Redhawk Caldera Saving people, hunting things: the family business.

The adults had begun taking the pups out on walks around the territory, mostly in groups but occasionally individually. Raven caught Towhee's attention after lunch and motioned for the Pi to walk with her. She gladly bounced toward her older sister, falling into step as the caregiver led the way away from the rendezvous site. As they walked, the medic kept her face turned toward Towhee; she couldn't sign but she could speak and the deaf youngster was getting very good at reading lips. She followed most of what Raven said as she talked about guardians and border patrols.

Speaking of which, they walked much further today than usual and in fact approached the caldera's outer fringes. "I don't usually do these," Raven was saying, "but I think mercenary might suit you. Towhee, are you paying attention?" She signed the last few words, which did indeed capture the pup's attention. She had been so busy eyeballing her unfamiliar surroundings, she'd missed her sister's remarks. "We're going to walk," the black she-wolf continued, motioning as she talked, "and keep an eye out for outsiders."

Towhee knew that word quite well. -Outsiders? Why?- she signed. She wanted nothing to do with anyone outside her close inner circle, that much she had made clear lately. Her brow furrowed disapprovingly.

Raven smiled knowingly. "So we can chase them away." She knew Towhee would like the sound of that (deafness not withstanding). "What do you think?" she asked with an amused twinkle in her eye. She already knew the answer.

-Oh!- Towhee signed, face lighting up. -Yes, let's chase away some outsiders!- To indicate her readiness, she bounced on the balls of her feet and began to walk parallel with the invisible boundary lines. -Can we kill them?- she added eagerly, pausing to await an answer and let Raven catch up to her.