Stone Circle Scooty woop.

It was probably just a figment of her imagination (snort) but Towhee could’ve sworn she smelled her eldest son’s scent as she strode through Fox’s Glade. She stopped and squinted, nostrils quivering as she tried to pinpoint it. She ended up peering southward, so she slowly walked in that direction and found herself approaching a cluster of boulders.

That was curious enough, though the markers of a pack was what really struck Towhee. Was it possible @Figment was living here? Now that there were so many scents, she couldn’t be sure at all—not that she’d been certain in the first place—but she couldn’t leave without at least asking.

She sent up an inquisitive howl, the sound of it apparently awful enough to earn a nip from the young bat currently attached to the back of her neck. The sensation made Towhee smile, since it was more ticklish than anything, and mutter an apology to the large-eared pipistrelle.

Skáld made for an incredibly poor guardian, like leaving the people-friendly dog to guard the house. The kind that would bring a squeaky-toy to a home invader and then just follow them all around, with a wagging tail. It wasn't often that he responded at all to a summoning from the borders, but he felt drawn to do so, knowing that lots of the other pack members were busy. Gunnar and Taktuq were busy with children, as were Inkeri and Turmeric. Tauris had just given birth as well, so Skáld moved toward the borders eagerly, though with a bit of apprehension. The wolf's voice had sounded...Well, almost pained. He assumed he might find someone in some sort of pain, but the wolf he spotted along the borders looked relatively sound. 

"Hiya," He greeted, as he moved forward, his brisk trot slowing, though his curls continued to bounce. "Is all OK?" He asked, as he came to a halt, tilting his head to the side. He looked at her features, to see kindness softened her eyes, and noticed what looked like a mat of hair on the back of her neck, but made nothing of it.

A very peculiar figure came into view, his coloration reminding Towhee of something or maybe someone, though she couldn’t put her finger on what or who. When he came closer, she saw that his fur had a strange texture. She kind of wanted to touch it, though of course she didn’t. Instead, she quickly flicked her eyes to his—green, like apples—before dropping them to his moving lips.

Hi, she replied, face scrunching a little at his question. Yeah, everything’s fine. My name’s Towhee and I’m h—

The breeze shifted, blowing the pack’s various scents right into her face. Towhee was pretty damn sure she smelled Fig, though there was another in there that made her squint. What on earth would he be doing here, especially if his ex-wife’s brother resided here? Towhee was officially intrigued.

Ah, sorry, I got sidetracked. Does Figment Redhawk live here, by any chance? He’s my son, she finished her interrupted thought, getting straight to the point.

Skáld's teeth caught on his lip when he closed his mouth and tilted his head to the side. He was still learning the common tongue, but something about the way that this wolf spoke sounded different to him. It was easily forgiven, considering the fact that he too spoke the common tongue with an accent, though he did find her a bit harder to understand than most. She spoke loudly enough, though- but it took him a minute or two of nodding gently while he processed what he'd heard, and tried to figure out what it was she'd said. 

"Towee?" He repeated, hoping he'd at least caught her name correctly. His tail waved, gently, in an apology. He was relieved that she was fine, though he'd obviously ruffled her a bit by asking. Maybe he should've kept his concern to himself. Perhaps that was how she preferred to howl...He hated to think he might've insulted her just because of the way she spoke, when he struggled with the language so much himself. 

He tensed as she sniffed the air, and wetted his nose so he could scent as well. Had she smelled another predator? His ears swiveled, but he couldn't pick up on anything suspicious. He looked back to her to gauge what it was that had caught her attention. 

Figment Redhawk.

He stilled, and his expression fell. A blanket of heavy reluctance fell across him, making his eyes seem dimmer as he lowered them to stare hard at the ground. His ears turned outwards and while he knew he should be honest, he wanted very much to tell her he wasn't there, and that she should just go away and take Fig with her. Once she found out she was a grandmother, she'd surely want to stay- and insert herself into the family he'd once had with Tauris. 

He shrugged one shoulder. Tauris had chosen Figment, and with him now came the rest of his family, apparently. It was just more reason for him to give up on Tauris, and leave her to her newfound family. A better one, a bigger one, one that was more whole. 

"Yeah." He muttered. He looked back up to her, though with his muzzle pointed down still, he now peered up at her through the curly fringe at his brow. "Fig here."

She didn’t catch the repetition of her name in her momentary distraction, though she definitely didn’t miss the way the stranger’s face fell when she mentioned her son’s name. Towhee’s heart dropped. Had something happened to him? Something about the shrug seemed to dismiss that notion, though she was still concerned and now very puzzled.

Is he okay? she demanded way more brusquely than she’d intended.

She felt Batman bite her again. No, wait, he was just clutching tighter at her skin. It reminded Towhee of the way X would pinch her sometimes. It also made her aware that perhaps she’d shouted.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. I just—your face did a thing and it’s doing me a concern, Towhee explained to the curly-haired dude.

His eyes widened and lips pulled taught when she spoke loudly again, causing his ears to turn back. No wonder she was concerned, though- he'd answered her so glumly that she likely thought he had bad news. And he did- but not for her, likely, if she loved her son. 

And why would she not? She was a mother who actually came searching for her son. 

Ruefully, he looked past her, wondering where his own mother was, and why she didn't come looking for him. He felt even less valuable, knowing that other mothers went great distances just to find out of their children were alright, when his parents had not done the same for him. Obviously, Fig was a better son, who had better parents, and he found himself disliking the man even more. 

"Fig fine." He answered bluntly, after nodding vaguely to accept her apology. He supposed her owed her an explanation, but he hated the feeling that the more he told her, the further he'd be driven from Tauris. She likely w9nodered why it was that Skáld looked so sour, but he wasn't good at hiding how he felt, especially when the explanation for his feelings was something impossible for him to explain. 

"Fig have babies." He said. "New. Very new."

A great sigh of relief gusted out of her at the words, “Fig’s fine.” Towhee wondered why this guy had made such a weird face, then, though she wasn’t necessarily curious enough to pursue it. Besides, he said something else and she forgot all about his odd expression.

She stared for several beats, sure she must have misunderstood. But this stranger—he still hadn’t given a name—spoke in a very clear-cut manner, so Towhee was pretty sure she hadn’t misread his lips. And that meant that Fig had kids, fresh out of the oven.

She tried to remember their last conversation, sometime in the spring. Fig had mentioned settling down somewhere not far from Epoch, though he hadn’t said anything particularly specific beyond that. He definitely hadn’t mentioned any ladies in his life, which made Towhee wonder: who was the mother? Who was she to Fig, more importantly?

I had no idea he was involved with anyone, she confessed to the wolf who looked increasingly sulky as this conversation progressed. Holy butts, though, Towhee said in the next breath, a smile creeping its way onto her face. Fig’s a dad? That’s—wow, Phox and Fen are gonna shit themselves when I tell them…

But first, Towhee wanted to see them. Fig too, of course. And she was super curious about his baby mama. She shifted her weight, wondering if they would mind a visit from her. If the pups were very new, they may not want to be bothered.

I wonder if Fig heard my call? Maybe he’ll come? she thought aloud. If not, do you think you could let him know I’m here? I’ll stay in the area, uh… I’ll hang out in the glade in case he wants to come find me when he’s ready. Do you mind passing that along? I didn’t get your name.

He turned his ears forward slightly so he might understand her better, though he found some words weren't ones he'd begun to use or understand yet. He could see concern in Towhee's features, though she also looked mildly puzzled as she looked at him. Maybe she expected him to speak more fondly of her son- well, that wasn't going to happen. His ears flicked slightly when she spoke a handful of words that he knew a bit, but thought to be a bit immature. Butts. Fucks. Shit. The wolves of Kvarsheim, to his knowledge, swore very little. If this was the way Towhee spoke, was it how Fig spoke as well?

She moved slightly, but he stiffened. He wasn't keen to let her just come in. In his mind he played out a brief but wild fantasy where Towhee didn't respect the pack's boundaries- and it would all unravel from there. Figment would defend his mother, and be found out to be a bad wolf. They would have no choice but to cast both Towhee and her son out and away- never to return again. He would be a hero- and would comfort Tauris and take his place in her family once more. 

But that wasn't reality. Reality was staring him in the face, asking him about a wolf named Figment. 

She asked him a lot of questions, and he still had difficulty understanding her. "Talk...Slow," He requested, haltingly. It bothered him to be so proficient in his own language, but barely a novice in the language most wolves seemed to speak. "Name Skáld." He said. He lifted his chin up, as though to ask her to explain what it was she was trying to say again- but more slowly.

He urged her to talk more slowly. Towhee gaped at him, not because the request bothered her—not at all—but it made her wonder. Was he also hard of hearing? How had he heard her call? Maybe he hadn’t; perhaps he’d simply been patrolling in the right place at the right time.

Are you deaf too? she questioned, giving him an opportunity to clarify before she gave an abbreviated, slowed-down version of what she’d said. Could you tell Fig I came by and that I’ll be hanging out in Fox’s Glade? She pointed to the territory next door. I’d love if he came to see me when he has a minute.

Deaf? Not knowing the word, Skáld gave her a puzzled look and shook his head. Whatever it was that she meant, he assumed it wasn't him. Perhaps she was owed an explanation, though most wolves were typically able to tell by his accent that he spoke a different language. It didn't even occur to him that she couldn't hear him at all.  "New, English." He said, hoping that that would suffice. 

Her request came with some words he knew, but the message was still not grasped, when she threw the curveball at the end about Fox's Glade. He neither knew the name for the place, or that it even was a place. "Tell Fig you be...Fox?" He asked. He understood that she wanted Fig to visit her, so he gave a nod, though his expression still read I don't understand.

Ah, that made sense! It explained his brevity, which actually made him easier to understand. Towhee bobbed her head to acknowledge the language barrier—she felt Batman’s clinging weight—and patiently made a third attempt to clarify.

I’m staying over there, she said slowly, once again pointing at the neighboring glade. Tell Fig, please? Tell him to come see me?

It was a bit difficult to be patient and succinct when there was so much Towhee wanted to say on the matter of her latest and most unexpected grandchildren. But hopefully Skald got the message and passed it along to her son.

Adding Ulfhild w/ permission!

The shieldmaiden heard the howl from where she was deeper within the Heim, and then voices as she came closer.
Stopping briefly a good few yards from the woman and Skald, Ulfhild tried to assess the situation...it seemed there was a bit of a language barrier?
No conflict though, which was good.

With a chuff to announce herself and a well-meaning wave of her tail, Ulfhild came to stand somewhere close to Skald and dipped her head in greeting to Towhee with a soft smile.
 
"I help...ah...translate?" She offered in a thick Icelandic accent, glancing between the boy and the woman for their acceptance or denial of her help.
Assuming it would make a difference, the norsemaiden added "We speak same tongue. Would like to help." with a press of her paw to her chest and then a gesture to Skald.

She gestured, and it explained some of what she wanted him to do. The reference to the fox still confused him, but he could grasp what she was asking for. It didn't mean he was particularly keen on delivering the message, but when Ulfhild approached, Skáld saw an opportunity. Ulfhild could not only translate, but might also be willing to go and talk to Fig...So that he might not have to. 

His mood brightened noticeably at this thought, and his tail waved slightly. Lightly relieved, Skáld addressed Ulfhild in their own tongue. "This is Towhee. She is Figment's mother, and she is staying nearby...She wants to see him, but, ah, you know." Skáld sourly imagined how busy Figment currently was, tending to Tauris and their new children. He tried not to let his grudge show. "He is busy with Tauris. It might be better if you could deliver that message?" He asked, hoping she would be encouraged enough to take on that task herself. She was better skilled at speaking the common tongue than he was.

An enormous white she-wolf joined them suddenly. Towhee briefly wondered if this was Fig’s baby mama. But that made no sense on several levels. She shook her head lightly—unbeknownst to her, Batman let out a quiet peep—and then focused on the woman’s lips.

If she’d realized what she was saying, Towhee would’ve laughed at the irony, because she couldn’t understand a word. It happened sometimes. Some wolves just moved their lips in a way that she couldn’t read very well. With this particular she-wolf, she caught only one word: “help.”

Before she could let them know she didn’t follow, Skald said something to the new arrival, his words now completely unreadable too. Towhee’s brow furrowed. Were they speaking in a different language then? That would explain things. She could only hope that he was relaying her message to his comrade.

I’ll be over there, she emphasized one final time, pointing at the glade, waiting to see Fig. Thank you for your help.

Towhee flashed them a quick smile and then took her leave, roaming back toward the flowery glen and finding shade beneath a cluster of spruces there. There was a stream nearby and she was kind of thirsty after all that talking, though for the moment, she just relaxed and let Batman crawl around to snuggle up under her throat.

Ulfhild's ears cupped toward Skald as he offered context to the norsemaiden. 
She let out an ah and nodded compliantly to Skald's request.
Looking to Towhee, the behemoth's ears cupped for the woman's words, catching them with quick understanding before she was flashing a quick smile and heading off in the direction she had pointed.

Ulfhild was a bit quizzical, but she did not trail after her, instead turning to Skald and offering a translation in their home-tongue for him.
"She said she will be waiting in the Glade over there for Figment." 
Ulfhild assumed Skald was probably having more trouble with Common than she had personally witnessed so far, but in the end she meant well. 

Watching the retreating form of Towhee for a moment, Ulfhild would soon return her attention to the boy; "You want me to deliver this message, yes?" 

tagging for reference!

At least Towhee seemed nice enough. She'd actually looked somewhat pleased, he thought, when he'd explained that he spoke another language. Most wolves were quite patient with him, and the language barrier that he was trying to cut down- and Towhee had proven herself willing to try and communicate with him without looking impatient. 

Ulfhild likely knew the feeling, though he wasn't sure if she'd known both languages from birth, or if she had learned the common tongue as she'd grown, forced into learning another language because of where she not currently lived. It was always a relief, getting to speak in his own language, and much less taxing on the brain having to both come up with the right words, and then listen for ones he understood. 

"If you wouldn't mind, yes," He said with a nod. Almost wistfully, he watched Towhee's figure disappear in the direction of the glade. "@Figment should know his mother cares, and is nearby." Envy dyed his words green.

Short post, exit Ulfhild unless stopped! <333

"I will do this." Ulfhild agreed, noting the envied tinge in Skald's voice with a quizzical raise of her brow. 
Hesitantly, the Norsewoman turned herself to lope into the trees, intent on delivering the message asked of her with a farewell wave of her tail.
She looked upon the boy, Skald, one last time before beginning to tread further inland.