Redsand Canyon Touch grass.

One of the kids had piled some leaves up against the outer wall of their den. Towhee stood beside it for a moment, wondering just how much they would poke her, then decided, To hell with it. Minding her back, she settled down in the makeshift bed, pillowed on her left shoulder and hip. She wondered if the crunching was as loud as it felt.

She tilted her head toward the blazing blue sky, devoid of any clouds. But her mind was a different story, soon clouding with thought. Her eyes glazed as her mind wandered gray planes, visiting Meerkat in particular today. She wondered if her daughter had moved on yet, though she didn’t seem the type. Towhee sighed, just hoping Meerkat could find happiness in some form or another.

Inevitably, she thought about @Germanicus, also recently left behind by his mate. He had dropped by again, though the visit had been cut short by a whining child. She fidgeted in the leaf pile, hoping he might try again today. She’d given more thought to whether Epoch might better suit her lifestyle these days, though of course Towhee hated the idea of leaving the Imperator so soon after Rue’s departure.

She sighed again, rolling onto her belly with only a few winces. Towhee definitely felt a little better every day, though she now possessed a hell of a lot more empathy for her old friend. She could not understand how Rue had lived with pain like this for so long. It was exactly the type of misery that would compel someone to leave their entire life behind to seek relief.