Dahozhoni Meadow (M) Twice told tales.

Something moved among the desert flora, rising up like some sort of mirage. Towhee turned to face it, intrigued but wary. For a split second, she thought it was the old man. Had he followed her all this way? But on second glance, she realized this stranger was younger, with a lither build and more color in his palette, including a verdant gaze.

There were no pretenses this time. Towhee woofed, then pranced right up to him to sniff noses. Her tail wiggled, fanning her scent around them both. She did not introduce herself. She didn’t speak at all. Instead, she simply swung her hindquarters toward him and looked over one whitening shoulder, giving the nameless man her best bedroom eyes.