Lake Rodney And even monsters can do good in this world.

Her deafness did not usually bother her; she rarely thought of it at all. But as she sat there, unable to hear if Phox or X might have responded, Towhee felt an intense frustration rise up inside her. She climbed to her feet as it heated her blood, rapidly reaching a boiling point. Another cry spilled from her lips, this one a tormented bellow of defeat. Without thinking, she raised a paw and brought it down on the closest patch of ice. It didn't crack but the impact reverberated up her foreleg rather painfully. Now her emotions took a sharp turn toward fury and she commenced her brutal assault on the frozen water, doing more damage to herself than to the elements.

When she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, Towhee gasped and peered across the lake, her heart leaping into her throat. Phox! she wanted to scream. A final cry—this time of her beloved brother's name—died in her throat. The wolf on the opposite shore looked nothing like her litter mate; she was a perfect stranger. The mercenary froze, feeling a flash of humiliation when she realized this woman had witnessed her emotional outburst.

"What are you looking at?" she barked unkindly, still seething. But as rapid breaths drew in and out of her chest, the sudden onset anger seemed to ebb somewhat, leaving a feeling of desolation in its wake.