Heron Lake Plateau I name this boat Roast Beef. May God bless her and all who sail in her.

's all good, though do you mind closing up shop? :)

"That would be..." Towhee shrugged uncomfortably. It made sense—if you didn't take the neighbors into consideration—that another pack might look at the caldera as a viable territory. And she'd always told herself it was just a chunk of land. But the idea definitely didn't sit well with her. For that and other reasons, she really hoped it was empty when she got there.

"I'm definitely not going there," she said quickly, voice as flat as ever. She tried to catch Quixote's eye to be extra sure he understood she wasn't going on some kamikaze mission to Blackfeather Woods. "I'm curious. But not that curious."

The conversation entered a natural lull then as the pair continued on their way. Towhee fell easily into the mindless pattern of scouring the area with her eyes and nose, her ears twitching as if in response to sounds she could never hear. They fully splayed when the first raindrops splattered the dark fur between them. It was colder than she expected, given the August heat, and she decided right away she'd rather shelter than continue in the rain.

Following a silent exchange with the Alpha, Towhee moved swiftly toward the plateau's base, where the overhang provided a good measure of protection from the rain. It quickly grew heavy, Towhee's entire body drumming with its beat in the silent silvery rush.