Redsand Canyon nine crimes

After the rather boisterous meeting at Moonglow, Phox set off toward Mereo with whoever was in tow at that point. He couldn’t keep track of who was staying, who was following along, and who was going their own way these days. But he knew exactly where he was going: straight to where @Towhee was. With some quick directions from whoever, Phox plotted his path and soon found himself on the doorstep where his sister’s scent made his heart leap.

He knew she couldn’t hear, but he called out for her anyway. Surely somebody would get the message to her.

She still hadn’t ambushed @Kallik. Towhee wondered if he’d forgotten about the possibility, which would make it even better. She kept trying to catch him in the act with @Aquene, yet she could never find them together. She pondered this as she strolled around the canyon’s rim.

Because those two were in the forefront of her mind, she thought it was the healer she spotted standing near the borders. But the face was all wrong… and ever so familiar. Phox? Towhee blurted when recognition hit her, already racing toward him.

Like magic, she appeared.

-TOWHEE!- Phox hollered, his whole body wriggling like a puppy again. He didn’t bother with border etiquette right now, ignoring it in favor of smashing himself up against Towhee as she came running at him. Relief washed over him in waves, and he laughed like nothing bad had happened the past year. That feeling would pass, but to be in blissful reunion was all he wanted (and certainly what he needed) right now.

-@Caracal, @Peregrine, Sphyra—shit, I mean @Tierra—and even @Killdeer are probably not too far away. I met up with everyone at Moonglow. Thought I’d look for you there because of the Moonspear connection. Brechliant didn’t know where you’d gone. Why didn’t you come tell me you were leaving?-

There was no accusation in his body language or tone, but genuine curiosity. He knew she must have had her reasons. His voice and body moved quickly, but they were both fluent enough in both languages Towhee wasn’t likely to miss a single word.

-I missed the butts outta you.-

peregrine lingered behind awkwardly, feeling out of place as he watched his father's joyful reunion with his aunt towhee. jealousy burned deep under his flesh. phox never looked that happy with him. but he would try, for his father's sake, to smother those feelings. he knew that his own birth had brought phox nothing but grief, and that would never change. peregrine was just a reminder of everything that had gone wrong.

his real family was right here.

skippable unless addressed!

also skippable!

voices upon his borders.

from the familiar way that towhee greeted them, it was clear they were bonded. 

germanicus did not linger. but he would remain within earshot, keeping his patrol tight.

For several minutes, the two of them just sort of wiggled around, bumping and slapping in happy reunion. Phox said some things to her, though Towhee honestly didn’t catch much of it. Her brain was too busy going “!!!” at first, but then she noticed her brother’s shadow. She gawped at Peregrine for a beat, then waved him closer, returning her attention to Phox in time to catch his last remark.

Same, she said with a breathy laugh, touching noses with him. Hey, @Peregrine, Towhee added, wanting to include him. Seeing him made her wonder about Tierra, Vesper, Blueberry and their whereabouts. She decided against asking right this moment, unaware that her brother had just mentioned at least one of them.

She took a moment to gather her thoughts, even as she basked in the pleasant glow of happy reunion. Towhee assumed Sphyra had told Phox and the Frosthawks about the disband when she’d headed that way, so he knew those details. She wondered how long he’d been looking for her, then decided it didn’t matter. They were together now.

This is Mereo, she said to both brother and nephew. It’s a sort of military outpost. She paused, then asked the most pressing question. Are you two just here visiting? Are you heading back to Frosthawks? Or… Towhee’s heart thumped faster. Was it possible Phox might want to stay in Mereo with her?

She greeted Peregrine, and Phox turned to see the boy was hanging back, not too far away. He must have slipped in unnoticed. Peregrine, you remember my sister Towhee, right? He turned back to Towhee to learn about where they were. She seemed to have either missed his question or ignored it, but Phox was still wanting for an answer.

-I guess I hadn't thought that far ahead. I wanted to find you and... well, I don't know. Are you staying here for good? And why didn't you send word to the Frosthawks about where you were going?- She had known all along that Phox had been there, so something wasn't quite adding up.

Phox spied another wolf lurking in the background, and the Redhawk gave him a wave of his paw, but otherwise kept his attention on Towhee and Peregrine.

Since this is an important thread, I wanted to keep it moving!

Towhee’s chest pinched a little at his reply, her face contorting in confusion. I did. Well, Sphyra was headed that way and I figured she’d let everyone know what was going on... She was pondering how such a thing could get lost in translation, when Phox’s wave distracted her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Germanicus lurking. Towhee waved too.

Facing her brother again, she once more tried to organize her thoughts. That’s my leader, Germanicus, she began after a beat, and yes. Rue’s here, and… Well, her player wasn’t sure about Sphyra or Killer at this point, so Towhee trailed off for a moment, blinked and said, I’m a prefect! She grinned before saying more seriously, I do feel like I’ve found my niche here.

Ah, that explained it! -We must have just missed each other then,- he said with a shrug. The same had happened with Tierra, and he figured the two of them had come just after he had left. In any case, he was glad to have found Towhee, even if their lack of communication had made it take a little while longer.

-Rue? Like, Ruenna Rue?- he asked, though the answer seemed obvious. She and Towhee had gotten rather close last year while Phox had been away from the caldera, so it only made sense that they might stick together. Phox abhorred spending time away from his sister, but he was glad to see she was happy here.

He did wonder about Rue, too. They had been friends back in the day, and it had been him who sent her to the caldera when they’d happened upon each other in the wild that day. Phox also idly wondered if she was still available, though that thought was riddled with guilt. ”It’s okay to move on,” Phox reminded himself. Niamh was not coming back, no matter how much he wished for it.

-Is it okay if we hang around for a little while and check things out?- Phox asked. The fact that it was a “military outpost” didn’t make it sound like a great place for Peregrine and him, but he’d been surprised in the past. And hey, he could always settle somewhere nearby.

Which reminded him of another couple of kids he hadn’t seen in awhile. -What about Fig, Fenn, and Bronco?- The three of them had always had the kind of bond he remembered between Towhee, Niamh, and himself.

The one and only, Towhee replied, her face fond as she spoke of the Matrona. And guess what, she continued, barely waiting half a second before sharing, She’s expecting a litter! With that guy. She snorted a little and tipped her head, indicating the Imperator lurking in the backdrop. They’re the leaders here, Towhee clarified her earlier statement, pride in her orange eyes.

Phox wanted to know if they could skulk about a bit before committing. I don’t see why not, Towhee replied, figuring he knew they couldn’t stay in the canyon itself so not bothering to spell it out. If you guys decide Mereo’s not a good fit for you, which she’d totally understand, you could consider joining up with Kinfolk in the neighboring vale. They seem like chill, family-oriented folks. It was kind of in the name.

Towhee tried very hard to control her expression when her brother asked about their eldest kids. They’re all living together in Emberwood, which is just on the other side of these mountains, I believe. I haven’t had a chance to visit them yet. She did not mention any of her conflicted feelings about that entire situation. Phox had been through enough familial drama to last a goddamn lifetime. They’re not far, either, in case you guys wanna plop there. As long as she knew where they were—and it wasn’t too far away—Towhee couldn’t complain.

He felt a pang of something when Towhee mentioned Rue having children. He would have felt it at anybody having children, if he was being perfectly honest. This was the first year in many that he wouldn’t be a father, at least not biologically so. His heart wasn’t in it. He couldn’t risk losing yet another mother of his children to death. It would be the end of him, and he needed to be here for the children he did have. He looked at Peregrine momentarily, then back to Towhee as she finished filling him in on what had been happening in his absence.

-Yeah, I guess we’ll visit around and see who has what to offer.- Phox paused again, glancing at Perry and wondering what he thought of all this. In all likelihood, Phox knew he was more fit to be around Towhee than anywhere else.

-Can we chill here for the day? I don’t want to overstep or get you in trouble or anything.-

She hoped he might settle on Mereo in the end, though Towhee certainly couldn’t fault Phox for shopping around to find the best fit for himself and his son. Mereo wasn’t for everyone, she knew, though if Ruenna had carved out a niche for herself, then so too could her soft-spoken brother.

Sure, why don’t you two join me for the rest of my patrol? Towhee replied, orange eyes flicking fondly between Phox and Peregrine. I can tell you more about how everything works here, so you can make an educated decision, she added with a flick of her tail, nodding to the Imperator before moving off with her two dark shadows in tow.