Big Salmon Lake It's funnier in Enochian.

"Your pack," he said and Towhee cocked her head, feeling a mixture of defensiveness and pride sweep over her before he could even finish his sentence. "You share a name." At first, she didn't quite follow, then it clicked. He was observing the fact that her surname came from the name of the pack and its territory.

"Yes," she affirmed. "My parents took the caldera's name as their surname when they founded the pack." She hesitated, wondering whether it was really wise to give away information about the caldera to a stranger, no matter how handsome. But what harm could come from it? "They lived in different packs when they met. They lived together at the plateau a while, then decided to start their own pack together in order to have and raise children. All of us have taken the Redhawk name."

Well, the Betas hadn't. It was something she had only thought of recently. Wasn't she as much a Blackthorn as a Redhawk? But why hadn't Elwood and Finley taken the name? It was all a curiosity to her, though nothing she needed to share with her new acquaintance here, just like there was no reason to get into her parents' deaths and her somewhat nontraditional upbringing. She would just have to float that past her godparents at some point though.

With uncharacteristic reluctance, Towhee though to add, "I should really be getting back there. I don't leave the territory much and they'll wonder where I went." She very nearly told him it was nice to meet him but she couldn't quite bring herself to say the strange words. Instead, the Xi simply said, "Bye, Étoille." With a last lingering look, she then forced her attention away and turned, loping back in the direction of her homeland without a backward glance (much as she was tempted).