Bramblepoint I learned that from the pizza man.

Hydra sidestepped and Towhee backpedaled, nodding when she was relieved of the obligation. She sincerely wouldn't have minded, yet it was probably better this way. They could maintain the distance necessitated by their differing allegiances. With that in mind, the Xi took another step backward, giving them both some breathing room again.

She glanced at their kill, then back to her cohort in time to catch the last two words: "—been practicing?" The tips of her nonfunctional ears heated when she realized she must have missed the rest of what she'd said but Towhee dismissed it and simply bobbed her head, replying, "Yes, I'm training as a mercenary. I want to be both a guardian and a warrior. What about you?"