Northstar Vale It's "Can I get a witness?" time

Life felt different for the boy. He realized that there were a lot of things that hadn’t changed since his sister’s death. That wasn’t a kind thought. He tried to chase it from his mind whenever it came around. One of the other things he realized was that he was different. At least, he spent way more time talking to “himself” than he had before.

In reality, Jack Snipe carried Leona with him.

Leo, you wouldn’t believe the shit I saw just outside Epoch the other day. This moose had his BALLS SWINGING AROUND. He was making a helluva noise, too.

Jack snickered at the thought of sharing this with his sister. He thought she’d either be grossed out or she’d find the image hilarious. Win/win situation for her brother. The boy threw back his head and barked a laugh as he trotted to see if he could find @Towhee.

She was officially too rotund to do much of anything except mosey around Lotus Spring and Wraen’s Nest. Feeling particularly stir-crazy on this fine February day, Towhee opted into a second loop just as soon as she finished the first. She doddered around the water’s edge, wondering if all this walking might kick-start labor.

When she crossed paths with that infernal porcupine on her second foray across the fallow flower patch, Towhee made the possibly foolhardy decision to slay it. She first frightened it with her great bulk, then reposed nearby to wait for it to uncurl from its defensive posture. She knew she would need to move quickly, which would be challenging in her condition, but somehow Towhee landed a successful strike and put an end to the little grave disturber.

Towhee came away from the confrontation with two quills punched through her upper lip. They probably looked like particularly thick whiskers, though of course she couldn’t see them. She could feel them, though, and thought about calling someone for help. They needed to be extracted right away and the skin cleaned. Towhee didn’t want to risk an infection.

She dragged the carcass back toward the roost in the willows, careful not to prick herself again. She heaved it inside, keen to pluck out all the quills and use them somehow. Towhee would do that later, though. Maxim wasn’t home, so she turned around—a very ungainly movement, indeed—and waddled back out of the den to see her son approaching.

Jack! she called. Can you do me a favor and rip these out of my face? Towhee asked, pointing at the pair of pinions thrusting out of her right flew.

There she was looking hella… well, he wasn’t gonna call her fat. She did look round, though. Jack had a momentary vision of his mother rolling down a hill, legs stuck straight out. He was forced to tuck his lips into his teeth and bite down to keep from laughing at the mental picture.

Jack’s ears perked tall on his head when she asked him to pull out her whiskers.

Oh shit! Slow to catch up.

Thought those were like- super whiskers or something. You wrestled a whole porcupine?

Jack Snipe thought that was metal. He squinted at the quills that were lodged in her face. The boy wasn’t sure if there was a special process to pulling those suckers out, but he figured he could give it his best. They looked fat enough to get a grip on, anyway.

Hold still, mother dearest, the boy snickered before reaching for the nearest quill.

She didn’t catch the epithet, though she would’ve heartily approved. This was definitely an “oh shit!” moment. Towhee tried not to grimace too much as Jack came closer, his lips easier to read now. She couldn’t hear her son’s tone, though she could see the expression on his face.

Yeah, it kept fucking with Leo’s… stuff, Towhee said a bit haltingly, avoiding the word “grave.”

She braced herself as Jack reached toward her. Towhee knew those things were barbed and this was going to hurt like a bitch. She’d probably bleed like a stuck pig too. How appropriate! But it needed to be done. She nodded, clenching her teeth and holding her breath.

Jack yanked and felt his grip falter on the first quill.

Oh shit, again, though just whispered under his breath.

They were barbed, alright. Reaching again, he made sure he had his teeth in deep before he pulled and tore the quill from her lip. Blood would be quick to follow, he thought. That thing had taken a chunk of her skin, no doubt. The boy’s eyes were wide as he swung back around.

-Got it!- he signed to her and spit the quill to the ground. A little dance of celebration found his paws and long limbs.

One more, Jack said, looking at her with an eager nod.

-Leo’d think it was sick you got a whole porcupine off her stuff.- No doubt, no doubt.

Jack reached for the final quill.

The first tug hurt quite a lot but it didn’t even pull the quill free. Towhee thought this had gone from an “oh shit!” to an “oh fuck” situation. She sucked in a few rapid breaths and clenched her whole body in preparation for the subsequent attempt.

SHITTING… FUCKING… HELL! she screamed when Jack managed to rip the first quill out of her lip, taking with it a chunk of flesh that resembled a wad of chewing gum.

Her eyes watched her son’s victory dance. Despite her swearing and the blood she could feel pouring over her lip, Towhee laughed out loud. Man, Jack was ridiculous. And she loved him.

Yeah, she concurred with his, “One more.” Let’s do this. Sorry if I scream in your face again, Towhee said, assuming the position.

She caught his remark in Ptero but said nothing. She didn’t have the bandwidth for it at the moment, though Towhee noticed her heart did a funny little thing in her chest when Jack mentioned his late sister. It twinged, as it always did, but there was a note of humor too. Because he was right. She would’ve gotten a kick out of this as well.

It was probably a good thing that Maxim was out and about on errands. It would have been a strange image to return to – boy pulling something from Towhee’s face while she shouted curse words at him.

Jack loved this shit. He wished his mom would shout swear words more often. Besides, he felt like when she was getting her face mutilated by her son… it was warranted. Towhee was a trooper. All she had to do was cuss in his face and then she was ready to rock and roll on the next one.

The young Redhawk had learned his lesson from the first. He would need to grip tight and yank with all his might to get the last quill out. They’d landed close enough on her face that it might further the tear he had caused with the first one. No way to help it, though. He planned to make it quick.

Lean in, grab, and yank.

Sick… that one made a popping noise as it came out.

Jack looked back to his mom with the quill in his teeth and then threw back his head to celebrate.

The quill was sucked into his throat and his eyes grew wide.

FUCKINGSHITPISSFUCK!!!

She didn’t hear the pop but she certainly felt it. And she could taste blood flowing into her mouth from the two gaping holes in her lip. Without thinking, Towhee’s tongue darted out to touch the puncture wounds. She hissed at the sting, cursing under her breath now.

Her eyes flicked up to see if Jack was doing another victory dance. Towhee watched him throw back his head and her mutilated lips curled a little, earning another hiss of pain. But she wasn’t do distracted that she didn’t catch the strange look float across Jack’s face in the next moment, his eyes flung wide.

What? What is it? she asked, filling with dread at that queer expression on her child’s face. Jack—? Towhee prompted, moving closer and then realizing the quill had disappeared. SHIT! JACK!

She had the presence of mind to clap him on the back even as she bellowed. Towhee probably went a little too hard and she’d apologize to him about that later. But right now, all she could think was that her kid had a fucking needle stuck in his throat. She had to get it out, even if it meant diving in there herself.

RIP Jack.

You were the swankiest motherfucker in Teekonland.

…

Just kidding!

Towhee packed a whollop. She beat against his back like a pending child abuse case and he made a sick little noise in the back of his throat before the quill shot out – like a fucking bullet. It struck the ground in a bloody and slobbery mess.

Jack gagged, thinking about it having been in his throat, poking at that little dangling thing back there. His fur was spiked along his back. His eyes were watering from the smack he’d endured and the moments of death he had faced.

Whoa, he said and plopped to his ass.

Towhee didn’t know how she’d do it but if it came down to punching her fist down Jack’s throat to pull out the quill, she would do it. She would do whatever it took to stop him from choking to death, starting with another solid pound on his back.

Fortunately for all involved, the sharp little pinion shot out of his mouth and landed nearby in a mess of bloody saliva. Towhee saw it and the relief was unexpectedly intense.

Jack plopped and Towhee shook. He might not be too fazed by this, knowing him, but having already lost one child and nearly losing another… it was too much. She’d asked him to do that, never imagining the hazard of inhaling a quill.

Her legs gave out and she sank to the ground, shifting onto her side to accommodate her large belly. The puppies kicked defiantly and blood drooled from her face as Towhee just oozed into a lumpy puddle in the grass. She stared at the sky for a moment before turning her head.

You’re okay, she squeaked, right?

Damn mom! Did beating me really take it outta you or something?

Jack talked with his face away from her. It was for the best that she couldn’t hear him. It was even better that he didn’t sign his small tantrum. He hadn’t fully grasped that she had saved his life. Quill in throat was not a fun way to die. The boy had zero intentions of leaving the world in a stupid way, too.

-What the fuck- he signed to her.

-Did you see that shit? That thing flew out faster than a bird. What’s faster than a bird? Faster than a bee.-

Jack began to pace. His paws struck at the earth in angry stomps. He had almost been able to give his sister a high-five, for realsies. That was a little scary. He could feel his skin prick at the thought. Porcupine climbed to the top of his list of creatures that he would not be fucking with.

Was he ever okay is the question she should have asked.

He could sign swear words at her. That was good. Towhee’s eyes fluttered shut and she brought up a paw to drag across the unhurt side of her face. She was still shaking all over but it was slowly subsiding because Jack was okay.

She missed anything else he said and reopened her eyes to find him pacing. Gingerly, Towhee maneuvered herself to sit upright. Just because he wasn’t dying anymore didn’t mean he wasn’t upset or even in pain. What if that quill had cut him on its way in or out? She’d forgotten about her own agony.

Jack, she said, gesticulating at him, c’mere.

The boy was summoned by his mom.

Jack looked at her, crazy dancing in his eyes. His head cocked to the side slightly, then flipped to the opposite direction. Towhee had gestured for him to come closer.

Tentative pawsteps took him within a foot of her. His orangewash eyes were wide upon her face. He looked directly into her eyes, so he’d know she was watching his lips.

Sup? he asked daftly.

The adrenaline had started to escape him.

When he came near enough to reach out, she did just that. She stretched out her foreleg, wrapping her toes around his elbow and tugging him closer. If Jack relented, she would pull him into a hug reminiscent of the one she’d shared with Caracal recently: a little too hard but full of poignant emotions like love, relief and sadness.

Towhee pulled him into a hug. Her bloody lip oozed onto his head.

Jack wondered if she was in pain or if she had been – like – worried about him.

-You’re dribbling on me,- he signed as he pushed away, snickering. Hugs and shit were fine, but he didn’t like to linger for too long. It felt heavy and sad. It made him feel like when Leona had died. Jack didn’t want to feel that way ever again. He missed his sister. He believed that her ghost still walked around the vale.

-I think Leo’s still here, mom.- Jack made a knowing nod of his head.

Jack let her cling to him, though after a moment or two, he pulled away. He signed an explanation and Towhee blinked, moving a forepaw to touch at her bleeding, swelling lip. Yet another hiss escaped her as the mutilated flesh began to throb. She really needed to clean it, like, five minutes ago.

Her orange eyes bored into his face when he mentioned Leona. Did he mean that literally or was he speaking more figuratively? Towhee had never been spiritual but losing her youngest daughter had made her wish she believed in the afterlife. There was something hugely comforting about thinking Leona was just in some other dimension, waiting for them to join her someday.

I need to clean this, Towhee mumbled, back at the spring. You should probably rinse out your mouth and throat too. She motioned for Jack to follow, then turned. What do you mean about Leo? she prompted as she tottered to the water.

Jack couldn’t tell if she liked what he’d said. She made a face and said she needed to clean out her wounds. She mentioned that he should probably wash out his throat. Thinking of the quill in there made his skin crawl. He squinted his eyes and nodded, following beside Towhee to the spring. He wondered if he could get some kinda sickness from having it in his mouth.

She asked about Leona, though.

-I totally see her places. I think she likes the stuff. If I talk to her, I see her more.-

Sick, right?

Jack grinned at his mother.

The short walk sapped what remained of Towhee’s energy, so that when they reached the bank, she sagged to her haunches. It was a bit difficult to bend forward over her protruding belly, though she managed to dip far enough that she could splash water onto her face. It didn’t feel good, though she knew it had to be done.

Turning, she caught Jack’s Ptero. Her mouth pulled into a moue, which ached. She should probably be concerned about this, though she felt a sort of bittersweet camaraderie with her son. She stifled a sigh and stretched forward with a grunt to submerge her muzzle at least once before sitting back and letting pink water drip from her throbbing lip.

I think I see her out of the corner of my eye all the time, then when I turn to look, she isn’t there. It makes my heart sink so hard every time it happens, and it happened often, even still. I don’t know if I believe in life after death myself but I don’t want to tell you what to believe. I think you should believe whatever makes sense to you.

Maybe Jack was just seeing things; his mind and heart could be playing tricks on him. Or maybe he was actually seeing some version of Leona, an echo of her earthly energy. Towhee certainly couldn’t say and did not particularly want to sway her son’s take on it. If it brought him comfort, then fine… she knew that might not be the healthiest or even sanest route but all Towhee wanted to do was support her kids in whatever ways they needed.

Jack listened to Towhee while she shared word of sightings that she’d had. He thought it only made sense that if he should see Leona in the vale, so would their mom. Plus, he didn’t think that his sister would want to leave their mom alone. Towhee had been hurting. Towhee had gone through a dark period with this loss. Maybe Jack Snipe was too young to understand that he had been hurting, too.

Towhee said that she wasn’t sure if she believed in whatever happened after death. The boy looked at her curiously. His bottom lip puckered in a thoughtful expression that made his features small, impish. It felt good for her to say that she wanted him to believe whatever made sense to him. But…

-Does it gotta make sense and shit? Sometimes things just are the way they are, huh? It doesn’t gotta make sense to us for it to be true.-

Jack didn’t understand the concept of ghosts all that well. He knew that he’d had a sister. He knew that his sister had been loved, she had been special. Was it so crazy to think that her ghost or spirit might still call the vale home?

His question teased a rueful smile from her, which hurt. She didn’t fight it, though. Jack was good at making her laugh despite the pain, which Towhee thought was more important than she could ever say.

No, you’re right. Not everything has to be logical, she concurred.

She lapsed into silence for a moment, wondering if Jack would be annoyed if she just laid down right here and took a nap. But Towhee didn’t want to just dip on him or, for that matter, leave the porcupine carcass exposed. They’d both been through too much for that little piece of vengeance to go to waste.

How’s your throat? she asked as she struggled to push onto all fours. I’m gonna rip every damn needle out of that thing’s hide, I swear. I’ll give some to you, if you want ‘em. You just have to promise me that you won’t use your baby sibs for target practice if you decide to play darts with them.

Towhee looked like she was reaching the end of her steam. She asked how his throat felt.

Jack blinked a few times at her and clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth. His eyes didn’t shift for a moment. It felt fine, if not a little scratched. He wasn’t sure if the barb had cut through any of his throat flesh when it had gotten sucked back there. The more he tried to sus it out with his tongue, the harder it became to understand any of what went on inside his yap.

Feels good! he barked to his mom in response to her question. Do you think I can learn to spit those like at enemies?

That would be sick.

She wanted to laugh at his question—as clever as it was amusing—but Towhee could only say, Do you really want to put one of those things anywhere near your mouth ever again?

After shooting him a teasing glance, she finally began shuffling back toward the den among the willows. It took longer than usual, though soon she saw the dead porcupine through the little doorway. She leered at it as she slumped over the threshold and sagged beside the carcass.

-My mouth needs a rest and so does the rest of me,- she signed to Jack, already half-asleep. -Go tell Leo the good news: this fucking prick won’t be messing with her grave anymore…-

Mom needed a nap, which wasn’t surprising when she was lugging around all that extra poundage. Talk about extra-large! It was both fitting and hilarious to her son, who liked to watch how she waddled her way through the trees and back to her den.

-I’m gonna take one of these for Leo,- he signed to her before plucking one of the quills from the ground. That would be tight on her grave. She’d think it was awesome. Jack flagged his tail to his mom and bounded away to share the story with his sister’s resting place.