Hideaway Strath all great and precious things are lonely.

Figment was once again up before the sun that day. It hadn’t been his intention to awaken so early, but the insistent chirping and singing of birds refused to go without some audience that morning. Fig stayed on the ground, stretched out comfortably with his head resting between two paws. He listen to short bursts of repeated chirps, a sweet two note lilting, a bright, clear, piercing trill, all ringing through the trees together. Like a little symphony, just for the strath.

It reminded him of being here as a child, which was a comforting and lonely feeling. The terrible avalanche that had once blocked the path to the valley had eroded enough for him to safely traverse, but the memory of what had happened here lingered. He pushed it away for happier ones—learning to hunt with @Phox, sparring with Dingo, playing with @Fennec and being tucked in warm and safe at night against @Towhee.

And when those memories turned on Fig and lead him to remorse and longing, he turned his attention back to the birds and began to count just how many different musicians were playing in the orchestra.

It was their nose that pulled them due east after they parted ways with Iseul. Totoro tracked a vaguely familiar scent into a thicket and came upon a small flock of wild turkeys shuffling about in the morning mist. The gray wolf quickly crouched behind a screen of underbrush to observe them.

Meleagris ocellata, they murmured under their breath, then shook their head. No, Meleagris gallopavo. Let’s see how fast you can gallop.

They burst from their cover and chased one of the smaller members of the flock, a young hen. Totoro managed to pin the bird to the ground and strangle her with a paw. They quickly dragged their kill back into the undergrowth to feed.

After that, they headed south for no particular reason at all, their stomach visibly distended from their meal. Totoro walked alongside the edge of a bog without venturing any deeper, then meandered through a glade on its far side. The trees stretched toward distant mountains. It felt like they walked for miles in those sun-dappled woods.

And then two stone arches cast a long shadow on either side of them. They paused to look side to side, ears pricking at the sound of running water nearby. They hadn’t had a drink since their big meal, so Totoro hastened forward and dipped their snout down to quench their thirst.

Fig spotted movement in the trees, far in the distance. He paused to squint at the form, determining it was a wolf after only a few moments of scrutiny. Curious, he ventured forward to close the distance between the two of them. He hadn't run into anyone else so far in the Strath in spite of the amount of time he'd spent there, and he could use a better distraction from his loneliness than bird songs.

"Hello there!" Fig called with a smile and a friendly wag of his tail once he came near enough.

They lapped noisily, taking in enough water that when they straightened and shuffled their feet, their belly’s contents audibly sloshed. Totoro licked the stray droplets from their chops and let out a small burp. They raised a pale paw to their mouth to stifle a second, larger belch, then decided to take a seat and digest a while before exploring any further.

Totoro’s head swiveled as they studied the arches. They formed a sort of gateway. Their blue gaze dropped to the ground, noting what looked like a lot of rubble scattered there. Perhaps this had been a wall, once, and it had since tumbled to form an entry into this leg of the forest?

Their eyes slid sideways at the sound of footsteps. A large, swarthy wolf with eyes the color of a ripe crab apple strode toward them. Totoro opened their mouth to return his greeting when a large hiccup erupted from their mouth. Their eyes widened and they curled their paw to their muzzle again to muffle the next one.

Ha—hic!—lloo! Ah, pardon me. Do you live—hic!—here?

Totoro’s eyes were almost childlike now. They hadn’t detected any scent markers, nor did this wolf seem particularly territorial. Yet they had the distinct sense this place belonged to him. Or perhaps he belonged to this place.

When she turned and Fig got a better look of her, his breath caught momentarily in surprise. A smile leaped across his muzzle, but faltered after a moment. He recognized her (and it was the recognition that deemed them a her in his mind), but something was off. Even more off when she spoke as though she didn’t know him.

”Avery..?” Fig said tentatively, ”You… wait…” He shook his head and looked at her again. She was too young to be Avery, though the resemblance was uncanny.

The man’s expression shifted. Totoro wondered if he was put off by their loud hiccupping, prompting them to redouble their efforts to stifle the noise with a paw fisted against their lips. It didn’t muffle them entirely, though as long as they didn’t try to talk, it shouldn’t be so loud…

His question surprised them so much their paw fell away and they gaped at him for a beat before the loudest HIC! yet escaped them. Totoro didn’t bother trying to subdue their noisy bout of singultus. They were much too busy marveling over this stranger’s apparent sorcery.

How do you know my name? they questioned, intrigued more than anything. Hic! Wait! Totoro whispered in the very next breath. Hic! Did you know my Aunt—hic!—Avery Blackthorn? My mother always said I was—hic!—her spitting image and that was why she decided to call me—hic!—Avery when I was born.

Fig was more confused than ever when the stranger asked how he knew her name. Because this wasn't Avery, at least not the Avery he knew. And yet, it somehow also was?

Fortunately, they cleared the issue up pretty quickly. At least, well enough for him to move forward with. "Yeah, I've known Avery since we were kids," Fig replied, thinking over the information he had now, "The resemblance is definitely uncanny. Who's your mother?" He suspected he already knew the answer, but he'd wait for her to tell him.

He did know their Aunt Avery, which meant he very likely knew their mother as well. Totoro sucked in a sharp breath and held it, effectively silencing their hiccups. When it gusted out of them a few seconds later, they beamed at this stranger, wondering if they might know his name in turn. Sugar had spoken about her kith and kin quite a lot.

Suaibhseach Blackthorn, Totoro readily replied, better known as Sugar Glider! What is your name?

Fig didn't know his old friend's real name, so when it was first shared with him, he had to bite back a bless you. He furrowed his brow, but then his face lit up when he heard her name. Sugar Glider.

"Sugar? Really?" Fig repeated with a smile, "Wow, it's great to hear her name—it's been such a long time. I'm Fig Redhawk. Your mom is an old friend of mine too." And his first crush, he thought to himself as a tinge of heat rose to his cheeks and his ears slid back. He would keep that fact to himself.

They bobbed their head enthusiastically at his “Really?” Their cheeks hurt from smiling so hard when he spoke fondly of Sugar. Although Totoro couldn’t quite recall if they’d ever heard his name, it was still such a pleasure meeting someone important to their mother and her past.

Does that mean I have found my way to the Teekon Wilds? Totoro queried, quite excited by the possibility. I had no idea I had found my way here!

And to say they were thrilled would be an understatement. Already they had enjoyed this area of exploration, though now they appreciated it so much more, knowing Sugar had grown up here. Totoro could hardly wait for their next foray back to The Coven to regale her with this news.

It is wonderful to make your acquaintance, Fig Redhawk. Were you close with them both? Avery and Sugar? Totoro wondered, keen to hear any and every detail Fig was willing to share.

Fig smiled at her excitement. It was nice to be surrounded by such a positive energy after being on his own with his memories for so long. He nodded to confirm that she was indeed in the Teekon Wilds, which seemed to absolutely delight her.

"Yeah, the Blackthorn and Redhawk families have been close for generations," Fig answered with a fond smile, "We were neighbors growing up. My parents would take me to visit since my sister and I were about the same age as your mom and her siblings." He remembered when he first met Sugar and she'd pretended to be a dragon.

"How is your mom these days?" he asked, eager to find out what her life had become.

Tell me more! Totoro’s expression said. And they would’ve spoken it aloud, except that Fig asked after their mother.

She is well! She lives deep in a forest, with a group of women who call themselves The Coven. I visit from time to time. I am due to go see her soon. She will be thrilled when I tell her I bumped into you! What would really make her day is if you sent me back with a story to tell her about your own life since the two of you last saw one another.

Totoro would enjoy said story for their own sake, should Fig indulge them. And then, if he didn’t mind shairng, they would continue poking and prodding him about his shared history with their mother and aunt. Sugar Glider had regaled them with many stories of her days in the Teekon Wilds, though Totoro could never get enough.

Unfortunately, I’m planning on dropping this character. I was hoping you would conclude/fade this for us? :)

Fig smiled as he listened to the girl give news of Sugar Glider. He never knew what to expect of what had become of those who'd once been part of his life and moved on. That Sugar had joined a Coven was certainly not what he'd expected to hear, but he'd at least known that whatever she said would be unexpected.

"My stories are woefully uninteresting, but you're welcome to them," Fig replied as he settled onto the ground to spend some time sharing with his old friend's daughter. It was not how he'd thought his day would go, but it was somehow the perfect pastime—to spend the afternoon reminiscing in this territory where he'd grown up with his family so long ago.

can do! :)