Redhawk Caldera I always thought I'd go out Butch and Sundance style.

*liberally controls Kim's toon*

11/17: I'm smacking a conclusion on this. :)

If the stranger felt the weight of Towhee's intolerant gaze, she didn't show it. As soon as she noticed the pack wolves, she opened her mouth and shouted something. The guardian immediately turned to Orca, who translated: "She's saying 'hello!'" Towhee frowned and faced the unfamiliar she-wolf again, noting her amiable body language.

The mercenary opened her mouth to call back when a sharp nudge from Orca silenced her. "We should play nice, it's not like she's in the territory," she said slowly, causing Towhee's eyes to narrow in disapproval. "But, I mean, it's your call; you're the guardian," the black-and-white wolf added, sensing Towhee's ire.

Facing forward yet again, Towhee shouted (comically loudly), "You shouldn't drink that. It's tainted." She smirked a bit, entertained by her own joke. "And we're taints too. Turn back now before you catch the disease," she finished ominously, unaware of her Freudian slip.

When the she-wolf showed no sign of heeding the warning—and, in fact, attempted to move closer and engage them with a few more bubbly greetings—Towhee snarled. The smile on the stranger's face faltered. Behind Towhee's back, Orca made an apologetic face and then a gentle shooing motion. Picking up on the hints (both blatant and subtle), she turned, leaving the sisters to pick up their earlier conversation about Wildfire and finish their joint patrol.