Redhawk Caldera Lightning over Mexico.

Rue explained that Germanicus was merely an informant, a word which earned a snort of amusement from Towhee. It made her think of espionage, which seemed very unlike Ruenna. But just because she was a diplomat and a sweetheart didn't mean she couldn't also be crafty.

"Wait, have I met this guy?" the Sovereign wondered aloud, thinking of the swarthy man she'd met by the lake late in the summer. "No, wait, the dude I met—his name was Crowfeather," she thought aloud. "He mentioned a Germanicus though." She paused, reflecting. "It was pretty clever of you to work with them the way you did."

That's what she admired most about Rue: her diplomacy and the way she leveraged alliances for the Redhawks' benefit, proving they did have value in the face of Towhee's former doubts. And that was why she would be attending Akashingo's ridiculous party. Perhaps Towhee should've sucked it up and gone for her co-leader's sake, though she knew Ruenna could hold her own.

Especially if she stuck with this Germanicus guy. Towhee opened her mouth to say something when she peeked over at Peregrine, only to find him gone. Turning back to Rue, she bluntly wondered, "So... is he husband material?"