Sun Mote Copse seems every castle is made of sand

She'd been forced to leave Meerkat in someone else's care while tending to her godparents' burial. Nothing terrible had happened (aside from the obvious), so the Regent decided to leave the two-week-old with another caretaker today. She headed toward the borders, her first patrol since before giving birth. The rhythm and routine of it comforted her in a time of grief so deep that Towhee almost felt numb. Losing both Blackthorns in one fell swoop was an unfathomable blow and it would take time—and many footfalls around the copse—to even begin processing the new reality.

When a distraction presented itself in the form of a dark lurker at the edge of the woods, Towhee seized the opportunity to put her mind elsewhere. Even when she recognized Arcturus, she didn't stop moving toward him. She did slow, her orange eyes narrowed as she ascertained his demeanor; he looked to be in a bad way. The fur along her shoulders and spine prickled warily, some inner voice choosing that moment to remind her that this could be Meerkat's father...

-"Arcturus? What are you doing here?"- she commanded brusquely as she paused a few meters away.