Northstar Vale My crystal nails.

Towhee stopped by the roost to check on the little ones, offering a cryptic, We may have to rethink Killer’s invitation, to @Maxim before filling him in on what she’d just discovered. I’m gonna go let @Arsenio and @Tamar know about this.

Towhee asked him to howl for Jack or @Phox to watch the tykes if he wanted to accompany her, then set off to the Morphe’s den in Saffron Grove. Her thoughts raced. Maybe she was overreacting. In fact, make that probably. But having strangers show up in the canyon next door really rustled her jimmies, okay?

She didn’t know if the Arche would be there but his mate would certainly be at home, tending their young. Towhee stopped short of entering unannounced, though she halted just outside the door. She breathed heavily for a moment.

Tamarsenio? she said, the portmanteau just slipping off her tongue. We have neighbors in the canyon. Maybe the leading pair wouldn’t mind but Towhee added, And I don’t like it.

towhee was direct.

tamar was thoughtful. at last she drew sylianos from her breast and placed him beside his brother, slipping from the den.

-tell me?- she signed, sitting down just outside and motioning for towhee to do the same.

Arsenio approached the two women. He had diverted his patrol path to pull prey from a cache – food for his wife. As he drew closer to them, the man offered a weak smile. He placed the leg of meat at Tamar’s paws and cast his gaze into the dark of the den, curious if the boys were sleeping. There wasn’t a peep from within. The father breathed a quiet breath of relief and seated himself beside the other two.

-You said something about the canyon?-

The Arche had not caught all her words. He had only been half-listening, anyway.

Arsenio’s mind was on their firstborn son. His chest had ached with his sadness and disappointment. The gash against the bridge of his muzzle would turn into a pink scar. Another reminder of what they had lost.

w h a t.

he was blinded with shock and anger all at once, that he was relieved to step away from the children. to see the vale as if he expected the neighbors to be upon them next. quickly he called upon his boy and brother to take charge while they went to speak with the other leading pair.

what a disaster.

-new neighbors.- this signed and spoken for arsenio as his features wrinkled sharply.

Tamar emerged and took a seat, inviting Towhee to elaborate. She drew in a deep breath, then turned when she saw Arsenio approaching with some food for his wife. Towhee’s lips parted, eyes drawn to the gash on the Arche’s muzzle. He glanced inside the den, then situated himself beside Tamar.

Maxim offered a succinct reply, though Towhee knew it was still on her to explain why she was so reactive to this development. She glanced at her mate, then drew in a second breath. She thought about sitting but decided to remain on her feet, humming with angry energy.

First of all, they moved in without us being aware, which is fucked up on a couple levels. When I went to visit what I thought was a ghost town, they not only appeared, they ganged up on me. There were at least four of them. I just… She exhaled forcefully. With all the new pups, having a random group of strangers park right next door really chaps my ass.

But what could they do about it? Towhee hadn’t gotten that far, aside from her comment to Maxim. Even if they’d known where Fennec and Killdeer had wound up, they couldn’t just run off. Leo was here. This was their home. An hour ago, she would have called it a safe haven.

Towhee gnashed her teeth furiously, realizing these strangers and their goddamn gall had abruptly robbed her of that sense of peace.

the tension was swift and visceral.

wolves, already filling the canyon. too many of them. she and towhee with new children, meadow perhaps to follow.

"we cannot assume they mean to do us harm," tamar said softly, though with a firmness carried in her gentle voice. she smoothed her fur. "i will go as an emissary. i know the canyon. and lady ruenna thought of me as a peacemaker."

her sons, still so new! but tamar was not certain she trusted the task to any other.

she waited for arsenio to interject, but before she spoke: "perhaps reyson would be a fitting companion. he is a soldier. it will signal that we are not without strength."

There were new wolves in the canyon. Arsenio’s eyes found Maxim’s first, then to Towhee’s, and finally rested upon the calm features of his wife. Mereo truly was gone.

Towhee expanded, offering her reasons for being on edge. Four of them had approached her when she had visited the canyonlands. After she had offered this, Tamar spoke. She said that she would go as an emissary! Ruenna had considered her to be a peacemaker. Her redstone husband bristled at the thought of this. As if she could predict his shift in mood, she stated that she might take Reyson with her to show that they were strong, that they were capable.

Their sons were sleeping in their den. Arsenio worried for them. He worried for Tamar. The man’s want to trust Reyson did not make it so. There was still time needed to mend what had happened to their family.

You will take more than Reyson. I will not have you walking into danger in hopes of making peace with an unknown threat. It was the closest he might come to a compromise. Maxim, will you go with her? The Arche’s eyes searched the other man’s.

he hated it. all of it. everything, really.

especially as he realized he did not wish tamar to go, for reasons that might be dictated as selfish. he had no want for towhee to become a, even briefly, temporary milk nurse again for another litter. not after last year. so if tamar left, who would feed the hungry boys she birthed?

none but towhee could.

and who was to say that the trip would be as quick as towhee's had been? what if something new would await them upon a return?

his features dipped strongly downwards.

with respect, i believe that just reyson and i should go. he voiced softly as he looked at towhee. the rest of the room could hear him, but she would need to read him. reyson and i will know the canyon, we are both fit to present as emissaries ourselves. i have started no wars to my knowledge... a thin lipped smile full of false hope humor as he gazed upon tamar briefly.

peacemaker.

but now he waited, knowing that towhee might also wish for another change in party!

Tamar immediately took up an optimistic outlook, offering to seek out their new neighbors as an emissary. Towhee sniffed, though she didn’t argue. These “tickle” wolves should’ve come to them first. What kinds of morons chose a territory right next to not one but two other established packs, anyway? They must like conflict, which certainly didn’t bode well.

Arsenio interjected, insisting that Reyson and Maxim both accompany his wife. Then Maxim proposed yet another change, asking that Tamar stay behind. His cool pragmatism really balanced out his mate’s more hotheaded reaction to this situation. Towhee suddenly wondered why Arsenio didn’t volunteer to go in Tamar’s stead, though she decided not to throw any more opinions into the pot in that regard.

Even if they say they’re not going to bother us, they’re bothering us by claiming the canyon. If they insist on staying there, then we’ve got problems, Towhee muttered sourly. But that’s just, like, my opinion, man. She took yet another breath. It’s not a bad plan. We should gather as much information as we can about these asshats.

tamar listened.

she inclined her head toward arsenio with a nod, turned her face toward maxim.

she focused upon towhee.

all was gathered in her mind before she spoke. "two men who are clearly built for war coming down into the canyon?" she looked lightly at maxim. "if i come with you, i show peace. we will bring them flowers. i think that we should come in trade."

but; she lifted her chin. "my sons are young. i do not want to go. but i think i will be able to speak, with only two of us, arsenio." too many seemed like force. too few looked like weakness. there was an image to hold, this much she had learned from her place as satsu's servant. "i will find who they are. we will not know what to do until we know why they have come."

"i will stay behind if we vote," and here she returned maxim's small smile.

Arsenio had not wished to override his wife’s skills with his protective nature. It wasn’t fair to loom over her, to remove her choices. He wasn’t that man. If she had confidence in her peacemaking skills and she had the strength of Maxim and Reyson, the Arche believed that she could do anything. He had to believe it.

If Maxim will go with you and Reyson, then I will not insist upon going with you. If Towhee will agree to help our boys, as well…

It was a lot, asking a new mother to share her children’s space and the milk she made for them.

Tamar said that she would remain behind if they voted on it. Arsenio thought the vote was smart, for it would take into consideration all of their wants and concerns. Towhee and Maxim were also leaders of Epoch. Their opinions were valued.

My vote has been spoken. I understand your goals, he said to his wife. I only want you all to be safe and to have the support of each other. If they traveled as a trio seeking trade, Arsenio thought that they would all return.

Towhee wasn’t thinking totally clearly, though in her mind, there was a big distinction between Tamar’s initial proposal and what was being proposed now. She saw the value in taking a couple of soldierly escorts and confronting the encroachers to learn more about their intentions: a show of strength. She did not understand why they should limit Tamar’s escorts and bring along a peaceful offering. Unless Tamar meant to deliberately disarm the intruders, her cohorts seemed to have a very different perspective on this situation than she did.

Hang on a second, Towhee interrupted. What’s wrong with a show of strength? Why are we talking about bringing them flowers? I’m not saying we should rush in and start a war, she continued, but I also don’t think we should kiss these strangers’ asses. They’re infringing on our resources and territory. They should be the one bringing us flowers.

Her frustration grew with every word out of her mouth. Towhee shot her mate a look, then realized she needed to end her part in this discussion and cool her head before she said anything else.

I can’t talk about this anymore right now. I’m going back to the roost, she announced, departing before anyone else could get a word in edgewise.

I know I’m posting out of turn but it looks like Maxim dropped (hopefully only temporarily!) and I wanted to get this wrapped.

sounds good! <3

the conversation expanded.

tamar saw towhee grow irate. she rose at once, motioning to arsenio. "another time," she mouthed to maxim, then turned away.

the vale had grown tense.