Redsand Canyon Bonfire and rumbling.

She wasn’t sure what to expect as far as a response. Would he blow her off again or would he engage? Towhee was already mulling how to react to the former when Kallik visibly slowed, a tacit invitation. She hastened to flank him, her heart actually doing a weird little leap when his lips began to move.

Her eyes fixed on them, reading every word she could catch as the two of them walked through the woods. He didn’t face her at all times, which meant she had to fill in some of the blanks with context clues. But from what she could gather, he was most comfortable with guardianship, but most interested in being a warrior.

Towhee’s lips parted to say something when Kallik unexpectedly bounced the question back at her. Guardian, she answered without missing a beat, for both. But they weren’t here to discuss her, much as she was pleasantly surprised by how well this conversation was going so far.

So, I’m sure Germanicus wants me to ask for a demonstration of your skills and analyze your strengths and weaknesses—and I’d like to do that. But I think it’s important that you choose your specialty, based on what you’re passionate about. If you want to be a warrior, then I can help get you to where you feel as confident in your warrior skills as your guardian ones. And then I can recommend you as a warrior to Germanicus.

She fell silent, looking sidelong at his face, wondering what he thought of that plan. Towhee felt cautiously optimistic, her tail switching to and fro.