Redhawk Caldera Coke is good for the soul. The soda, I mean.

Without a word, Towhee departed from their company. Elwood watched her go, frowning slightly, then shook his head and returned his attention to Ashton. He failed to realize how confusing it must have been for Towhee, when two wolves in just a short amount of time had been allowed to approach their borders freely and receive a warm welcome from the Alpha, while most other trespassers -- like the black wolf only a few weeks prior -- were chased away without hesitation.

As Ashton began to explain where he had been, Elwood felt like he had stepped into a time warp. Nothing had changed as far as the hippie's pattern of speech; he was still as loquacious as ever, and his story took quite a long time to unravel. Were he not used to Ashton's personality -- or if he had little patience, like Fox -- Elwood might have tuned him out, but he listened raptly, nodding to show that he was paying attention.

He squinted, trying to remember the time of year that Ashton had last been with the pack. He couldn't quite recall, but chalked it up to being not long before Fox gave birth to Gannet, Whip, Peter and Ferret. "Sounds like a pretty bad trip," Elwood said, referring to the effects of Ashton's high as well as the trouble he had gotten himself into afterward. "I'm glad you're alright, though, and you'll be happy to know that Fox gave birth to four healthy sons. And then another litter of six puppies, this past January. That's where Towhee came from. Unfortunately, Fox passed away after giving birth," he said, sharing the good news with the bad.