Sun Mote Copse Just like before

@Towhee minor power play of her being there, but I figured that made sense

Breaking off from Figment was hard, but it would allow him to go find his sister while Phox and Towhee talked. They had some catching up to do, and Phox knew that Figment was eager to find Fennec and catch up with her, too. As they ventured further into the copse, Phox tried to remember the last time he had been here. It was probably when he had run into Niamh. He wondered how she and her children were doing. Finally they, Phox's kids, and Wildfire's kids would be able to grow up with one another. He hadn't been a great uncle in that regard, having not met any of the other kids.

-How are things here? Wraen's taken the lead, I noticed.- He made sure Towhee was on his right side so he could see what she was signing, even though she typically spoke as she did so, just as he did. -And how are you?- he asked. She didn't look visibly injured, which made him think she hadn't fallen like he had. Whatever resentment he'd had about her going without them was overwhelmed by his relief that she was okay and they were reunited.

Much of what Phox told her during the initial reunion went in one ear and out the other (or in one eyeball and out the other...?), lost in the overwhelming tide of excitement and other feelings. With the initial exhilaration now plateauing into a pleasantly joyful buzz centered in her chest, Towhee could actually compute the things her brother was trying to tell her. Finally, she would have answers to the questions she'd been asking for ages.

Just as she had subconsciously fallen out of the habit of signing after the grove's dispersal, she fell right back into it now that her family was in one piece again. -"I'm fucking fantastic,"- Towhee replied without missing a beat, huffing a laugh. Her eyes shone, sticking to his face and drinking in the familiar features she'd never known if she'd see again. -"Yeah, Wraen took over after Colt died. She's pretty great. She took me in when I was badly injured myself. I've been repaying her by training everyone in the pack in self-defense and whatnot."-

She didn't mention that she was in the running for leadership, nor did she bring up the names of the other wayward stars that had found their way here. Those thoughts crossed Towhee's mind, of course, but she was practically bursting with questions for Phox in turn. -"So you went to Raven? Where did they end up settling? How are they all doing?"- Why didn't you come here? she wondered but didn't ask, since it didn't matter now and Towhee wasn't about to throw any bad feels into the mix when she was feeling so perfectly, one hundred percent happy.

Towhee always managed to come out on the other side of the downs by going up, up, up! Phox felt that way this time around, despite the fact that he occasionally felt like he had let down the members of Asterism Grove, including Towhee. He listened to her story about Wraen, her own recovery, and how she had started a training program here with the Firebirds. It was all very Towhee, and he was glad to hear she hadn't changed. It made him smile, as if he hadn't been grinning ear-to-ear ever since she'd come crashing into him less than an hour ago.

The conversation turned to Raven, and Phox was happy to offer what he could. -I did! The way toward the Firebirds was blocked by that landslide, but Figment found that an area further south had actually been opened up by the earth shakes we were having. They're not too much further south than where we settled in the grove. Raven sends her love and best wishes to you. She misses you.- As eager as he was to return to Towhee, spending time with Raven had been good, too.

-Quixote is still milk toast,- he added, punctuating the statement with a stuck-out tongue.

It had never occurred to her that another passage may have opened up during the last bout of earthquakes. Yet just like that, all the blanks were filled. The world made sense again. She grinned to herself, shaking her head. She and Wraen had swept the outer perimeter and somehow missed this rear entrance, though it didn't seem to matter much now. Towhee wasn't going to dwell on the past when the present was so sweet.

At Phox's comment about Quixote, a loud laugh burst from Towhee's muzzle. She gave her brother a look that clearly said, Oh, you! She laughed again, lightly, and found herself going to tackle him. She wrapped her forelegs around his neck and forced him to the ground, pinning him down and smothering him with licks. Towhee wasn't even aware of the whines leaking from her in a steady stream.

She subjected him to that for a solid minute or two before backing off him and giving him room to rise. As he presumably climbed back to his feet, Towhee said, -"Sundance, Dorea and Pippin are here too."- Her tail wagged solidly back and forth as she delivered the good news. It slowed a little as she added, -"I'm not sure about the others: Rue, Rye, Elfie..."- She drew in a breath. -"But those of us who found our way here, we're doing well. I told Wraen I plan to stay here for good."- She didn't ask it outright but her eyes begged the question: You'll stay too, right?

Phox went down with an "oof!" It was a good thing his injuries had healed, or it would have been much more painful. His leg still ached a bit, so he was more protective of that, but otherwise he succumbed to her antics. When she finally let him go (he certainly hadn't been able to defend himself against her in any way, shape, or form), Phox rolled onto his stomach to rest.

He listened as she explained that at least a few of the wolves from the grove had ended up here. And why wouldn't they? The Firebirds had been a sister pack, so it was the most logical place to go next. Phox found himself even more thankful they had that as a fallback.

-I go where you go,- he said, his smile soft. -Except, y'know, when I slip and throw myself off a cliff. I'm still baffled at how you made it over. You know, we were down there screaming at you... not that you could hear it.- Phox gave her a more impish grin. He had no misgivings about what she'd done, not now.

-That reminds me, I picked up a few lasting... changes when I fell. I'm sure you noticed the limp, but I also can't see a goddamn thing out of my left eye. So if I'm giving you a weird look, it's not just because you look weird.- But that would always be part of it.

Part of her hoped that mentioning the names would prompt him to inform her they'd been with him all along, just like Fig... but no such thing happened. Towhee felt a tightness in her chest, then let it go, paying close attention to his answer to her question. That same knot loosened and her belly flipped with joyful relief, only to sink a moment later when he described the nature of his injuries.

She felt a jolt of fear when he mentioned being blind in one eye. She worried that it would affect their ability to communicate. Then she realized not only had she not even noticed anything so far but—oh, yeah—their daughter was totally blind and they managed just fine. Towhee felt like an utter moron for a second, before grinning idiotically at Phox's little jab.

-"But you're okay. And Fig's okay. Fen too. And we're all together again,"- Towhee replied in her best approximation of a singsong voice, which was downright godawful. She pressed her lips together and hummed happily. -"And I can't believe you two were so close all this time..."- And, abruptly, that made her remember something.

For the first time since clapping eyes on Phox and Fig standing at the borders with Fen, Towhee stopped smiling. -"I would've found out a lot sooner but X, she didn't make it. I'm not entirely sure what happened but she was with me during the very first quake. I didn't see her after that and I finally found her body about a week or two back."-

I just thought about how funny it would be if Phox signed with a lisp because of his front leg injury, lol.

Phox made a ^__^ face in response to Towhee's statement that they were all together again. Her humming was terribly off-key, and her singsong voice was grating to most, but he was happier than ever to hear any and all of it. This was how it was meant to be. Towhee, Figment, Fennec, and him together under one pack. He'd realized as soon as he'd come back that it didn't matter which pack, so long as everybody was safe.

She stopped smiling, and Phox's own face fell in tandem as she explained that X had met her end. -Oh, I'm so sorry, Towhee. Where was she?-

-"She was with me, on my shoulder, during the pass's collapse,"- Towhee explained, aware that her brother meant the body but wanting to tell the entire tale. -"She took flight right before it hit but I'm thinking she was injured in the landslide, like, she didn't get airborne in time."- She grimaced. -"And I was stuck for days under those rocks, then in the grove... so I never saw her again after that day, until I found her body when I went to visit Orca's grave. She saw Orca die, you know."- Towhee paused. -"I buried her there, beside her,"- she finished in an uncharacteristically soft voice.

She hadn't quite made eye contact during much of the story, though now she sought the comfort of Phox's gaze. -"I didn't know Rave's pack was that close. I'm happy to hear that, though I..."- But she'd already decided not to dwell on the what ifs and other happenings of the past. There was nothing any of them could do about that now! -"I'll have to go visit her sometime, see her kids. How're they all doing? I guess they're pretty much in their final forms now, huh?"- Towhee queried, trying to inject some lightness back into the conversation.

For a split second, he wondered if X had died on Towhee's shoulder, and he was confused. When she continued, he realized that she intended to tell the whole thing. (How historian of her!) The name Orca was one that Phox hadn't heard in a long time, and his ears pinned back at the mention. His poor sister, that he'd not even been able to reunite with when he had returned. Oh, how he wished things could have been different, but there was no use in dwelling on the past. He wasn't sure there was much he could say to comfort her, so he hoped that his presence was enough.

Towhee switched the subject to the Frosthawks, and that was a much lighter and happier subject all around. There was something she was about to say... but she trailed off, instead announcing that she wanted to go visit them. They're all doing well enough. They're all still weird AF and/or total brats, but what can you expect when you're raised by milk toast? Phox really had no reason to be so harsh on Quixote and his kids, but he couldn't help himself. It was a terribly grudge he just couldn't let go for reasons untold. Besides, it wasn't like there would be any repercussions for it all the way up here.

I'm sure she'd love a visit from you.

She couldn't help but snicker when Phox picked on Quixote again. -"I miss Rave like the dickens,"- Towhee said, -"and I wish I could've watched her kids grow up. But I don't miss that guy one bit."- Her grudge against their brother-in-law was just as solidly obstinate as Phox's and it would never stop being one of Towhee's favorite inside jokes.

-"I'll make a point to drop by sometime. In the meantime, I've pretty well managed to pick up the pieces here. Wraen is a leader I can actually get behind. She and I talked recently and I'm actually on deck for leadership myself. But even if I wasn't, this pack's in good hands. And she's family. I can't remember how she's related, exactly... I think her dad and ours were brothers? Or something like that."- So much for being a good historian...

-"Point being,"- she resumed after a brief pause, -"I think the four of us can be really happy here."-

Phox nodded along. He had met Wraen a time or two, and he only had good things to say about her. He had no qualms living under her leadership, just as he'd had no qualms living under Raven's or Towhee's. -Our dad and her mom,- he corrected lightly, although it didn't really matter to him. -And I agree. I'm happy to be here, and I know Fig will want to stay with Fennec. Those two were as thick as thieves, just like us back in the day. Fennec will come around.- He knew his daughter well enough to know that she was a real softie on the inside, even if she occasionally put on a tough exterior. WHO DOES THAT SOUND LIKE, TOWHEE???

-Speaking of, I should go see if she and Figment are done making up so I can squeeze the ever-loving shit out of her. I missed her so goddamn much. Maybe you can hunt Figment down and do the same to him.- As much as he loved group parties, some one-on-one time was about to be mandatory.

Fen's withdrawal from the impromptu reunion had caught Towhee off guard, though she didn't doubt Phox was right. There might be a hiccup or two as the four of them found their footing with one another, though soon their little family would be back in the rhythm. It wouldn't be exactly like before—they weren't in the grove, for starters, and each of them had been through some shit lately—but Towhee knew they would be okay now that they were all together again.

She hated to part ways with her brother so soon, though she knew that the kids should absolutely take precedence. -"Sure thing. See you soon,"- Towhee replied, giving Phox a playful whack on the shoulder before resting her paw there and giving him a squeeze. -"I'm sure she was just overwhelmed and she'll be overjoyed to see you. Well, smell and hear you. You know what I mean! Get outta here."- She grinned as she affectionately waved him away.

Phox loped right outta there as soon as Towhee said the word. Well, at least as quickly as his lame leg would allow him to. He sure wasn't as fast as he used to be, but Raven had said it would get easier with time. He would survive, adapt, overcome. Now all he had to do was track down Fennec. Just the thought of seeing her made his heart soar all over again.