Redhawk Caldera This universe can be so many things, and sometimes it is poetic.

She watched shrewdly as the hawk ate, one fierce talon piercing the rabbit's body, pinning it to the ground, as he used his hooked beak to tear off strips of livid red meat. He could make a brutal weapon if she trained him, though Towhee didn't know how she would go about doing that. He could also make a good messenger or even spy once he could fly again, at least in theory. Again, she didn't know how she could actually utilize him in any of these ways. Even if he could speak (which it did not appear he could), he didn't have lips to read. He did seem to understand some words, gestures and looks, though nothing particularly intricate.

And she only assumed he would stay once he could get airborne again. Perhaps once he could fly and hunt for himself again, he would simply disappear. Towhee's lips pursed as a pang went through her. She found herself hoping he would choose to stay with her. She had quickly become attached to him and she liked to think he was fond of her too, and not only because she fed him.

But to solidify their bond, the mercenary figured she really should get around to naming him. "How about Hook?" she thought out loud, eyes training on those fearsome yellow claws again. He paused over his supper, then shook his head rapidly. It was probably a passive reflex, yet Towhee took it to mean "no." "Okay, what about..." She licked her lips and gazed around as if in search of inspiration, blurting out random objects she saw: "Tree? Sky? Leaf?"

When she looked back at the raptor, he'd abandoned the carcass and hopped closer. He fished around in the general detritus that littered the lands, especially this time of year, and dropped a stick in front of her outstretched paws. She quirked a brow, staying still and watching as he collected another stick, then dropped it on top of the first, forming a nearly perfect "X."

"X?" she said out loud. The hawk cocked his head, stared at her for a long moment, then plucked up a third stick and tossed it on the growing pile. Towhee coughed a laugh and rolled her eyes but, even then, she knew it was going to stick (no pun intended): he would be called X.