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Towhee made a point to patrol at least three times a day ever since her talk with @Fennec. She took @Bronco's sense of security seriously. And as the pack's numbers dwindled some, she temporarily picked up an additional shift. Since this left her with a lot less time to sit around and socialize, she often invited Caracal or @Sphyra to accompany her. Her son actually took her up on the offer today, though she came to regret it when he informed her of his desire to visit Sapphique with @Reyes in the near future.

She bit her tongue against discouraging it, though. The kids were nearly grown. Hell, Tierra didn't even live at home anymore. Towhee should be glad they were discovering independence and spreading their wings. It was a good thing. At least, that's what she tried to tell herself. But her former mate still put a bad taste in her mouth, even after all this time, particularly where Caracal was involved.

When it came time to change the subject, Towhee seized the opportunity and asked the first thing that popped into her head. "What do you know about this new pack to the east of us? Anything?" Why her son would have any intel, she didn't know. She didn't really think he did, she was just making conversation even as she paused to squint in the direction of the mesa.

Tags are for reference and Caracal is an NPC here; anyone's welcome!

with recent events.... feels appropriate!

Since her fight with Bronco, Fennec had taken up sleeping in a thicket near the hobbit hole. She couldn't bring herself to invade her mom's den and, to be honest, she kind of needed the open space. And she definitely needed the mental space.

She'd told @Killdeer that the move was because, now that he was growing so much, it was time to leave the den behind. She didn't give the option for argument. There was no way she was letting him stay there, not without her. She didn't think Bronco would hurt him, but after how things had gone, she also didn't think he was entirely in charge of his responses. Killdeer could so easily, and innocently, trigger something and destroy their relationship... just the way Fennec had set fire to her own. She wouldn't let that happen.

She intended to keep her promise, though, no matter how that conversation had ended. Fennec wouldn't try to reach out to him unless he initiated it, but she'd continue to hound the borders and the lands beyond with an almost obsessive fervor. Now, more than ever, she had a fucking bone to pick. Their spine.... with her teeth.

All's clear on the eastern front. Fennec said when she heard voices, immediately recognizing Towhee. She'd probably just interrupted a conversation but she wanted to get ahead of anyone asking her how she was or any other small-talk bullshit she'd have to lie about. She still wasn't sure she was doing the right thing, but every alternative had already been proven to be worse. There was nothing else to do.

"Uhhh, I bet Auntie Woo knows," Caracal said in reply.

Before Towhee could say anything in reply, she saw her son react to something behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and turned when she saw Fennec approaching. Although she wouldn't see it, Towhee's demeanor softened in her eldest's presence.

"Caracal, why don't you go find @Ruenna and ask her all about the new neighbors for me?" Towhee said, shooting him a smile.

"Sure. Hi, Fen. Bye, Fen!" the slim young male called before racing up the nearby slope, likely glad to escape the boredom of a patrol. They were much more his litter mate's pace.

Facing Fen fully again, Towhee shared, "He and I were just discussing this new pack on the mesa. I feel like I'm behind the times. Do you know anything about them?" And what would having mysterious new neighbors do to her family's sense of security?

Later. Fennec listened to Caracal scamper off, then thought a moment about Towhee's question. That was that pack she'd gone by the other day, though their borders had been a ghost town at the time.

I found their borders when I was scouting a while ago. But I didn't meet anyone, and I obviously didn't mess with getting too close. No reason to. They weren't who she'd been looking for, after all. Though she didn't go so far as to get into that.

Why? Did something happen with them? Because she wasn't opposed to changing her stance and starting some shit... at all, actually. It sounded more like simple curiosity than anything serious, but she could hope.

Her eyes fixed on Fennec's mouth as she shared what little she knew. Towhee ran her tongue over her lower lip and shook her head automatically before catching herself and replying, "Just morbid curiosity. They're not right on top of us, I guess, but they're close enough that..." She trailed off as she tried to think of the right word to explain. "It's annoying," she surmised after a beat.

She shook her head and refocused on the task at hand, taking a few steps and letting Fen know, "I'm headed this way." When her daughter presumably fell into step beside her, Towhee asked, "How're things today?" It was vague on purpose, in case she didn't want to get into it, but Towhee tried to make a point of asking every day, to make sure Fen knew she was there to listen.

She was right there, it was a little irritating. Fennec had enjoyed having free run of that space, it had some pretty amazing sunning spots once she'd learned to take it a little slow to avoid the rockier places. We could always drive them off, Fennec replied, and while she was mostly joking, her humor was dry enough to take it either way. Towhee probably knew her well enough by now not to be fooled. She had a mouth to her but she was far from that loose of a cannon.

Ah, there it was. Her smirk dropped off, but she didn't immediately answer. The pause was her deciding if she really wanted to get into it. She hadn't thought so, walking up... but someone asking was always a different story than offering the spillage herself. Even though Towhee's question offered her an out, she decided not to take it.

It sucks. She replied finally, her voice flat. Towhee wouldn't hear, but it was written all over her expression as well. I know I tried, but it feels like I'm just... giving up. And at the same time, I'm so fucking mad at him. Maybe he deserves it. Or maybe I'm just a terrible person. She smirked, but it was a little ingenuine. That last part had kind of always been true, and it wasn't like she hadn't always been proud of it. This was different though.

We aren't good together. And I don't know if we'll fix it. Saying it was like an unexpected punch. They used to be, but that was then and this was now. She couldn't help wanting things to just go back to the way they were, but she clearly wasn't going to get that. And trying to force it, or fake it, was just making both of them miserable.

Towhee didn't say anything to the offhanded remark about the mesa. She stayed absolutely silent through the rest of what Fennec had to say too, though her thoughts were quite loud. She made herself focus and really weigh her daughter's words. Even when Fen's lips stopped moving, the Sovereign didn't speak right away.

She couldn't help it: she thought of Reyes. What if he'd been through something terrible, like Bronco, and his reactivity had been the the symptom of trauma? She couldn't be sure and it didn't matter now, though she knew a bit more about Bronco's situation. She felt for the guy. All the same, she couldn't help but wonder if he was a wildcard now too and if perhaps Fennec and Killdeer might be better off keeping their distance...

Towhee felt terrible for even thinking it and Fennec might very well eat her face if she voiced it. She hadn't exactly been thrilled with how Towhee had handled Reyes, after all. But much as she cared for her son-in-law, the Sovereign cared more for her daughter and grandson. They were her priority. It was as uncharitable as it was truthful.

"I don't think you're a terrible person any more than I think Bronco deserved what happened to him," she said slowly, "but you have to look out for yourself and Killer. I'm not talking about physical safety," Towhee clarified, eyes cutting searchingly over Fen's face because she did wonder about that, "but what toll is this taking on the two of you?"

She let that question hang a moment before adding, "We've all been trying to support him but it's not working. Right? I don't want to tell you to kick him to the curb or anything but maybe Bronco needs more help than we can possibly provide here. Maybe we're all too close to it." Towhee paused. "Maybe we should send him to Raven?"

Fennec's response was pretty immediate and more than a little reactionary when Towhee suggested Raven. No. There was no way that would help. Maybe a bit of it was pride, but if it were only that, she'd swallow it.... but the last thing Bronco needed was a strange pack and a new setting. Besides, even if she didn't get to have him here, Killdeer did. And what was best for him was a relationship with his dad, no questions asked.

She didn't trust him to stay in the den at night, but she'd never keep them from seeing each other. There was no chance in hell Bronco would hurt him. Luckily Towhee clarified so she didn't have to explain that it wasn't like that.

He doesn't even trust me. And I don't trust him, not because he'll hurt us, but I'm afraid he'll hurt himself. The other night was awful. She faltered for a moment. It hurt to remember, how he'd reacted, and how she'd had to hold him down to prevent him from bashing his brains against the ground. He won't talk to me, and anytime I try, he goes fucking insane. I can't even touch him without him reacting like I just snapped at his face. He was afraid of her. That's what hurt the most, of all of it.

If he can't trust me, then there's nothing there. I can't fix that. And unless he opened up to her, she couldn't trust him either. So I think, now, it's up to him. That's what she'd decided, both in walking out and after. It felt fucking awful, but it was the only way she could deal with it and keep herself from trying to fix something she'd inevitably fuck up worse.

Being shot down immediately didn't surprise her, though she did sigh a little inwardly. Raven had helped her so much, she wished Fennec would've given it at least fifteen second's consideration. But Towhee wasn't going to refute her. She was here to listen and offer feedback, it was up to Fen what she did with it. Her mom would try not to push her in any particular direction, even if that was easier said than done.

She focused on listening again as Fen voiced more of her thoughts. When her daughter finished, Towhee opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. Instead, she ruminated for a few moments longer, though she was quite literally thrown off track when she stepped into a mole hole and stumbled.

Cursing, Towhee righted herself and raised her foot, the ankle smarting a bit where she'd rolled it. While she was halted, she made a point to reach out and nudge Fennec, partly to let her know she'd stopped but also as a show of support while her response remained pending.

"Rave taught me a saying," the Sovereign said, placing her foot back on the ground. "'Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.'" She paused, exhaled. "That is to say, you're right." Towhee sighed, a noise of commiseration, and shuffled closer to bury her nose in Fen's pale ruff.

wrap this one up and have a new one maybe?

It was good to hear that she was right. Fennec let out a breath. This was kind of her last option, so if Towhee had told her the decision was selfish, she would have had no clue where to go with it next. She couldn't force anything out of Bronco, and trying to had pretty much destroyed any trace of the relationship they used to have. Even the friendship part.

Which left her pretty much empty in that department. She wasn't unaware of that, but she'd always taken wolves like Fig and Penn and Bronco for granted. Pretending this loneliness suited her was a hell of a lot easier than trying to make friends with the wolves here who already didn't like her much.

Thanks, mom. Fennec pressed in for another long hug, then eventually pulled away. I should go find Killer. She felt lighter having at least talked about it, and the validation was even better. It helped her to keep her resolve going forward. Maybe, if she left him alone, he'd let her in.

Sure thing! *wraps*

The topic reached its natural conclusion and Fennec announced that she wanted to go look for her son. Towhee wanted to jump on that and join her, though she bit her tongue. Especially after what they'd just discussed, she really ought to complete this patrol.

"Okay," she said with a final nudge, speaking even as she swiveled away, "I'm going to finish my perimeter check. Catch up with you later."