Redhawk Caldera I'll interrogate the cat.

Once his gaze had swept over the still terrain in the distance, Elwood sidled closer and assumed a position similar to Towhee's. He lowered himself first onto his haunches, then let his forelegs splay out in front of him so that he rested on his belly. At the same time, Towhee broke the silence, and the sound of her speech made him smile. Despite her handicap, she was growing into an intelligent, determined, and dedicated young wolf.

"Nothing," he replied, because truthfully, it was nothing, in a sense. But the deaf child was particularly perceptive, so he knew that she was aware there was something in the back of his mind. He cast a sidelong glance at her and said, "How are you doing with all the new outsiders?" He didn't normally refer to them as such -- especially because he considered Sebastian to be a good friend -- but sought to make a connection with her by using her preferred terminology.