Sheepeater Cliff My head is bloody but unbowed

Koontz inwardly kicked herself when she saw the pained confusion drift across his face. She opened her mouth to tell him he didn't need to get into it if it was too painful, but before she could say so, Two Face launched into a story. Her jaws clicked shut and she listened attentively as he recollected aloud.

She felt even worse by the time he finished, having obviously made him relive an early memory that was not exactly heartwarming. The way he looked at her made her feel downright awful, though Two Face didn't seem to blame her for dragging up his sad history. In fact, his expression cleared as if a burst of sunshine had broken through storm clouds.

"I'm so sorry, Two Face," was all she managed to say before he tossed out some questions of his own. "We do a lot of things together but not everything," she said softly. "I go out alone sometimes to meet wolves outside the pack and, well, I guess I hope to recruit some of the better finds," she admitted.

Two Face moved closer suddenly. Koontz felt vaguely uneasy by the proximity, yet there was nothing threatening about him. And when he spoke again, the only thing she felt toward him was pity. Her pale eyes locked onto his very directly, albeit not in a challenging or otherwise commandeering way. She simply gazed at him for a long, silent moment.

Finally, she said, "No, I won't die because I stayed away from my pack for too long. It doesn't work that way, thankfully." She paused. "Two Face, would you be interested in joining Dragonwatchers? I think you ought to know what it's like to be in a pack. I know I'll probably have to teach you a lot about pack life but I know that you'll be a good addition. I think that you would make a brilliant hunter or something, with those fleet feet of yours," Koontz said, realizing that she was trying to convince not only him but herself that Dragonwatchers would benefit from Two Face's recruitment.