Sun Mote Copse World war freestyle.

Towhee felt her insides clench a little at Fen's question. She wanted to spare her daughter the details, yet she knew the growing girl could handle the truth. And she owed her that much, especially since it concerned the rest of their family.

"I did take some hard knocks during the landslide. I was trapped underneath it for a few days," Towhee explained slowly, "but I felt better after a few weeks, physically, at least. It was very hard, mentally, being trapped. I was desperate to get out, to get everyone out. So I did something asinine: I climbed the wall on my own and ended up with this for my trouble." She shifted her hip, aware that Fen couldn't see it, though certainly she could piece it together.

Towhee sat again, heavily. "The rock wall is slippery, steep and all kinds of dangerous. I'm lucky I didn't get myself killed. I was being a moron," she emphasized in sober tones. "It may come down to everyone taking the risk and making that climb... but I'm hoping there's another solution, somehow. I just don't know what it is yet." And that there was the rub.