sovereign couldn't hear the tightness in her voice but she could see the stricken look in her eyes. "You don't have to if you don't want, but I'll listen if you need to talk. If you'd rather wait for Arcturus, I imagine he and Wraen might come to the caldera to see Maia at some point..."

Well, hopefully she is safe and home, now, she drawled. Hydra was not sure if Maia was a lone wolf, but her typical line of thinking was that most wolves were not. It was a dangerous business, as Maia had seen for herself by now surely; ideally, she was in a better place now. 

Hydra was not so surprised to hear the initial news of Arcturus no longer being among them. She had thought as much the day she had visited her sister and the scent of him had been threadbare. Maia she then learned ran with Arcturus and Wraen (how strange were the forces of karma?), but what caught her by surprise was the reason for their departure. It was then the matriarch became aware of the effect that she herself had upon the woman her brother had elected to follow. And of course Arcturus would follow; when he gave his loyalty, he gave it all. What did Wraen want with him? 

She had an epiphany. 

Towhee, she breathed, thinking of the day Wraen had trespassed and stood at her brothers shoulder when he came to challenge her, before all of that... did Wraen ever discuss my leadership, with you? Perhaps... wanting to displace me? She wondered. Wraen's fixation and obsession was perhaps to that ultimate end, and she imagined that someway, somehow, after years of... something... she had convinced her own flesh and blood to turn his back upon her. 

It was a strange thought, that. But one she would not give credence to should Towhee express the contrary. 

Most importantly, though, even than her own life, was her relationship with Towhee. Meerkat had brought on the formal alliance, but long ago they had been prepared to go to war together. I cannot apologize for our closeness, she breathed in earnest, looking to her sister, you mean the world to me. But I did not mean for it to cause any to leave your ranks. Although she detested Wraen now largely thanks to recent events, really the other had not carried a significant weight in her life for several years. 

Hydra looked appreciatively to Towhee when she turned her head back to behold her. She was thankful for this, for her. If he does, she breathed, could you... tell him I must speak with him? That I looked for him? she asked. Not very hard, but then, she also was now aware that he and Wraen were running from her.

Although she didn't refute Hydra's statement, she met it with a thin press of her lips. She wished that was the case, for her own sake as much as Maia's. In any case, her last few words were explanation enough of the woman's current whereabouts. Hydra understandably seemed much more interested in touching base with her brother, which Towhee understood and acknowledged with a nod.

"Yes, I'll let him know if I see him," the Sovereign assured, "and as for your question about Wraen..." She squinted in contemplation. She knew Wraen didn't trust Hydra, maybe even hated her outright. But she couldn't recall anything specific, if her friend had ever even explained all of it. "I don't think so?" she said eventually. "I'll admit I avoided the topic of the two of you, for the most part. I didn't want to get in the middle of it. I value you both." She smiled thinly, leaving it at that.

With her mind turned in part to Hydra's brothers, a little bell went off in the back of Towhee's mind. She looked around surreptitiously, as if realizing the two of them were truly alone. When her orange gaze came to rest on Hydra's face again, Towhee's own expression was pensive. She went back and forth with herself on whether to even raise this question. She wasn't sure it was a valid choice, even if Hydra agreed to it, which was kind of dubious at best. But, well, the two of them could discuss anything, so what harm was there in floating the idea?

"Hydra, I have a really strange question for you..."

Hydra was thankful for that. And relieved, too, to hear that Wraen had not implied or said as much. It removed the thought from her mind, albeit not in its entirety. Hydra had not spared Wraen much thought, and was all too ready to shift the subject to anything else. I understand, she answered with a nod. Hydra had nothing ill to say of Wraen, namely not knowing all the poison Wraen breathed on her own name to any with an ear. If she were aware, though, it would likely change little. Hydra felt the way wolves spoke of others was often more an indication of their own character and faults than those that they spoke of. In any case, Hydra did not elaborate any further to Towhee (though would have, if asked)—it did not feel right to speak further on something likely so trivial. Not after the loss of Revui. 

Relieved further for the distraction of something fresh and new from the recent things that had struck her mind and that she had endured, Hydra was an all too eager to hear the question at hand. I am all ears, she answered, stepping nearer to her with a sway of her plume.

Towhee felt a flash of heat crowd beneath her jaw as she remembered saying nearly these same words to Eljay a few days prior. She forced that thought from her mind. She refused to think back on that hideously awkward moment or the aborted question she'd tried to ask. There was no hope in that direction, hence why she was about to bark up another tree...

Thinking more carefully of her wording this time, the Sovereign said, "Before I get into it, I want you to know I fully understand it's a strange thing to ask. You can absolutely say 'no,' there'll be no hard feelings. I know it goes against a lot of... traditions." She paused to gather her wits, then drove at the heart of it. "I want to have more pups in the spring. I don't have a mate—and don't want one—and this leaves me with the task of finding a suitable donor, for lack of a better term. I was wondering if," she finished with a mild swallow, "you might know anyone."

That wasn't very specific, Towhee realized. But she felt like she'd hemmed and hawed enough. She'd give Hydra a chance to react to the information before piling on any more. Speaking of which, her orange eyes roved carefully over the mountain queen's face, wondering what thoughts stirred in that cunning head of hers.

Did she know of anyone? 

Hydra considered both the Glen, and Moonspear. Hydra doubted Towhee would so much as humor the thought of one of her sons, though what if it happened? What if she encountered one within that timeframe? They were loyal, and to Hydra it was not to a fault. She imagined if any one of them were aware of becoming a father, they would take on the responsibilities of that. But Towhee did not want a mate. It would make things all... complicated, if not now then at some point within the future. 

Moonspear had plenty of women, the Glen boys about to become men for the first time. 

A donor, she echoed, licking her chops. A thought did occur to her, and a conspirational look twinkled in her eye. @Mahler. I may know someone, she murmured. Hydra had heard of the arrangement between himself, and Nyx. Nyx had ended up unhappy for it, though in the end, well, she would fair better upon Moonspear. Strange, his contracts, and her perception. By definition, Nyx's childrens were bastards. All of Mahlers children, in fact. To her knowledge, he had not claimed any bride. Hydra would not have condoned it upon Moonspear, but Sagtannet was Mahler's domain and Towhee had no attachment at all to him. Their children, they were meant to meet... Perhaps he might be willing to entertain this, for her own dear sister. And that he need not worry about involvement... you are not looking for this wolf to remain with you? She inquired, curious as to that.

"Donor" was such a clinical word, yet it suited. Towhee nodded. When Hydra spoke next, revealing that she might have someone in mind, the Sovereign openly stared. She realized then that she had been expecting her sister-in-arms to reject the entire notion. And maybe the only reason she hadn't was because Towhee had not been explicit enough in her explanation.

Hydra headed her off with another question, the question. Towhee chewed on her tongue before replying, "That depends. Ideally, no. Phox and Niamh are prepared to help me raise them as a triad, like we did this year. But," she continued, gaze sliding sideways, "if you were to pair me with, say, one of your brothers... a Moonboy..." She couldn't help the soft, well-meaning smirk. "I would raise the pups in Redhawk Caldera but welcome the father to be involved, if he wanted." It wasn't her ideal, though she trusted that Hydra would only handpick the very best.

Her explanation was met with a new understanding. 

Ahh, she responded. I am rather explicit with my pack about our own breeding... bylaws, I suppose, she admitted openly, having no shame in it. Define Moonboy, she started with, looking to Towhee with some interest. Arcturus was no longer within Moonspear, but by definition he was one such Moonboy. But he would take responsibility, and that she wanted for Towhee. Even though she had Phox and Niamh, the baser, traditional side of Hydra had difficulty with the thought of someone creating something with her sister only to not be involved in the rearing of them... at the very least, helping with the hunting. All the while, Hydra simultaneously ran through her own ranks and contemplated this. At the very least she would discuss it, though as she did Hydra felt as though to let one partake in breeding season would perhaps invite chaos and questions where there ought not to be. 

It had always been very simple for Hydra. This, while Towhee made it sound so, Hydra could not believe would be that easy. Alya sought a donor too; what man with any honor would not seek to be involved? They would likely have to kill said donor—but Towhee would not mind involvement, she had said... And you are not open to union, she added, rifling through her mind. A mate, I mean, she clarified.

She felt the clench of disappointment in her heart when her meaning clicked and Hydra's expression changed right before she spoke. Towhee nodded her understanding, figuring as much was true. She wouldn't hold it against her sister-in-arms, any more than she supposed she would hold it against Eljay. This just meant she'd have to take her brother's advice and find some loners to bang. She'd done it before, it shouldn't be difficult.

"No," she replied, "I'm not." She shot Hydra an almost sheepish smile, though Towhee wasn't particularly apologetic about this aspect of herself. "And that's totally valid. I didn't think—" Abruptly, her voice cut off and the Sovereign realized what a tactless ass she'd been just now. "Shit, Hydra, I didn't think... you just lost your brother and I—shit, I need to shut my fucking clam. Don't worry about it." This came out rather hastily, though she slowed down, took a breath and met her sister's eyes with a gentle, apologetic smile. "Seriously."

No, Towhee, do not apologize, she almost laughed, but still could not. She shook her head and took a step closer to Towhee. I appreciate this, and you, more than you will ever know. And, she drawled, I know of at least one eligible Moonboy, who is not subject to my own bylaw any longer, she hinted. It would be nice to... to know that at least one of them... the rest she could not finish. She wanted her youngest brothers to have a good life, but it seemed rich with self-inflicted tumult (of which Hydra had no fault in, if one asked her). A life with Towhee, indirect or direct, was far from the worst thing.

In fact, it was the best thing. And Arcturus did not do betrothals in any event, she was now well aware. Maybe he just needed to get laid, and then, then he would realize he was all wound up about her for no reason at all other than his own seasonal stress. Ying had not chosen him, or Revui—the timing of it... 

Oh, he definitely needed to get laid. Several times over. But would Towhee approve?

Hydra didn't seem overly bothered by her faux pas, though Towhee still felt like a horse's ass. She almost didn't ask who she had in mind, out of deference to the memory of Revui. But curiosity won in the end and she slanted her muzzle toward her sister-in-arms, making the sign for, -Who?- without actually speaking. She didn't really trust her stupid mouth at the moment.

Hydra had figured Towhee might know. But by her gesture, Hydra could see that she did not. Arcturus, Hydra simply said with a lash of her tail. He would not like it, me suggesting it. But if you were to ask this of him, and not include me in that conversation... Hydra could not imagine Arcturus denying Towhee that, if she wished for children. And more than that, Wraen, public speaker of "free choice" and "freedom of the people"—well, she would be thrilled to have Arcturus exercise it. In the end, all Hydra truly cared for was his happiness.

Wraen saw things in a way Hydra had not, somehow... not that she would ever admit that—but Arcturus had not spoken with her to that end of any of his own desires. Even from afar, Hydra wanted to ensure he could get the end that he desired... angry with him no longer for their shared loss, Hydra sought to make some sort of reparation. And with loss... well, was new life not meant to come?

The instant Hydra named Arcturus, Towhee felt a (Moon)spear thrust through her last hope for making an arrangement with someone she knew. Yes, this was it, the moment she realized she was going to spend the spring seeking some strange. There were worse fates, though at present, she wasn't sure whether she should laugh or cry over her stupid hopes and dumb fate.

"I know Arcturus," in the biblical way, "too well..." But she didn't even mean their tryst. She was thinking of Wraen. It was probably a capitally bad idea to mention the fact that Arcturus was in love with her, right? Towhee didn't like keeping things from Hydra but she figured ignorance was bliss in some instances, like when your brother is head over heels for your sworn enemy and your sister took his virginity (???).

"He's great, don't get me wrong, I just... I shouldn't have asked you this," Towhee said, a strange laugh leaving her. "What an absurd goddamn thing to ask you. I said it was strange, didn't I? Maybe too strange." Despite all her mixed feelings, she threw an affection elbow at Hydra, jostling her and then nipping her cheek fondly. "Appreciate you humoring me, though," she was sure to say.

Hydra did not wonder at the meaning behind "too well". She had met him and been in a pack with him and now perhaps had tired of him, or else could not consider him in that regard. It was a pity Towhee was not interested in him, as she had hoped that would get his head screwed on straight. Both of them. Might sort him out in the way that meant he was feeling more forgiving, who knew? 

But no meant no, and Hydra respected it. It is not so strange, she comforts, ...it is not as though you were aware that all of the eligible wolves there are my sons, she teased Towhee then, a playful glint in her eye. Well, Bronco too, she smirked at that. She doubted Bronco was a wolf Towhee would have considered for a multitude of reasons. Grimfrost she did not think was able to, yet, based off of scent, but who knew? In any event, Hydra kept to her own bylaws. Not because she did not want to help Towhee, but because she knew well enough that to allow one would lead to questions among the rest as to why they could not be granted the privilege. Or jealousy... or revenge...

She had seen it all play out with Revui and Arcturus. 

Hydra echoed the sentiment, moving to nip her friend in turn. The love she felt for Towhee was a palpable thing; she was glad and lucky to have found a sister in her. I would love for you to meet them, she said in earnest. All of my eldest. There is a girl in there, too—Vega, she reminded in case Towhee had forgotten.

She inhaled when Hydra joked about her sons, Niamh's too. She couldn't help but wonder what might happen if she came across them during her heat. Maybe she should go on a vacation outside of the Teekons when she felt it coming. Yeah, she could hit some exotic beach, find herself a spicy lover (or two, or three...) and then return home full of coconuts.

She blinked that errant thought away as Hydra invited her to meet her elder litter. For an insane moment, she wondered if her sister-in-arms meant to introduce them as suitors. She might have given her a strange look. But then she mentioned Vega and, ah, that made more sense. Hydra just wanted Towhee to meet them for its own sake. And she was honestly just glad to change the subject.

"I told Fennec we should create a community garden in Bramblepoint." She'd since realized she'd mistaken her location during that conversation, so she would have to set the record straight with her daughter at some point, or else hope someone else beat her to it. "We could use it as an inter-pack rendezvous site in general," Towhee thought aloud. "We could bring our kids there, let everyone mingle. The glenners? Glenees? The fireflies could come too, of course."

Hydra waved her tail at the idea presented. That sounds wonderful, she said in answer. Not that I know much about gardening and herbs, except for the plants Lyra has told me to avoid... she snickered. Poisonous ones that had not worked in her sisters trial and error runs. She knew the ones that could heal wounds, too, out of necessity. She was eager that their own packs now had their own familial element and were so close to exercise it. 

Dipping into a play bow, Hydra remembered fondly: Bramblepoint—that was where you and I would always meet, was it not? To spar? Hydra playfully lunged to end up alongside Towhee to nip her hindquarter with a wave of her tail. A bit of happiness in these dismal times could do her a world of good, she figured. And while she wanted to partake in a spar now, for oldtimes sake, Hydra shook out her furs and drawled, well, shall we see if we can find any leads on this orange-eyed male? she prompted. At least they could spend a little more time together, and maybe kill someone while they were at it if they were lucky. As good a bonding activitiy as any.

Hydra took to the idea with the same enthusiasm as Fennec. "Me neither," Towhee agreed with a laugh, "though it was actually pretty fascinating, watching Fen at work. Have you seen the pouch Bronco made for her? It's so neat. I think every medic should have one."

A moment later, Hydra was playfully challenging her even as she jogged the Sovereign's memory. "Maybe?" she replied with a laugh. Gods, they were old. And they really went way back, didn't they? "Remember that coyote we tag-teamed?" she recollected with a wistful look in her eye before nodding her assent to Hydra's game plan. They could reminisce together as they wandered the woods, hoping to reprise their roles and reenact a good sisterly slaying.