King Elk Forest You say it will reach out and seize the sorrow.

"Oh," came Towhee's reply. She found herself squinting at the stranger anew, assessing her. It had been a long time since the mercenary had bothered trying to recruit someone, though the thought crossed her mind. The she-wolf looked and smelled healthy, plus she didn't seem intimidated by Towhee's emotional display.

"Why not?" she asked a beat later, then realized they hadn't even exchanged names. "I'm Towhee," she said, though she didn't mention her pack allegiance just yet. Unlike some, she wasn't an open book when it came to outsiders. She had long since ceased viewing them as "other," though she would never be the type to overshare information with a stranger.