Heron Lake Plateau Alfadhirhaiti.

It wasn't a rock and it wasn't Finley either. Towhee skidded to a stop when she realized it was Eljay. He looked over at her at the very same instant that she froze. Damn, she thought, spotted. There was no turning and beating a hasty retreat to avoid him now.

Biting back a sigh, she slowly trudged forward. She didn't hate Eljay, though Towhee had long ago written him off as something of a lost cause. She rarely bothered with him, though when they did inevitably cross paths, she tried to remember that he was her godparents' son, her brother in a fashion, and not treat him with overt spite.

"Eljay," she greeted in her gravelly monotone. She very nearly asked if he'd seen Finley today but then another thought struck her and Towhee found herself wondering out loud, "Have you heard about this pack split thing?"