Redhawk Caldera We build the wall to keep us free

tags for reference, all welcome :)

Another day with the same routine passed, after other days which still had the same routine. On @Eljay's orders, Niamh remained either in the den where she could rest in the dark, or in the spot she'd shaped up just outside the den which was comfortable and soft, and had a good patch of sunlight through the majority of the day. She ate what she was brought, and was grateful for it. Until her leg had a chance to heal on the inside, she would have to wait, allowing the bone to remain as stable as possible so it'd heal without causing too much irreparable damage. She remembered, ruefully, the irony of the time she'd told Fennec "I still have three other legs," and how stupid it sounded now. No, three legs weren't enough. She wanted the full use of all four, or she wanted nothing to do with it at all. 

The only solace in the situation was having @Phox around. Ever since he had chased Reyes off, she found herself all the more respectful of him, and enamoured with him once again. He took care of her, and tended to her wounds, and had defended her without question. She hadn't felt pushed to explain what had happened, beyond stating the simple facts. She'd always known Reyes was a belligerent little shit who had insulted her before, but when he had approached with snarky insults, and then had attempted to posture in a way of patronizing her, she'd had enough. She would have used only whatever force was necessary to get the young man to comply with their rules and submit, but he had lashed out at her with a viciousness that was unexpected and uncalled for. 

@Towhee had not yet come to visit her, which Niamh took as a slight. She knew Towhee had her own reasons to want some space, but she also found that it left a bad taste in her mouth, being avoided. She'd weeded that little shit out of her best friend's life, which she believed was for Towhee's own good, but her friend, it seemed, was not even interested in checking in on her to see how she was doing. She couldn't be bothered. Towhee's absence was noticed, and it did not sit well with the Regent, who grabbed one of the sticks Phox had left her (knowing it was really the only way she could keep busy nowadays) and she began to gnaw away at it. It wasn't like Niamh could go and check in on Towhee- she wasn't allowed to walk, so she expected Towhee to be the one to visit. But days went by, and she saw no trace of the Sovereign. 

Only a few more days, she thought. Then maybe she could start exercising and as soon as she could, she'd limp her painful way to Towhee's hideout, if for nothing else than to make her feel guilty about not visiting her gravely wounded Regent as she recovered.

Time moved so strangely these days. One minute, Phox was overjoyed with the thought of having two litters to look after. The next, he was chasing out the father of his sister's children. And then there was the aftermath of Towhee's miscarriage, something that made his stomach do a somersault every time he thought of it. Thankfully, Niamh's children appeared to be doing fine, and there were no signs of her losing any of the children they had created together.

He arrived with a rabbit for his pregnant mate, feeling weary but happy that she seemed to be doing well. He noticed the stick, whittled away at her paws. Restless? he asked after dropping the rabbit for her. He had been doing his best to feed both Niamh and @Towhee, bringing them whatever he could scrounge up at every opportunity. He didn't have time for much else beyond that, and it probably showed.

She had to spit a few times to get the splinters of wood out of her mouth so she could answer Phox without them prickling the roof of her mouth. She brushed her tongue against her uninjured forelimb to get the remainder of the wood chips out of her mouth and nodded. She was indeed restless, but she was doing what Eljay had asked her to do. He was sensible- and the last time he had checked in on her, they'd had a good talk- so she'd do as he asked. 

She licked her lips appreciatively and nabbed the rabbit, pulling it to her chest with a soft growl. She looked up at Phox and sniffed; he'd been to see Towhee, which didn't surprise her. But it did irk her that her friend hadn't come to see her yet. "How's Towhee? Where's she been?" She asked.

I figure we can make this one short, or fade here? Whichever you prefer!

Phox replied, sticking to being vague. She's resting, making sure the pups are doing okay. He thought again to what Towhee had told him about the two she'd lost, but he kept it hidden away. Unless Towhee wanted Niamh to know, Phox would keep that to himself. He didn't want Niamh to feel as though it was her fault Towhee had lost them.

She just went out for a little jaunt, and it took a lot more out of her than she expected. Once she's feeling better, I'm sure she'll come around, he said.

But what about you? How's your leg? Did Eljay do a good job making sure it's going to heal alright? Phox asked. Of course, he knew the answer was yes. Eljay was an excellent medic. He continued to deflect anytime Towhee was mentioned, trying to keep the conversation light and happy. He needed Niamh to be okay.