Heron Lake Plateau your ass is grass and im gonna mow it

It had been a few days since she'd discussed things with Raven and Niamh, a few days of adjustment and treatment which had done wonders for her cut shoulder. She had been attentive when treated and knew to some extent what she needed to look for if she was going to replenish the herbs that the medicine woman had used; still, Ikkuma had been told to take it easy initially and her shoulder agreed. It wasn't her way to let anything stop her, so even with a throbbing shoulder and her mind a little addled from Raven's remedy for the small infection that had worked its way in to the wound, she was roaming her new home and looking for anything that might be of use. Anything that would prove to these Redhawks that she wasn't some lazy asshole. As always, she was eager to prove herself.

There were quite a few strange faces among them lately. Towhee of yore would have balked at this. Today's Towhee largely ignored this fact, though she knew she should make a point to introduce herself to each of the newer members. She was the pack's Beta, after all. It was just that she would much rather spend time with Raven's kids or her godparents, or patrolling with X. She might not despise outsiders the way she used to, but that didn't mean she felt like going out of her way to welcome them either.

But she made a point on this balmy afternoon to seek out one of the less familiar scents and make a new acquaintance. She managed to track down their new Omega, a large she-wolf with reddish fur. Towhee studied her from afar for a few beats before making her approach. She did stand with authority, though there wasn't anything particularly imperious about her demeanor as she drew to a stop a few feet from the stranger.

"I'm Towhee," she greeted, "who're you?"

Thinking she had found something really interesting (or maybe valuable), Ikkuma had ducked along a swath of exposed stone and begun to uproot some of the grass that had rooted itself around it, springing to life like weeds in the cracks of cement. Most of the rock was brittle and gave way beneath her claws, and soon enough she was creating a small gouge in the dirt. The grass she was after wasn't actually valuable in any way, but it resembled one of the herbs as far as Ikkuma could tell. As she dug, she realized she wasn't alone — and looked up right as the stranger came upon her.

Their markings were quite striking, and for a split second Ikkuma wondered if everyone in this pack was unique; first there was Ceara with her coat of reds, and Niamh with her golds, Caiaphas with her black face. Whoever this was, they held some interest at least cosmetically for Ikkuma. She noticed the authoritative posture they carried next, and stopped her digging. Ikkuma, she answered simply, and after a pause and some absent blinking, she added: Did you need something?

Towhee drew in the scent of freshly churned earth, though she didn't bother dropping her gaze to the other wolf's paws. She kept her eyes fixed on that unfamiliar face, those strange lips. Fortunately, they were readable enough. "Ikkuma," she repeated under her breath (or so she believed), ears tilting ever so slightly and eyes narrowing a hair at the subsequent question.

After a brief pause where she quelled the urge to say something impolite, Towhee responded in her usual wooden voice, "No, I'm just making a point to get to know my pack mates, that's all. What're you getting into?" she pressed, attention finally wandering downward for a beat before flicking right back to Ikkuma's face so she would catch her response.