Moonspear they go and drag my name down through the dirt

some of the tags are for reference ( but anyone tagged is more than welcome to join! ), she is seeking njord or sialuk. <3

jr makes her way back to moonspear, after her extended trip to the lowlands, realizing a few hours into her trek back that she had a ghosting shadow.

riding the wind above her is the juvenile peregrine falcon she had saved.

she offers him the leftovers of her kills along the way, frowning at his mangled talon and wondering if his attachment to her is out of necessity of survival and not affection. surely, with a mangled talon his hunting abilities had greatly decreased.

curiously, he tails her the whole way back and even in the airspace of moonspear when she crosses into the borders.

she seeks @Sable first, telling him of her decision to travel and inviting him to go with her — for it was her conversation with him about it that had sparked the first embers of the desire within jr.

after speaking with her brother, she then sought either @Njord or @Sialuk to inform them of her decision though she attempts to seek njord first as she knew that sialuk had been close to giving birth before she'd ventured out to explore, all the while the falcon she had decided to name Ghost keeps up with her from the skies.

Tags for reference

Njord returned from the Hinterlands with a large catch in tow. The hind quarter of a deer would make a good supper for Sialuk and Elentari. For the kids, a regurgitated meal would have to suffice. Soon, Orca and Seal would participate in the hunts and help bring down large prey. It was incredible how quickly time passed. Already, his girls were nearly 6 months old. Every day they grew a little taller.

The thoughts made Njord introspective. Recently, @Ray visited Moonspear to tell his parents that he was off to see the world beyond Moontide. It was bittersweet news. The redtail was proud that his son wanted to find himself and his purpose… but it was, of course, never easy to say a long goodbye to your child – who was no longer a child, but a young man.

Between these thoughts, Njord’s path crossed Towhee Jr’s. TJ and her brother had stayed behind in Moonspear while Towhee did family rotations. Since their mother’s absence, Njord did feel responsible for their wellbeing.

-“Hello Towhee Jr”- Njord signed, although his movements made it apparent he wasn’t nearly as fluent in ptero as Seal, Orca, or Meerkat.

she finds a strange sort of comfort in the shadowing of ghost as he flights down on a branch nearby, observing the pair as jr's steps slow with the crossing of njord's path.

-hi,- jr signs in ptero, slowing her movements at the rough gestures of njord's ptero. she pauses for a moment, trying to think of how she wanted to phrase her request; her left ear flickering back for a moment in contemplation.

better to get straight to the point, she thinks.

-i would like to travel around the wilds,- she signs, trying not to phrase it like she was asking permission because her mind felt made up on the matter but she was also, sort of, asking permission. -try to carve my own path.-

it would take a lot of effort on her part if she was granted the permission she sought, but jr felt that she was ready, that she was up for the challenge.

Gonna say this thread takes place before all the tiger drama :D

Njord, who understood ptero better than signing it himself, couldn’t say he was especially surprised by TJ’s request. Scouting, traveling, and exploring came hand-in-hand with being a Redhawk. It was in her genes! Yet, this didn’t diminish the parental responsibility he felt for the young girl.

He took a deep breath and passed Towhee Jr a warm smile. -“I can not… stop you… if… want… this.”- Njord signs were methodical, but broken, though he tried his best. -“Seal older sister… left… home…very young. Meerkat… when child… left, too. Everyone need purpose… life.”- he signed to show his empathy for Towhee Jr’s aspirations.

-“But… I have fear.… Danger… ”- Njord frowned as he gestured to the borders. Life on the trail, outside of Moonspear’s borders, would not be easy. This would become especially evident in the coming days. -“No find path… Moonspear?”- he asked earnestly.

sounds good! <3

jr steels herself, eyes watching njord's signing. it's broken but it's the effort that warms her heart all the same. -i know,- jr signs as njord states his worry. -i'd be lying if i said i wasn't worried.- she signs with a soft frown but a determined set of her shoulders all the same.

she wasn't unaware of her distinct disadvantages, as she once had been.

-but i'm not afraid. and ... i've got a companion.- she gestures to ghost who watches the pair from the tree limb he's claimed; even if jr was unsure how long the falcon would continue to shadow her.

to the question of her path not being in moonspea,r jr contemplates for a moment, thinking through her words. -i'm sure i could find one,- she signs, drawing in a heavy breath before letting it out in a slow exhale. -but i need this.- it was a weak counter, but it was what went unsaid that mattered most: that she needed to prove to herself that she could venture out into the world that did not know how to communicate with her and flourish.

In a way, Njord was envious of Towhee Jr’s naivety. Oh to be young and believe the absence of fear made one brave. Yet, despite TJ’s prospecting ambition Njord could not shake his worries. She was young and lacked training. His blue gaze peered up at the young falcon who circled overhead.

-“Like Sixsix,”- Njord signed as he ruminated upon his thoughts.

At the root of it, Moonspear’s elder knew that if the juvenile’s heart felt this was necessary, then its conviction would not waiver… if he denied her, then she would not be happy. Eventually, Towhee Jr would leave, with or without his permission, and the trust between them would deteriorate.

Knowing this, Njord made a decision.

-“I hear. I understand. You have… heart of mother. Of Redhawk.”- The way he signed showed his sincerity. -“But… I do not think… know… difference… need or want…”- his motions became sharp to prove the gravity of his words. -“I cannot send you… out world… not know if ready… to survive. So… I give task. Prove to me… and I give Moonspear’s blessing of travel.”- A compromise. Would she accept?

a soft frown tugs at jr's lips as njord tells her that she likely didn't know the difference between 'want' and 'need'; but she does not argue despite that she disagrees, bolstered by ignorance of youth. she would learn, one way or the other, and the consequences of her mistakes would be her's to bear.

but she does not think that too far ahead, thinks of only how her disabilities might hinder her ability to survive in a world that does not cater to her.

njord proposes a compromise, and though it was not a simple 'yes' or 'no' she she would've liked and despite that her mind was already made, jr wrestles with defiance.

it grips hold of her.

to do so would be to earn to ire of her family, perhaps even lose them entirely and that was a bridge she did not wish to burn.

-what is this task?- she signs her acceptance of it, though the worry of failing and losing the blessing of moonspear hangs like a noose over her head.

By her expression and posture, it was evident Njord’s bargain was not the answer she sought. However, like a calm ocean, his steady nature did not waiver and the Elder remained committed to the conditions he presented.

He watched her. The storm she harbored was familiar to the seafarer.

-“Your heart… I see before.”- he tells her. -“Travel Northeast, ten days, to Taiga. Cross Flatlands. Over Sunspire Mountains. A red woman… Avicus… claim land… name Redtail Rise. Warriors. Hunters,”- he explained, recalling the days of Nyra’s threat to Sapphique and her neighbors. -“You must befriend red pack. Hunt together. Bring back antler tine of caribou.”-

Njord paused to measure Towhee Jr’s reaction. This difficult mission would truly prove that she possessed the grit necessary to survive whatever challenge life presented.

-“If injured, turn back. If lost, turn back. No shame,”- Njord signed firmly. -“Failure teach. Then, try again.”- It was important that she knew this wasn’t for all-or-nothing.

He raised his chin, then, as if to ask: what say you?

she watches njord as he signs her task.

it would not be easy, she thinks. not only was there a prize she was to bring back — which in and of itself would be tough — but she needed to befriend the pack.

her paws are still for a moment, weighing the gravity of the task set before her seriously.

-this task may see me gone for some time...,- for jr, despite her youth, does not consider that this will be done in a week or two. she considers it may take several months.

time for her to grow and train and learn and she wonders if that was what njord's hope was for this task.

but ultimately, her mind was made. she wished to travel and she did not wish to sever ties with her family to see her wanderlust sated:

-i will do it.-

she takes a deep breath of the warm mountain air, ear twitching not at the sounds of the world she could not hear but for the soft breeze that swelled like a wave before it resettled.

The spirit quest is no small ask, but Towhee Jr does not balk. Njord was confident this task would give the young wolf direction, meaning, and, most importantly, a goal. It would challenge her in new ways and test that she possessed what was required to survive on her own across Teekon. Njord knew the path she would take, the wolves she would meet, and the prey she would hunt. He had full confidence in the Redhawk that she would succeed.

-“Yes,”- he agreed. It wouldn’t be quick and it wouldn’t be easy.

Towhee Jr accepted and Njord smiled warmly. -“I know you will”-

Then, he shifted his weight. -“You rest. I hunt for you. Eat. Strength.”-

Then he asks: -“Sable?”-

Would her brother stay with the pack?

part of jr — undoubtedly the bullheaded, 'i can do things for myself' part of her — wants to protest but logic wins out once more, stifling those protests before she can give them.

she had a long journey ahead of her, both physically and emotionally. she is not so young as to not recognize that it would be trying.

-thanks njord.- she signs; hesitating only a second after he gives a single name, the question behind it clear.

-is welcome to join me, but ... i'd like to do this by myself.- she did not want to have to always rely on him: because one day, their dynamic might change. when they were older, when they had mates or children. she could not, nor did she wish to, always have to rely upon him to be her translator.

Njord passed Towhee Jr a nod of understanding. The want for personal autonomy wasn’t an unusual ask, but the man couldn’t help but ruminate upon how this would affect her brother. The two were close and had become even more so since their mother left to travel. He wondered if Sable would want the same: to explore his independence.

Then, with nothing left to add, the Elder departed to hunt a fine meal for the young traveler.