Verdant Basin Living your life cutthroat.

"Why don't you," Towhee said after continuing to watch the elderly doe a while longer, "head back to the plateau and find some hunters for me?" She didn't look at X as she spoke, though she finally cast her eyes toward him to catch his reaction. He nodded his head quickly in assent, then spread his wings and blasted off like a feathery rocket. Towhee's head tipped back as she watched him wing back in the direction of the plateau. As soon as he disappeared from view, her attention returned to the herd.

But then something stole it. As with her recent encounter with Rueger, Towhee probably wouldn't be able to explain it to someone else. But having lived her whole life without the benefit of hearing, her other four senses had sharpened to compensate, plus she'd developed a sort of sixth sense which alerted her to presences even when there was nothing to see, smell, taste or touch. Perhaps Raven could come up with some physiological explanation for it, but Towhee didn't care that much. She was just glad to have developed this nifty ability.

Here was another stranger approaching her, though he hadn't gotten quite as close as Rueger (her skill was increasing!). Towhee immediately assumed all fours and pivoted to face him, orange eyes quickly assessing his body language. He didn't appear to be a threat, yet he was a total stranger all the same.

"Can I help you?" she asked, voice bearing its typical toneless brusqueness.