Redhawk Caldera All black everything.

She went very stiff when Reyes proposed making a trip by himself first. Towhee wanted to shout, "No!" Every cell in her body protested the thought of him leaving right now. What if he ended up like Phox, gone for weeks without a word? The Sovereign wouldn't be totally bereft without him but, all the same, she immediately loathed the idea.

But then, he had a clear destination in mind. And it sounded like he might want to visit his relatives for their own sake, not just because of the pups. Towhee took a steadying breath, willing a calmness she didn't particularly feel. She wanted more time with him, not less, but she didn't want to unilaterally overrule him if he wanted to see his family. Family was of utmost importance to her too.

"The kids won't be old enough for a while yet," Towhee countered, "I just wanted..." She paused, searching for the right words. "I wanted something to look forward to, I guess. But," she continued, orange eyes roving his face searchingly, "do you really want to see your family? The timing isn't great but, really," Towhee finished on a sigh, "when is it ever?"