Sun Mote Copse Gunfinger (salute).

Meerkat was tentatively planning on a family road trip in late summer or early fall. Towhee was a little surprised at first, though the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Meerkat had been a traveler from an early age. She would never forget how hard it had been to watch her leave at the tender age of five months old, even with Bronco beside her. She was just glad Skipjack totally wanted his parents with him as he ventured out into the world.

I’ll hold down the fort, Towhee promised.

She was pretty sure she wasn’t pregnant—and that was for the best—but Towhee did not intend to join them on their trip. Absent four of their core members, someone needed to stay behind and hold the territory. Even if it came down to only herself and @Towhee Jr, Towhee felt pretty confident they could look after the copse until Meerkat, @Njord and their children returned.

As she wrapped up her midday patrol, it made her think: did @Otter even want to go with them or would she stay behind? She would be in good hands, no matter what. Towhee decided to find her and ask, her pace steady as she marched eastward through the copse.

as of late, otter could oft be found by the creek. near narwhal's respite, a bed of large stones and shallow water made for an easy crossing — but she had other ideas. she'd been spending the past ten minutes skipping from stone to stone, a good ol' fashioned game of "floor is lava". her giggles likely could've been heard (or felt, rather) by her grandmother through the treeline.
when she sees the approaching familiar face, she stops in her tracks, nearly mid-leap. her forefeet slip off of their slimy perch into the shallow, and she lets out a loud whoop of surprise as she whips her head around.
oh, hi nana, she blinks, lips bashfully curling into a welcoming smile. what's up?

Towhee cringed a little when Otter glanced her way only to lose her footing. Her forepaws slipped harmlessly into the shallows. Letting out a little breath of relief, the elder Redhawk padded nearer, the child’s words immediately making her forget her momentary concern.

Nana? Miss me with that nickname, she quipped, wondering where it had come from. If you don’t want to call me grandma, just call me Towhee, she added, reaching to clap a paw affectionately on Otter’s shoulder, and add Sr, if you want to differentiate me from my body double.

She slipped her paw back to the ground, looking around for a good spot to take a seat. Towhee lowered herself with a grunt, then caught her granddaughter’s eye again. It probably made sense for her to go with her parents and litter mate. Njord and Meerkat probably wanted that. But Towhee thought it was important to give the girl autonomy.

So, what’re your thoughts about your parents’ upcoming trip?

otter burst out into a laugh. ever mischievous, she decides to double down. whatever you say, nana, her cheeky grin stretches further up her face as she makes a leap toward the next closest stone, successfully landing her jump this time. it could be worse, i could've called ya meemaw or summat.
still rather clueless to the semi-serious conversation her grandmother wanted to have with her, she hums a little tune to herself as she plans her route over a gap in the rocks — a gap which led to an unfortunate crevice where a foot could easily get stuck if she wasn't careful.
she tunes back in just in time. trip? oh, yeah, right, one ear twitches idly in thought. did she want to go with them? she'd never left the copse, but she'd also never really been without her parents. i dunno.

She couldn’t decide if “nana” or “meemaw” was more revolting, so she pulled a face. If Otter wanted to call her something silly, Towhee didn’t actually care that much… but why on earth couldn’t she come up with something that didn’t sound so fuddy duddy?

Towhee opted not to say anything further on the topic, not when they had much more important matters to discuss. She gazed at Otter silently as she continued rock-hopping. She wished the girl would stop and sit for a minute, as it was hard to lipread this way.

Hey, can you come sit for just a minute? I won’t keep you long, she requested, adding, I want you to feel like you have all the information so you can decide what's best for you. That said, I don’t think you can make a wrong choice here.

alright, alright, otter relents, scoffing as she pulls herself up onto the bank of the creek. she shakes off her feet one by one before settling on the ground, shuddering beneath the breeze which clings to her wet forelimbs.
i mean, i dunno, i like the copse, she shrugs, ears flattening. i don't wanna leave. 'least not for too long.

Otter obliged, her minimal grumbling lost on Towhee. She wouldn’t be much of a grandmother if she didn’t notice the girl’s discomfort. She motioned Otter closer, planning to drape a foreleg around her shoulders and maybe rub a little warmth into her while they chatted.

I know exactly how you feel, she acknowledged. I like getting out, but it’s nice knowing I can always come home. Towhee paused, considering her next words. You should know that your mom, dad and Skip might be gone a while. So if you go with them, you may miss the copse, though you’ll come back someday. And if you don’t go with them, you’ll miss your family, though they’ll come back someday.

That was quite a decision for someone so young to make. Towhee figured Otter would opt to stay with her immediate family in the end, though she wanted to make sure her granddaughter understood her options.

If you did decide to stay here rather than go with them, I’ll be here. Hopefully a few others as well. So you’ll have family with you, one way or the other. So it basically comes down to whether you want to get out and see the world, or if you prefer to stick close to home.