Wheeling Gull Isle Some kind of change, some kind of spinning away.

Her time on the island was drawing to a close. Towhee let Caracal and @Heda know she would depart in the coming days, then headed for the north side of the island to walk along the beach there. En route, she stumbled across @Manea and @Vesper fishing the tide pools. She waved but didn’t stop, disappearing into the mangrove swamp and eventually emerging on the far side.

The sea stretched toward the distant horizon, the bright July sun leaving a dazzling trail across the blue waters as it began its slow ascent to the west. She seated herself on the warm sands and let out a little grunt as she folded forward into a sphinx pose. Towhee planned to just sit here a while and enjoy the island vibes.

In a few days, she would return to Moonspear. Well, she would probably hang out in the glen, since Towhee no longer considered herself an official member of the village. But she would like to spend some time with her kids and grandkids there while she waited for @Sialuk to deliver. She had made a promise to be there for the new mother and Towhee intended to keep it.

But after that, she was free to go wherever she wished. Perhaps she might look for @Figment or @Tierra, see if they were still in the area. She didn’t plan to leave the Teekons, though as she gazed out at the vista, Towhee thought of @Alyx, @Quetzal, @Sphyra and the other children and grandchildren she hadn’t seen in quite some time. Hopefully they were all out there somewhere, living their best lives.

i know we already have one but eyeballs. if you'd rather have somebody else just lmk! <3

Dinah could never truly stay away from the ocean.
Even with what happened with the strange man who bore a crucifix, the fear was quick to subside and she found herself on the shores again, doing the same thing she always did: search for treasures.
In three days, she will be two months old. Her legs were longer now, a body under metamorphosis; gangly, awkward, wolven. Cinnamon guard-hairs were starting to replace the downy baby fuzz. The sapphire of her eyes grew more intense, alight with the spirit of the sea, and there were batty little ears atop her head she had yet to grow into. Had someone placed her atop a scale, she would probably be nearing twenty whole pounds!
A little girl not so little anymore. But even still, her childlike spirit had not gone. Her love of foraging least of all! And there was one person she had yet to give a gift!

Ducking beneath a log that hangs over the shore, she digs around in the ruddy sand in search of a prize suitable enough. Perhaps a stone or a shell or a plant, something she felt represented the woman she hunted for.
A malformed silver pebble. Nah, no way.
A large cut of driftwood in the process of fossilizing. Too big!
And then, as if a heavenly spotlight had appeared in front of her, she sees it: a long black feather, possibly from a raven or a hawk. It shimmers with the sand that half-buries it, damp with saltwater and glistening in the afternoon summer sun.
It's perfect.

Grasping it in her little jaws, she shakes away the grains of sand and goes in search of her recipient. Shockingly, she was not all that hard to find. She was already on the seabank, poised and graceful and still, watching as the waves roll in and out. Proudly, Dinah sets it between her front paws, a dopey wag to her little tail. It's for you, Gramma!

Her mind drifted to her recent visit with Jack, which inevitably led her to think about Maxim. Towhee had hardened her heart against the memory of her mate, though something about the endless blue stretching out in front of her—like a physical manifestation of her wide open future—made her relent. She let herself miss him for a moment.

If Maxim had never vanished, Towhee’s life would look a lot different right now. She would never think of his loss as a good thing, though she was grateful that when one door closed, a window opened. She might not have otherwise gotten to spend all this time lately with her family in their various villages, nor would she find herself now presented with the opportunity to keep doing that.

When young Dinah appeared in front of her and dropped a black feather on the sand, Towhee smiled and thought, Yes, this exactly. She straightened her slouching posture to inspect the small gift before her eyes cut up to the girl’s face. Not for the first time, a thought crossed her mind and she decided to voice it out loud.

First of all, thank you, she began, then said, You know, I’ve never known anyone to let their pups roam as freely as your folks let you guys go. I can’t figure out if it’s the fact that we’re on an island or if they’re maybe hippies along with all the woo woo stuff. Catching herself, Towhee added, Shit, don’t tell anyone I said that. I don’t want to get smited—smit—smitten—smut?

Always happy to have you! :)

<333

Gramma Towhee was a confusing woman, Dinah thought. She speaks with hands and says weird things. Nevertheless, she loved her all the same.
You're welcome! she exclaims, a rosiness to little baby cheeks that had slowly begun to narrow into a more wolven headshape.
She thinks on it, for a good moment: was it weird that she and her brothers had free reign over the Isle? She would not know. She knew nothing else. Being locked in the den sounds boring, she tuts, her little rump coming to a flop in the sand beside Towhee. I'm almost two, anyway. That means I'm all grown up! She thinks about what she knows being two means. Mama turned two recently, too. Did Dinah have to have babies on her own now? Her lip juts out in a pout. I don't think I'm ready to have babies though. I don't even know where to find them.
And then, the golden question, one a little God-fearing child should probably never ask: What does shit mean?

Dinah began babbling, the swiftness of her words quickly making Towhee’s eyes hurt. But the grandmother smiled, shifting again to kick out a foreleg. She grasped the feather and began twirling it, admiring the deep blues hues that shone in the summer sun in between her granddaughter’s bursts of speech.

Well, most pups your age would be going on short trips with adults and moving to a rendezvous site soon, so you wouldn’t be stuck in the den. I guess that’s neither here nor there, Towhee drawled.

She tilted her head as if giving Dinah’s next few questions some deep thought. Towhee had never censored herself for her own pups and wasn’t about to start now. Maybe as much as Caracal and Heda had appreciated her help, they would be glad to be rid of the heathen. The thought made her chuckle.

Seriously? Towhee teased. You don’t know shit? She couldn’t help but bark a little laugh at that. Shit is another word for poop. It’s also one of grandma’s choice epithets. That’s how pups get here, by the way: the mother shits them out.

Eyes dancing, she paused there to see what Dinah would make of this information.

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: kinda gross LOLLLL

Rendezvous site. Dinah had never heard that word before and kind of hated the sound of it. What's a rendezvous site? Oh, what a sweet summer child she was, so full of questions.
And then, it's like a bomb goes off at the revelation of the definition of shit. Her jaw falls slack, ears airplaning to the sides of her head. I came out of Mama's poophole? Dinah, in her short little life, was aware of the fact that poop was a verb and also a noun. A bewildered galaxy of red-blue explosives popped inside her head and may as well have blown the cap of her skull clean off. I'm turning two! I have to poop out puppies? I don't wanna do that!
And then began the waterworks.

Gosh, Dinah was one of the most ridiculous wolves she’d ever met. Towhee loved this silly child dearly.

No, she explained calmly, setting down the feather and pushing upright to clap a paw on the girl’s shoulder, you came out of your mom’s vagina, Tina. She shat you out of her vagina. But you don’t have to worry about it happening to you anytime soon, okay? You’re only two months old, you won’t be able to get pregnant until you’re two years old.

Still clasping one slender red shoulder blade, Towhee leaned back to get a better look at the pup’s teary face. She hoped her real talk had cleared the air a bit, though doubtless Dinah would have more questions.

This only left her with more questions.
Okay, so she was not turning two. Apparently, there were things called months and years, and there was a big difference between them. This, of course, brought a sense of bewilderment; how long do wolves live before they get sent up to God?
And this meant she was not actually going to be the same age as Mama and Daddy. This greatly upset her, but she was quick to get over it, because something else was far more intriguing: she shat you out of her vagina.
Sniffle, sniffle; another sniffle before she could compose herself enough to answer. What's a vagina? she peeps, confusion swimming in her cornflower gaze.

Seriously? Towhee asked, arching a brow. How are you this worldly without even knowing your own body parts? Shaking her head, she let her paw slip from Dinah’s shoulder. Your vagina, like, where you pee from?

(Towhee had no idea she was also an idiot.)

There’s some other fun stuff it does but you’ll have to ask your mama all about that. Actually, you should ask your papa, Towhee suggested with an impish smile, imagining Caracal squirming as he gave his little girl the sex talk.

A particularly loud seagull swooped overhead, not that Towhee could hear its godawful screech, which bore a strong resemblance to a certain someone’s howl. She did notice it wheeling past and huffed a laugh through her nose. Wheeling Gull Isle, indeed.

You know, I’m going to be leaving in a few days. What do you say we do something fun to send me off?

Vagina, peeing, pooping things out. The conversation had begun to muddle inside Dinah's mind. She imagines herself digging her paws in the dirt right after a rainstorm, elbow-deep in thick brown earthen mud, and how she would bathe herself in it. She'd rather think about that than this, she decided.
Gramma Towhee seems absolutely shocked this conversation had not been had with her before; but what was this conversation, anyway?
The suggestion of something fun immediately drew Dinah's attention again, a visible light to her eyes. Yeah! she shouts, although it was more like a screech, immediately jumping to her paws and falling into a bow. Like what, Gramma Towhee, like what?! Oh, the ideas Dinah already had! Like catching that really annoying seagull that hooted overhead and bringing it home to Mama and Daddy! Or a scavenger hunt, or hide and seek, or fetch, or swimming, or or or—

Towhee couldn’t hear the volume of Dinah’s shout, though she could certainly pick up on the child’s loud enthusiasm anyway. She was greatly relieved that Dinah seemed excited rather than upset about her grandmother’s imminent departure. Hopefully the pups and their enormous family would be too busy to really miss her or even notice her absence much.

Whatever you want to do, Towhee replied, within reason. Maybe something I could only do here on the island and nowhere else on earth.

She raised her eyebrows and looked expectantly at the youngster, wondering what Dinah would come up with for this grand finale.

Something Gramma Towhee can only do on the Isle... see, it was a good idea, great even! Except the big problem was that Dinah didn't know what was and wasn't on the mainland.
Her brows knit together in an inquisitive look. Okay, she, then, decides to position herself properly for an interview, one paw pressed up against her chin, ears flattened. what's the mainland like?
In truth, this question had multiple meanings. One: it could give her an idea of what Isle-exclusive fun activity Gramma Towhee would enjoy, and two: she found herself increasingly curious about that land bridge. She longed to know what else was out there, to explore and to see beyond her little sheltered, peaceful home. And sheltered she was indeed.
Taking a quick glance over her shoulders to the left and right, she tries to pick out what she would assume the mainland did not have. Does the mainland have trees? And, like, rocks, n' stuff? I'onno.

As soon as she saw the question form on Dinah’s lips, Towhee couldn’t help but wonder if Caracal would have her tell his daughter that the mainland was a godless wasteland. Some of the things he’d said during her stay had certainly given her the impression that he thought little of dry land these days and that he wouldn’t want his children leaving the island anytime soon.

But Towhee didn’t give a shit what her son preferred. She would always tell the truth, even if it was ugly. And it wasn’t, in this case. Of course, the mainland wasn’t very different from the island, especially around the coastal areas. She had to laugh at Dinah’s ignorance, which she would quickly rectify.

Yes, the mainland has everything the island does, except it’s not surrounded by water. And if you go far enough inland, you can’t see water anywhere. I bet that’s hard for you to grasp, isn’t it, growing up here? Tell you what, when you’re older and more independent, I’ll take you there sometime. I’m going to be traveling anyway. You can join me for a bit.

In the meantime, surely there was something that couldn’t easily be done elsewhere. Towhee looked around for inspiration, her gaze once more drawn to the horizon. She supposed there was one thing that—while seen from just about anywhere—would never be quite the same as here. The island had the best seat in the house, as the saying goes.

What do you say you and I find the perfect little spot to watch the sunset together? Do you know which direction that means we should go?

Oh, the angels that chorused inside of Dinah's head right now!
You mean I'll get to see the mainland?! her words come out in a squeak of excitement, little body trembling with delight as she expulses her energy by dancing around in circles; one, two, three, four, five, before she's dizzy enough to land on her butt and beam up to Gramma with her biggest milkteeth grin. Really? You'd do that?!
Dinah's love for Gramma Towhee in its current form came from the fact that she promised to teach her things. First Ptero, then where babies come from, and now the mainland? Towhee might as well have been Jesus Christ Himself!
But there is a task at hand, one Dinah has been assigned. What direction does one go in to see the sunset? Um, a pause, a swish of air in her mouth as her cheeks blow up like a chipmunk's. weast! Yeah, weast! Rising up on gangly limbs once again, she mouths at Towhee's leg in order to get her, too, to rise up. This way!
She totally knows where she's going.

She almost disclaimed that she would only do it if Dinah’s parents allowed it. But in Towhee’s mind, this wouldn’t happen until her granddaughter was significantly older, in which case she wouldn’t really need anyone’s permission. Towhee simply nodded.

Ah, yes, weast, not to be confused with sourth, she drawled in amusement, head rearing back when Dinah nipped at her leg. I didn’t peg you for an ankle biter. Next time you bite me, just remember: I’ll bite you back, she quipped, rising.

When Dinah began walking northwest, Towhee loomed right up behind her, grasping her by the shoulders and bodily pointing her, Weast is this way.

Let me know if you mind the power-play! :)

not at all!

She is suddenly gripped with a strong force and her little body is manhandled — womahandled? — into the correct direction of Weast. Apparently, she did not know where she was going.
But there are no complaints to be found, only a soft Oh, right! as if this had been her plan all along.
She walks ahead of Towhee with surprising strength and speed for such small legs. She no longer wobbles and bobbles, but lopes and bounds forth with the gait of an almost-wolf. Still not quite, but getting somewhere!
She turns just a bit more towards the landbridge, which is currently well beneath the waters of the tide, but she can see it in her mind's eye. Her gaze softens, a wistful sort of look, before she looks down to start brushing away sand with her two front feet. Here, she would dig a bed for her and Gramma to lay in; or at least try to, as her paws are only so big.
Here! Even with her pride as inflated as it is, she raises an eyebrow in search of confirmation. I think.

Thus pointed in the right direction, Dinah capered ahead until she ran out of dry land, then began to dig a makeshift bed for them. Towhee moved forward to lend a paw, silently confirming the child’s choice even though she missed the small cry.

Did you know, Towhee said conversationally as they dug, that you have cousins on the mainland? Two of them are close to your age. They’re both girls too.

She missed Orca and Seal, nearly as much as she missed her own kids. She wondered if Dinah or the others had really had much of a chance to get to know Sable and Towhee Jr. They’d stayed so briefly and largely kept to themselves.

I think this is good enough, don’t you? she asked a while later, after they’d dug out a comfy shallow in the foreshore.

Not waiting for an answer, Towhee straightened and shaded her eyes against the glare slanting in from the west. Yep, they definitely had a front row seat to the setting sun.

Cousins? Girl cousins? Holy mother of God, Gramma Towhee really was magical!
There's other girls? her head flops to the side inquisitively. I wanna meet 'em! When you come back, can you bring 'em with you? because Gramma would come back, right?
She's given assistance with her little sand-bed, which earns a little squeak from her. On Dinah's side, it's gravely uneven and covered in little pawprints, with Gramma Towhee's much more even — but that was okay. Dinah wished she could pull their creation from the ground and keep it as a memento.
She flops down beside her with splayed legs, belly pressed up against the shore; sand coats her entire lower half. She would totally not track all of that into the den later. She glances briefly to Gramma Towhee before she looks to the purple-pink paints scattered across the sky, dappled with clouds and tiny stars that just begin to reveal themselves. The sun is blinding, and she decides to shield her little face behind a raven black shoulder.
I'm gonna miss you, she says, then, in a little tiny voice. it's boring when you're not here.

Bold of you to assume I’ll ever return to this madhouse, Towhee joked, winking at Dinah before saying, Sure, I’ll see if their mom wouldn’t mind sending them on a field trip. Or maybe you and your family can go see them on the mount. Or everybody can meet in the middle somewhere. There’s all sorts of options. I’m certain it’s only a matter of time before you all meet.

It was tempting to tease the little girl again when she said she’d miss her grandmother. And maybe Towhee would, later, when they were truly parting. But for now, she just slung a foreleg around her slim shoulders and tugged her close, resting her chin on Dinah’s head. In this way, she hoped she shielded her from some of the glare, even as both their eyes trained on the darkling horizon.

I’m gonna miss you too. But despite what I said a minute ago, I’ll be back soon, Towhee promised.

She knew it was one she could and would keep too, now that she was no longer tied to any particular pack or territory. Towhee’s loyalty now belonged only to the hearts of her Redhawk progeny, including the one currently held in her arms, tucked all up against her heartbeat.

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