Redsand Canyon Roman candles.

Towhee knew Aquene had given birth a few days past. She also knew that Germanicus had gathered some of the soldiers—including her brother and grandson—and headed out on a mission. She wished she could be involved with these matters, or that she could even resume her regular visits to the palazzo. But for the past week, she had been incapable of doing anything but resting in her own den.

She stirred in the early afternoon, groggy and parched. Maxim tended to stay close but she didn’t see him. Grunting with the strain, Towhee climbed to her feet. She couldn’t decide which ached worse: her bones or her stretched and swollen flanks. As soon as she climbed onto all fours, she leaned against the nearest wall, breathing hard. Towhee moved toward the doorway, squinting against the bright daylight.

She stepped outside and lapped up the water gathered in a basin someone had dug nearby. The rainwater was days old and rather stagnant, yet it felt perfect on her tongue, trickling down her throat. Towhee drank until she cramped, then shuffled sideways to slump against the stone den’s exterior wall. She actually felt better than she had in several days, though Towhee was absolutely exhausted with a capital “E.”

it was odd to be back.

all the talk of the palace sickened tamar in ways that she would never evince or admit.

towhee was moving slowly near the married-housing she lived in with maxim. tamar carried a pigeon. she set it upon the ground and eyed the prodigious sides of the former soldier.

"eat this. you are not long — it is not a long time — until?" she stammered to a finish, curious ears splaying.

She caught herself staring dully at the dust on her feet, about which she could do nothing in her current state. Her eyes flicked upward just in time to see Tamar approaching. There was something feathery and lumpy in her mouth. Despite herself, Towhee’s mouth watered.

Tamar, hi, she said, a bit surprised to see her around here, though it made sense. A couple weeks now, I think. Thank you, she added, happily accepting the food. Before she dug in, though, she asked, How are things with the vale?

"they are well. it is very beautiful there."

she did not talk about khalys. she had not been there to see.

towhee ate. tamar sat close and leaned into a cool breeze flowing down into the canyon. "you will see it for yourself when you are able to come to dinner with my husband and i," she said, lips curved into a teasing warmth.

Towhee nodded. The vale really was a lovely place, from what she’d seen of it. Tamar mentioned inviting her there for dinner sometime. The thought of traveling anywhere, even next door, made her feel like dying. But otherwise, she actually liked the sound of that.

Might be a while, Towhee grunted with a sheepish grin, helping herself to the gifted meat. There wasn’t much of it but it was pleasingly fatty, coating her lips with grease, which she licked off hungrily. She and her unborn pups could use all the nourishment they could get.

Have you been to see Aquene, by any chance? the former Praefectus wondered after swallowing the last few bites. I know she gave birth but I haven’t gone by yet. I wasn’t sure if they wanted visitors and, well… it’s hard to go anywhere right now.

creeper maxim inbound, can be skipped for now unless summoned closer first! :D

germanicus had taken some of his soldiers and gone. maxim was one of the few left behind as the remaining vigilance for mereo. he picked up more patrols for this and any spare time was spent strictly near towhee at all times.

he felt convinced with each ticking moment that she would surely pop soon.

it was between patrols and the searing spring sun that he came for a break. perhaps swing by the den, then head towards the treeline and river. except here was tamar instead, alongside towhee. truthfully this soothed him to have somebody else near her.

still he would linger out of reach, uncertain if he wished to engage or take off on another patrol.

"i am patient."

at the mention of aquene, the girl mused. "i came to see you first. then i will see the matrona. and then i will seek her out," she said, describing her intinerary with a brightness that had not been there the last time she had spoken with towhee.

"is there anything i can do for you?" the young wolf asked quietly, unable to keep her impolite gaze from the woman's bulging sides.

Probably it was pure happenstance, though it still gave Towhee a tickle of delight to know she was Tamar’s first visit since returning to the canyon. Idly, the Redhawk wondered where Arsenio was at the moment. She supposed he was most likely patrolling.

You already did, Towhee replied when Tamar offered her help. I don’t remember pigeons being so damn delicious. I’d say I need to add more of them to my diet but… how the hell do you even catch a bird? She was impressed and it showed on her face.

The only other thing I’ll ask of you today is to say ‘hi’ to Aquene for me, Towhee added, wishing she could say she had the energy to accompany Tamar to their friend’s den, but she just didn’t. She wasn’t even sure she could really hold up her end of this conversation a whole lot longer. And maybe swing by after to let me know how many she had and how everybody’s doing?

tamar grinned widely.

"arsenio taught that to me. you must climb very high and wait a while. it is a lot of work. but it teaches patience." she had that in surplus but one could always hone better what they knew.

"i will do that," tamar agreed. her tail waved softly. "how is mereo in these days?" she asked. towhee had been a soldier and a guardian before that. she was still curious when it came to that world.

If she didn’t already struggle with terrestrial prey, Towhee might have asked Tamar to show her one day. But that was a lost cause and she wouldn’t waste the woman’s time. Anyway, patience wasn’t what Towhee would consider one of her strongest virtues.

Tamar agreed to pass along her salutations, then queried about the goings-on in Mereo. I haven’t been on top of things much lately, Towhee admitted, but I know the Imperator just took a few of the soldiers to visit Akashingo. Something happened there—I think someone important was found dead?

Only after the words left her mouth did she vaguely recall Tamar’s connection to the strange palace on the mesa. Her lips pressed together, eyes searching the young woman’s face for any sign of a reaction to this news.

akashingo.

her heart plummeted.

"the last time that someone died at akashingo it was a servant, killed by an enemy of pharaoh." and long had maggie suffered.

she did not want to be somber. she wanted to smile. "i am glad not to be there now." she looked at the ground. "i am sure the imperator will find what has happened."

Perhaps it should’ve been the news of multiple slayings that put a frown on her face, though honestly it was the word “servant.” Towhee breathed in sharply, lips pressing together as she processed Tamar’s remarks. Why the hell were they still in cahoots with that place, she wondered?

Why Germanicus should be the one to get to the bottom of it either way, Towhee didn’t know. But she nodded at Tamar, for lack of anything better to say, and barely swallowed a sigh as she realized she really had reached the end of her rope for today.

Hey, I’m sorry, but I need to go lie down for a while. It was nice seeing you, Tamar, and I hope you stop by again soon, with or without word from Aquene, really.

After offering the younger she-wolf a weary smile, Towhee turned to slither along the wall, then slump through the doorway. She remained oblivious to her partner’s eyes on her back as she flopped down on their soft pallet. The soft impact jarred her a bit and she grunted, though quickly forgot her discomfort as she went boneless, falling fast asleep.

<33

had she said something wrong?

tamar made herself believe it was towhee's discomfort which cut their visit short. she nodded quickly, watching as the pregnant woman made her departure.

for a moment she stood alone. and then slowly her legs moved toward the forest. she would hunt now, and she would forget the palace.