Sun Mote Copse How can we live in charcoal towns?

Fig glanced around as the others gathered--Fennec and then Eljay. They both appeared as puzzled as he was, but he turned away from them as he was suddenly nabbed and pulled close to Towhee. He went willingly, though he did find her sudden embrace rather alarming. He looked again at Fenn to center himself and to measure his own reactions against. She was visibly concerned and so he knew he was within his own right to be feeling the same. He sucked in a breath and nuzzled against his mother, setting his uncertainty aside.

Her revelation was... Well, he didn't really understand. The words were easy enough to follow, of course. Towhee couldn't bear children. He got that. What he didn't fully get was the gravity of what that fact meant to her. Not at first, anyway. Fig was seeking the answer to her pain in a physical ailment still. He was trying to make sure that he wasn't in any danger of losing her. It took him some time to understand that he wouldn't--that she was safe in that she wasn't about to bleed out or anything like that. It was her heart that wasn't safe, and that realization eventually brought a soft whine to his throat.

Once again, Fig looked at his sister. What was he supposed to say? It was going to be okay? She didn't need more kids? That he and Fenn were all the children she'd ever need? He didn't know these things. He was unequipped to handle something like this. He didn't even know how important it was to have your own kids--he'd certainly never considered having any. His frown deepened as he tucked his crown against the side of her neck, shut his eyes and softly offered the only thing that came to his mind, uncertain if it would make any difference or not, "I'm here."