Redhawk Caldera Most people think I burn hot, it's actually quite the opposite.

She nodded simply, eyes still shrewdly focused on his face. Each member of the pack communicated slightly differently with her; some had taken to her sign language with ease, while others preferred to speak, usually a little more slowly than normal, so that she could follow along. Her uncle fell somewhere in the middle but often tended to prefer verbalizing, so she was quite used to keeping her eyes on his mouth.

Towhee felt a thread of relief when he answered, though there was a "but..." in there. She listened carefully (in her way), wondering why he spoke extra slowly. It made it all the easier for her to understand, so she shrugged it off. Their brows furrowed at just about the same time as the Xi tried to parse out what he meant. She needed Elwood to clear the air, not muddy the waters.

-Too harsh?- she repeated, her eyes briefly flicking up to meet his own. This behavior may have presented a challenge from another wolf, yet it was Towhee's way of trying to convey meaning. There was an earnest look in them. She wanted to understand. Her gaze then dropped back down, lingering in the neighborhood of Elwood's chin.