Redhawk Caldera But give thanks for the glorious fight

She liked that he spoke so succinctly, not a superfluous or wasted word. It made it easier to read his lips, even though he was only a single, small step above a total stranger. It put Towhee at ease, despite herself, and though she didn't realize it consciously, her muscles relaxed and her expression softened.

"Lost?" she repeated with a blink. "But... why did you leave? During the winter?" She couldn't remember winter at all but she had been told all about the hardships of the cold season, particularly this last one. Apparently the pack had moved to a cave, only for half of them to become trapped after a minor avalanche. Towhee could barely remember any of it.

An errant but not unwelcome thought suddenly flickered in her mind and she asked, "Do you remember Fox and Peregrine? Mom and dad?"