Northstar Vale I can make anybody go to prison

For mom! Whenever you have a chance. <3 No rush, of course. >w< I know the holidays are busy for some folks.

 

The young boy had toyed with the idea of asking his mom for something. It was a large ask, of course, but he had thought about the visitor he’d shared company with when they had all lived in Mereo. Though Jack Snipe had been too wild to really flourish under Germanicus, he had been smitten by the words and attitude of Akashingo’s royal Makono. This was a face he had not forgotten and one that he had considered in his quiet time.

The boy hummed softly while he carried a measly bird to where he hoped @Towhee would be.

Mmmmm, he groaned through his full mouth. It was a half-assed attempt at ‘mom,’ but he’d fallen short of the necessary syllables. The bird wasn’t much of a snack, but he had caught this one and he imagined she’d be happy for the bite, anyway. Nothing better to do during the cold than sit around and munch on snacks.

Jack poked his head into his parents den, tail wagging.

Towhee didn’t hear her son’s approach, though she certainly noticed when a shadow fell across the doorway of their little roost beneath the willow tree. She sat up with a sniffle. She thought she caught a whiff of food, though she couldn’t be entirely sure with her nostrils mostly blocked.

Hey, come inside but maybe stay in the doorway. I don’t want you to catch this cold, it’s pretty miserable, Towhee said, her typical cadence made even thicker by a bad case of congestion.

Are you sick? he shouted.

The boy still failed to grasp the idea that his mother couldn’t hear him and that he would need to make sure she could see his face properly or that he signed to her. He remembered when it mattered, but his head was occupied by a number of things, and he could only focus on one at a time.

I brought you a snack mom! But it’s not very big.

Jack didn’t care about the cold. He trotted confidently to her and dropped his drooled-on snack at her paws. Then, the young wolf smiled up at her.

She couldn’t quite tell that he was shouting, though the emphatic question tickled her funny bone. Towhee tried really hard not to giggle, in part because it might set off some unpleasant coughing.

Yes, I mean, it’s just a cold but it still sucks ass, she replied. And I’m not sure if I’m contagious, so I don’t know if I could pass it to you. That’s why you should probably—

Jack walked right up to her and dropped a dead bird at her feet. She had to fight the urge to sigh. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful for the gift or his visit, though a sardonic voice in the back of her head said, It’s your funeral, kiddo.

Thanks, buddy. Wait a minute, did you catch this? Towhee asked, thinking of the fish he’d scavenged—little dude was like a vending machine, always droppin’ snacks on her—and looking at him with a curious sniff.

Duh, mom… it’s cold everywhere, Jack thought to himself. The words remained internal. His mom said that she might be contagious, which he didn’t understand. The young boy thought it was fun that she sounded that way, though. The clogged sinuses gave her a real late night smoker lady voice. If given thumbs, Towhee might have lurched herself against a dark wall and wafted a husky puff of tobacco into the air.

Ohoho! YES! I did. I am the coolest birdcatcher in the world, mom. The number one. EVEN THOUGH IT’S SMALL!

Jack’s eyes grew wide on the little bird before he squinted, almost suspicious of it.

It’s gonna rock your mouth!

The young wolf bounced on his paws.

Now that he was a little closer, Towhee could tell that he was shouting. It was the exaggerated movements of his mouth, not to mention she could actually feel his breath wash over her. She couldn’t help but cringe internally when she realized he was definitely going to catch this cold.

You say it’s small, like that makes it less impressive. The smaller the bird, the more difficult to catch, I’d think. I’m seriously fucking impressed, Jack, Towhee told him.

She was just sorry she wouldn’t be able to fully taste it. Towhee quickly plucked the tiny carcass clean and made quick work of it, though. She hadn’t had much of an appetite these past few days so it was really good to get a decent snack in her.

Yup, my mouth has definitely been rocked, she informed her son, wiping her leg across her muzzle. Now, how can I repay you for your generosity?

Hell yeah she was impressed because Jack Snipe Redhawk was truly impressive. He had like gold in his veins, or something. In fact, when offered the praises of his mother, the young wolf grinned back at her before winking. If he’d any fingers, he would have clicked his tongue and shot mother dearest some cool finger-guns. 

Towhee made short work of the snack. She confirmed that it had totally rocked - of course. Then she asked what she could do for her son. 

Hmmm… he pondered loudly. I wanna go on a adventure. To see another place with other families and stuff. Like another pack! Just to see. Can we do that? Seemed like an easy ask.

Her lips peeled back as she used a toenail to pick a bit of meat from between her teeth. Her eyes remained fixed on Jack as she waited to hear what he might request in exchange.

Sure. I assume Mereo’s a bit ‘been there, done that,’ so we could always check out Paleo. I’m not sure what other packs might be close by. Your dad might know?

She could actually think of two: Akashingo and Brecheliant. The first was a “fuck no,” the second made her hesitate. Towhee wasn’t personally prepared to return to Redhawk Caldera, even after all this time, although…

Since I’m not feeling well and I’m not sure when I’ll be better, you could ask your dad to take you. And maybe Leo could go too? Another possibility is Brecheliant. They actually live at Redhawk Caldera, where I was born.

Been there. Done it!! 

Jack nodded his head fiercely after each word. Mereo was lame, anyway. The boy hadn’t easily forgotten the lesson he had shared with the Imperator and the other two boys. What a bummer that had been. Both of the boys had run off and Jack had been looked at in the same way disapproving parents look for children that weren’t their own. 

Towhee gave some options for places to go, which Jack listened to intently. He liked the sound of going back to see where she’d been born. It might be like looking into the past. He wondered if his mom missed her old hunting grounds. 

Alright, alright, alright, alright. OKAY! How about you get better and we can see where you were born! Jack loved his dad but if Maxim wasn’t native to the caldera, what kinda guide would he make? Probably not one who could find where Towhee got shot out of her mom. 

What about Ashkajingo. My friend comes from there. I met her when we lived in Mereo! That could be fun, right? Jack gazed expectantly at his mom - cue batted lashes and pleading expression.

Of course her kid would want her to go with him to her birthplace. Towhee should’ve anticipated that. She tried not to cringe. Was there any way she could wiggle her way out of this one, preferably without disappointing Jack too badly?

Well, she sure as shit wasn’t going to redirect him to Akashingo. Naturally, Jack brought it up on his own, mentioning one of the envoys who’d stayed in Mereo. Towhee went very stiff and thought about forbidding him outright. But that wouldn’t go over well.

I would strongly prefer if you didn’t go anywhere near Akashingo. It’s a dangerous and frankly skeezy place, Towhee said slowly, then paused and resignedly added, But that’s just, like, my opinion, man.

Jack was old enough to do what he liked, including leaving the vale to visit other packs. He really didn’t even need to ask permission. Towhee didn’t really want to point that out to him though. She loved that her children remained close to her. She appreciated so much that he asked and involved her. But just like she’d given them a choice to come here—and she was ever so glad they’d decided to join Epoch too—Towhee wanted them to have autonomy.

If you really don’t mind waiting on me, we can check out Brecheliant sometime. My older brother still lives there, Towhee said, already picturing the look on Eljay’s face when she turned up there.

Oooo… danger and skeeze! Now, that sounded fun. The young Redhawk imagined about ten different scenarios involving him fighting off giant moose creatures with sultry eyes and jagged razor teeth. It sounded sick. Towhee didn’t seem to think that was the best idea, though. Even though she did not forbid him, the disapproval on her face made it seem tantalizing. 

A trip for just Jack, he thought. Akashingo wouldn’t go anywhere. He could spend some time getting ripped before he showed up to school those skeeze-bags. They’d fall in love with him in no time, especially when they saw how strong he was. 

Lost in these daydreams, Jack Snipe nearly missed his mom’s confirmation. She would take him to see her home when she was feeling better. She even had family there, still. 

A skeptical look found his face. Towhee was pretty old. Not like crypt keeper status, but she definitely had some crinkly bits. 

How old is he?! he asked incredulously.

Old as fuck, Towhee confirmed sagely.

Man, had her son really just roped her into going back to the caldera? The day she’d left it—the day she’d lost everything—she’d decided she would never go back. And now that Brecheliant lived there, it made everything even more emotionally complex. She didn’t know how she felt about seeing Eljay or how he’d really react if she darkened his doorstep.

Towhee took a couple deep breaths through her mouth, seeing as her nose was plugged. While she mouth-breathed, she looked at Jack. He was such a character, she couldn’t even bring herself to feel mad about this situation. But maybe, if she was lucky, he would forget all about it.

You should go find Meadow and ask her if there’s any way to prevent catching a cold, Towhee randomly suggested, feeling like it was high time for her nth nap.

Old as fuck…

Damn!

Jack’s orange gaze grew wide with surprise. He hoped that his mom’s brother didn’t crack a hip just to meet them at the borders. The boy thought that he’d have some good stories of Towhee when she was younger. The young Redhawk would take advantage of that, no problem. His eye was on the prize – and the prize was embarrassing stories of his mom when she had been a child.

Alright! I’m gonna go see Meadow and ask her if she can get rid of the cold.

What a silly thing to ask someone. Even Jack knew that the snow was going to stick around for a while. It had blanketed most of the earth, after all. He thought his mom just wanted him to get out of her hair so she could get some old lady rest. In her fragile geriatric state, he couldn’t blame her.

Love you, mom! Jack shouted one last time before bounding away.