The Heartwood graunsheika

Her brother departed for Moontide and Towhee slept alone, the pelt—shabby from use—soft on her cheek. Not many had come to see her, though few knew she was staying here. She mourned Batman’s continued absence but came to terms with it like all the others, her hopes of his return dying like the brown leaves lining her makeshift bed.

Something woke her with a start. Towhee opened her eyes, sat up and looked around groggily. She slowly stood and stretched. Dead leaves tumbled from her coat when she shook it, dust dancing in the motes of October sunlight dappling through the shedding treetops.

The scars on her back tingled, which was a little unusual. Maybe it was the cold or she’d slept on them funny. Towhee took a breath and looked around the woods, sensing something that made the fur along her spine start raising too. Face scrunching, she began warily walking through the trees.

She came upon a most unexpected scene: Dinah looked as if she was arguing with her mother, what was left of the youths lingering in the background behind them. Towhee blinked, then scanned the small crowd again. No, one of the twins was missing. There was no sign of Caracal. And all of them were very far from home.

Dread knotted in her stomach as she demanded, What’s going on?