Heron Lake Plateau under stars

Although Owen easily captured Towhee's attention, she couldn't resist looking upward when he signed the word. She blinked, hard, at the first falling star. Many more began drifting across the otherwise dark sky, lending bursts of glowing light as they streaked past and eventually faded. Towhee watched raptly for a few moments, forgetting the pup and everybody else. Suddenly, all she could think of wasn't this spectacular light show, but another...

"Phox, what does it sound like?" Towhee had asked.

-They're not making any noise,- Orca had signed.

Nightjar and Lagan had been there too, along with Uncle Elwood and Aunt Finley...

Towhee blinked herself back to the present, the supernal display reflecting in her orange eyes as she suddenly scooted nearer to her godparents. Out of the handful of wolves there that night, they were the only ones left. Although she was grateful for the presence of newer faces—particularly little Owen's—the reminder caused an ache deep in her chest, particularly for Orca, and Towhee found herself leaning her head gently onto Finley's familiar gray shoulder.