Redhawk Caldera I think we should tell your mom

Whew so this is gonna be backdated to before Lagan left on his little exploration, if that's ok <3

Lagan was distraught.

What the hell? Where had Titmouse gone? Lagan had promised him he'd take him out on a little adventure and when the Blackthorn turned his back, the firebird was gone. He'd literally looked everywhere, in a stump, under a stump. He'd called his name and even shrieked in that super high octave that Titmouse was always doing. But he he was nowhere. One of the things he had found was a faint Liffey scent, mingling with Titmouse's. He'd followed that until he couldn't anymore, so at least he had a sliver of hope that maybe the pup had gone with Lagan's twin.

But now the boy had to tell his parents, that not only had they lost Liffey, but also Titmouse. How many more of their family would they be losing and how soon? He'd put off telling them about it for a day, because he simply didn't want them to be angry, or worried- but he knew that was wrong. He shuffled anxiously around the base of a large tree now, biting his lip nervously. He was worried that his mom would be super upset, and get all depressed again, so he sort of hoped that it would be his dad @Elwood who came to him instead of mom, @Finley. He howled for them, urgency in his tone.

When Lagan called for his parents, his voice worried, Elwood frowned. Lagan was quite possibly the most easygoing of all of his children, and rarely had an issue with -- well, anything. So Elwood tracked down his son with a mixed dose of curiosity and trepidation, moving swiftly across the rendezvous site.

Even from a distance, he could sense Lagan's anxiety. Elwood approached the pacing youth, facing him with the same patient demeanor that he often employed in Finley's presence. Whatever was wrong, he was sure they could resolve it. "What's up?" he asked, tilting his head slightly as he waited for Lagan to explain.

Elwood approached Lagan with a patient air, which allowed the boy to stop pacing, though the tension in his muscles was still high. Unsure of how he was to phrase what he was about to say without making himself sound bad, he opened his mouth and let air come out for a moment. Then with a deep breath he spoke. The other day, I took Titty outside of the Caldera for a little trip. He said, nervously picking through his options for the next sentence.

We we're having a great time and everything, and then I turned away from him for a moment and he was gone. He finished, looking down at the ground. For once, he didn't want to explain himself, and he didn't have a lot to say. He took full responsibility for what'd happened, because he would've felt even more guilty than he already did if he tried pushing the blame on someone else like Liffey. She may have taken the firebird boy with her, but she wasn't the one who'd lost him.

Elwood lowered himself to his haunches as Lagan gathered his thoughts and began to speak. He almost smirked at the mention of "Titty", but the strained quality of Lagan's voice held his smile at bay. He nodded, showing that he was listening. It was not uncommon for any of the adults to take the firebirds on short excursions outside of the caldera now that they were a few months old. Raven usually accompanied them, but Elwood had no problem with Lagan being Titmouse's escort.

But as Lagan completed his story, Elwood's brows drew together in surprise and concern. "What do you mean, gone?" he asked, remaining as calm as possible on the outside despite the fact that his heart and his mind were beginning to race. He tried to think back to the last time he had seen Titmouse, but he had given up on trying to keep tabs on the firebirds. They were always coming and going, and they had free reign of the rendezvous site.

Pressing for more information, he said, "He didn't come back with you?"

Lagan could tell that his father was doing his best to remain patient with Lagan, and as always the boy greatly appreciated it. Elwood asked what Lagan meant by gone, and the boy was hesitant to answer. I mean, he ran away! I looked everywhere but I couldn't find him. He shook his head again at Elwood's next question. Lagan hated to admit it, because he thought him and Titmouse had been best pals. To think the kid had actually run away from him, really hurt the boy.

Before Elwood got too worried, Lagan added, I looked all afternoon, and I did find a bit of a trail. I think he might've found Liffey and went with 'er, because the trail led to this area full of Liffey's scent. I tried to keep following it but it was getting late and I lost it. He said, his eyes averting back towards the dusty dirt at his paws, which he shuffled around anxiously. He looked back up at his father, a look of sadness in his round green eyes. Do you think Liffey and Titty are gonna be ok?

He listened as Lagan explained the situation better. He wasn't necessarily surprised that Titmouse had run away -- the boy had an adventurous spirit, coupled with what could only be described as a lack of common sense. It was this second trait that had Elwood worried; how could the young pup survive on his own?

But Lagan continued, adding his theory that he believed Titmouse was with Liffey. Elwood nodded. He hoped that was the case; otherwise, he feared that Titmouse wouldn't stand a chance by himself in the wilderness. Liffey would be capable of taking care of him, at least for a little while. Surely she would bring him back home, right?

"I think they'll be alright," he said. "Hopefully Liffey will bring Titmouse home. I'm sure she doesn't want him tagging along with her all the time. But I'll go out and look around for him just in case; do you want to come with me? Maybe you can show me where you last saw him," Elwood added.

Elwood's words were calming, and they definitely put Lagan at ease. His father brought up a valid point, that Liffey probably wouldn't want Titty following her around all the time, and might bring him back. He hoped this was true for two reasons; one so that he could have his little Titmouse back, two because he would be able to see his twin again. Elwood brought up going to look for Titmouse some more, and asked if Lagan wanted to go with. Yeah sure, I'd love to help.

Lagan was very glad that the conversation had gone so smoothly. It once again made him realize how much he really appreciated and loved his dad. He hoped he could be as good a father as Elwood one day. The boy leaned forwards and nuzzled his coal black nose into the white chest fur of his dad affectionately, then stood up. Thanks dad. For being understanding and stuff. He said with a slight smile.

He smiled, glad that Lagan was feeling better. It was still unfortunate that Titmouse was missing, but they would do what they could to get him back. And Elwood felt that it was important Lagan knew not to blame himself. Sometimes things happened beyond their control.

He returned the nudge, then fell into step with his son. "You're welcome," he replied as they headed towards the borders. "So where do we need to look?" he asked. He was thinking that it would soften the blow for Finley if she knew that they had searched for Titmouse.

Bramblepoint is where I lost him- I mean where he ran away. Lagan corrected himself quickly, glancing wide eyed towards his dad to see if he'd noticed. He still subconsciously felt that he had lost the pup, and it had just slipped. He definitely didn't want Elwood to think that it was his fault, and he really didn't want himself to think it either. He walked briskly in that direction, eager to begin a more thorough search.

If you want to fade here we can :)

Perfect! :)

Lagan's slip of the tongue didn't go unnoticed, though Elwood didn't comment on it. He felt bad that his son felt bad -- and thus began the circle of guilt. But no matter who was to blame, if anyone, they needed to make a good effort to look for the missing puppy.

He just nodded and fell into step behind Lagan, letting the younger male take the lead towards Bramblepoint.