Redsand Canyon The horse has a voice.

The pups’ milk teeth came in and, just like that, the novelty wore off.

Now Towhee walked along the borders for the first time in a long time, chuckling under her breath. Of course, she missed the pups and yearned to return to them. But her body really needed this break.

It felt so good to breathe in fresh air unscented by baby shit and stretch her legs without accidentally kicking an infant in the face. Towhee finished her uneventful circuit but she wasn’t ready to give up on this free time just yet, so she decided to go for a little walk to the southeast.

She kind of wanted to go down into the canyon, see what a ghost town Mereo’s barracks had become. It was still so hard to believe the outpost was gone; she kind of needed to see it with her own eyes. Towhee had mixed feelings about Germanicus these days, though she would always look back fondly on her days as a soldier.

The Redhawk approached the canyon’s edge, eager to revisit her old haunts.

*snags this so fast*

---

a stranger is at tikal's borders.

she does not call, but ajaw approaches all the same; sure and swiftfooted.

this one greets you. ajaw speaks in the tongue of many, going off what the wolves of these wilds have thus spoken during meetings.

she smells of sweet mothersmilk and many wolves.

frostbound gaze takes in her unique fur colors, and how they remind ajaw, interesting enough of the redsand and redrock basked in shadows, with golden eyes of sundisks.

She thought she caught a whiff of piss, though Towhee didn’t think much of it. Mereo hadn’t been disbanded that long ago, so maybe one of their scent markers had yet to fade. She did slow her step a little, suddenly slightly pensive.

Seconds later, a figure appeared and swept toward her. Towhee bristled in surprise, eyeing the stranger warily. His pelt was quite striking and she noticed his abbreviated tail. What really got her attention was his greeting, though.

It immediately made her think of Kukutux and the people of her village. Towhee blinked rapidly as she processed that, as well as the cordiality of the greeting itself. Although he didn’t appear threatening, his presence here still had her on defense.

Did you just come out of the canyon? she demanded point-blank.

just a cameo!!

Despite their able skills being beyond doubt, Ajaw would never face a border threat alone.  Flecha was ranging the canyon when the voices came, and she came to linger behind, her watchful eyes wary upon the wolf who they spoke with.

She did not show deference, this stranger.  If Ajaw desired she would demand it.  But perhaps they wished to make nice with these wolves who dwelled nearby.

Flecha would remain where she was and not intercede, merely lend her presence as further assurance to their position.

also a cameo!

Ajaw. Sister Flecha. 

Both had found a stranger. Or, perhaps, the stranger had found them.

Either way, Sabah did not let them stand alone. 

Joining, she stood opposite of Flecha, carefully guarding ajaw's flank. But also like her sister, the holcan was silent, watchful. No moves were made unless commanded by one voice. That of her ajaw.

Also a cameo for now unless addressed or things escalate! LMK if anything needs edited! <3

 


Sovereign came to the scene a few seconds behind Sabah. 
After all, the present Holcan were her teachers now, and she made it a duty to never be far from at least one of them.

There was a stranger here, and the pale behemoth silently came to stand somewhere within the formation though a bit further back due to being a trainee and not yet one with the Warrior Council.
The yearling's gaze was wary, analytical upon the stranger as Ajaw commanded the scene.

---

the holcan and their young apprentice appear to stand near ajaw.

a small show of tikal's might.

the suntouched woman's question is blunt. a small twitch of ajaw's doe-like tail is given.

this one did. it is tikal's home.

Several more wolves came to flank the stranger, putting Towhee more on edge. She moved back, every muscle in her body thrumming with tension. Disbelief mixed with anger and dismay that strange and unwelcome wolves would infiltrate and inhabit the canyon right under their neighbors’ noses.

Are you fucking serious, she seethed, eyes cutting from one face to the other before landing on the leader’s face, only for an instant.

Towhee turned and strode back toward the vale without another word. She glanced behind her every few seconds, just in case any of them tried to pursue her.

---

the harsh word the woman spits at them goes untranslated to ajaw, who does not flinch in the face of her anger.

but why?

it stokes their curiousity.

what has so angered her about this? but before ajaw can ask, she storms off ... and ajaw does not stop her.

they watch her depart, and turn to face their holcan only when she is out of sight. the hostility ajaw feels rankles them, for as far as ajaw knows it is unwarranted.

double the patrols. they command with a glimpse spared over their shoulder in the way she came.

if she returned ... or brought trouble, ajaw wants to be prepared. if she comes again, alert this one immediately. ajaw commands before dismissing the holcan and sovereign to continue along their patrol, reinforcing the borders as they go.