Ouroboros Spine Broadcast depth.

The spine's layout turned out to be very similar to the caldera's, which suited Towhee just fine. She did a cursory sweep of the interior—where she did not come across any squatters themselves, just their spoor—before committing herself to the first of many border patrols to come.

After completing her first circuit, Towhee decided to try tracking down @Shikoba. She found her way back into the stronghold and drifted toward a small woodland hugging the lake shore. Later, she would learn its name: Aumauttak Grove. She wended beneath the bare boughs until she could see the lake that reminded her of the place she'd been born five years ago today.

But she didn't know it was her birthday, nor did she particularly care. Towhee's voice rose into the late morning air, off-key as ever. She could only hope the sivullik had heard her and could pinpoint her location. She settled in to wait, orange eyes scanning the surrounding trees.

the call rings in her ear.

with haste, shikoba searches in the direction of the sound, searching for whoever it may be. her shoulder continues to heal, a fresh scar that may list for a bit until it fades to black, along with the many that mark her face and body.

there, in the grove. another woman waits for her. shikoba trots closer until the large redhawk comes into her view. thankfully, she approaches head-on, avoiding any chances of possibly scaring the deaf woman; though, shikoba lacks knowledge of this trait. 

a grumbling chuff, along with a head tilt. what did she want to discuss?

Her shifting gaze caught movement and Towhee's eyes fixated on the figure as it approached through the trees. Just like Kukutux, Shikoba was smaller than the mercenary had expected, not that it mattered one whit. Her fur was a patchwork of earthy hues and pinkish scars. Four slashes offset her bright yellow eyes. Towhee realized she'd seen her in passing a time or two. She was hard to miss and even harder to forget.

"Shikoba, right?" Towhee said, starting to sign as she continued, -"Thanks for coming. I'm Towhee. Kukutux mentioned you're in need of a second hunter. I don't know if I'll fit the bill but I wanted to introduce myself."- She paused to let that digest before adding, -"I'm still pretty new, so I'm still figuring out what these titles mean. Kukutux explained that you're a warrior and a hunter?"- It came out as a question in part because she wasn't entirely sure she'd followed. Hopefully Shikoba wouldn't mind clarifying.

she nods to her name and watches as the girl speaks and signs to her. while this comes off as unusual to shikoba, she pays no attention to it and instead is just glad that towhee wants to join as the second hunter to Moonglow. should kukutux have faith in this one, then shikoba fails to see any reason to turn her away.

"shikoba is sivullik, first hunter. shikoba chooses and leads hunts, and protects Moonglow." a pretty informative statement, the native is pretty straightforward when she talks.

"second hunter is good; moonglow needs warriors to protect new litters in spring." she does not quite reveal her plans of hosting her own, though this certainly makes shikoba more receptive to having a second to help run things smoothly for whenever pregnancy and motherhood take over her.

her eyes graze over the woman's larger frame for a moment before returning to look towards her eyes. "what can towhee do?" this would be the time for towhee to really talk it up with the woman, should that be her desire.

Shikoba corroborated what Kukutux had told her, her direct speech easy for the deaf wolf to read. Towhee figured she might be tested or even stonewalled until she proved herself, yet the patchwork sivulluk seemed quite open to the idea of Towhee filling in the role. She mentioned litters which would need protection. The Redhawk supposed they would need mentors too, eventually.

She felt the weight of Shikoba's gaze as she assessed her, before asking a question Towhee definitely expected. -"Well, the 'hunter' title might be a misnomer. I'm not completely hapless, but my strengths lie in guardianship and warrior...ship."- Okay, that wasn't a word, but certainly Shikoba understood. -"I figured you'd like to spar, to get an idea of my capabilities. I'm down for that."-

the offering of a spar causes the sivullik's tale to wag; her last battle was a bit more intense than she had hoped for. perhaps she should lay the groundwork for this match to avoid another shoulder bitten into. a careful nod is given.

"fighting good, moonglow needs strength. all wolves can hunt, but not fight." she gives a quick glance around the area, seeing that there are not too many natural obstacles in the way to cause slip-ups of any sort. so long as the footing seems even, then this setting would remain fine for a spar.

she looks back to the large woman. "no blood," she says with a slight shake of her head, motioning to her healing shoulder only for a moment before looking back towards towhee, "ready?" should the woman be ready, shikoba will let herself fall into a low position in encouragement for towhee to move first.

Towhee kind of thought it was the other way around, though she didn't say anything. Shikoba seemed pleased about the idea of a spar and requested only one condition. Towhee's brow furrowed when the woman indicated a relatively fresh wound on her shoulder.

-"Spars should always be bloodless,"- she opined, -"otherwise they're not a spar at all. They're just a fight."- And whoever had given Shikoba that scar had fought dirty.

The sivullik assumed a defensive position and Towhee shrugged her shoulders in rapid succession, coaxing some limberness into her muscles. She stared straight at Shikoba as she did this, letting the moment stretch out. They both knew an attack was coming but only Towhee knew exactly when.

She moved suddenly, springing for Shikoba's neck. Her lips remained sheathed over her teeth. At the very worst, they would give one another some bruises today.

shikoba could not really argue with the redhawk, honestly, she was not quite sure what to expect when she had battled with the tartok man, but bloodshed was something she preferred to avoid. while the healing process is going fine, the fight itself has left shikoba more than scarred. it's left her to think, something that can be very dangerous when used too much.

eye contact is never broken as the two stretch and prepare; though towhee springs into action and searches for an immediate grapple for the neck of the native. shikoba acts quickly, intending to sidestep to the best of her ability. should she be successful, she'll find herself only grabbed upon by her shoulder or rib, making it easy for her to turn and try to nip at towhee's ears. 

should the sidestep fail, shikoba will feel teeth against her neck and will try to twist herself free from the hold. while the woman is bigger, shikoba hopes that her smaller size makes it easier for her to escape holds.

Being slight of frame made Shikoba a smaller target. It also made her lighter on her feet, allowing her to maneuver to evade Towhee's direct hit. The Redhawk was presented instead with the sharp jut of a shoulder blade, which definitely hurt when it hit her closed mouth. Her eyes watered a little as she retreated, feeling the sharp sting of teeth clipping at her ear.

She didn't go far. Blinking the moisture from her eyes, Towhee feinted toward Shikoba's hip. Whether or not she fell for it, the Redhawk quickly changed directions and lunged again for the woman's anterior. Instead of her neck, she aimed for her elbow. In a real fight, it would be gratifying to bite it, incapacitating her enemy by breaking her leg.

But this wasn't a real fight and this wasn't her enemy. Towhee kept her teeth clenched together, hoping for another hit even though her nose and lips were already smarting from the first.

the hit against her shoulder brings satisfaction to the woman, though her small evasion victory does not last for long as she feels a change of pace by the larger woman. there is a dive for her elbow, and this is something shikoba had not expected. 

a heavy bump, enough pressure to cause the woman to stumble and catch herself from falling off to the side due to the lack of balance. she would have to remember this smart movement, unaware of the severity that it would hold in a real battle if towhee was allowed to use full force.

shikoba aims to push herself forward, trying to propel against the lack of balance. jolting forward, she hopes to let her nose bump into the woman's chest if possible, though if she misses her mark, she may as well just be happy that she does not yet end up pinned. while this may leave her open as she does not plan for the second spot of aim, it at least stops her from being splayed on the ground.

Towhee had been in countless fights in her life. So rare was it to land a solid hit, she marveled any time it happened. Although this was only practice, she savored a feeling of immense satisfaction, knowing that she would've crushed Shikoba's elbow to dust if they were engaged in an actual battle.

But with every action, there was an equal and opposite reaction. Her opponent's muzzle thrust toward her chest with enough force to shove Towhee backward. She reluctantly relinquished her position, springing away. From a safe distance of several feet away, she caught her breath and grinned.

-"That never happens,"- she explained, just in case the sivullik wondered why she was grinning like an idiot. -"I've been a warrior since practically day one and yet I never seem to land hits in actual fights. It just feels like a special achievement."- She huffed a laugh.

But back to business. Towhee braced her forelegs on the frosty ground and then gestured for Shikoba to come at her, so she could demonstrate some defensive maneuvers now.

the excitement of the fight buzzes through sivullik's body, the sense of a good spar is enough to create many smiles and well-deserved naps after. the redhawk's explanation earns a toothful smile from shikoba, glad that the woman can feel the sense of pride in her marks finding their correct place. perhaps she will take more moments to spend with towhee to sharpen her skills, as she seems much more resourceful and knowledgeable.

though, the idea remains pushed back for now as the large woman beckons shikoba forward. she does not hesitate and runs towards the large woman, aiming for a light jab of her nose against the rib and flank area. should she move away just in time, shikoba would settle for a little tug on the tail for good sport.

There was nearly no hang time before Shikoba leaped at her. Between her quick movements and Towhee's distraction over her triumph, the sivullik easily landed her own hits. Normally this might frustrate her, yet the Redhawk was still buzzing from her ace move a moment ago. And, anyway, it tickled!

Guffawing a laugh, Towhee's entire body cringed away from the light blow to the soft spot where her rib cage ended. "HEY!" she yelled without even meaning to, then shouted again when Shikoba lunged for her tail. The entire spirit of the match shifted to something a little less businesslike and a little more playful.

As Shikoba's teeth tugged at her tail, Towhee abruptly grabbed at her own throat, theatrically pretending to choke to death. She then flopped to the ground, where she twitched feebly a few times before going still. She shut her eyes to complete the imagery of death, before abruptly remembering that corpses' eyes often remained open.

"I think," Towhee said from beyond the veil, "you discovered my Achilles' heel..." She turned her head to the side to get a better look at Shikoba, winking.

it seems that their spar becomes less work-like and more playful, which at this point shikoba was slightly hoping for. in one sense, it strengthens her connection with towhee, and in the other, it provides her a sense of work and play, something she often can struggle to try to balance. 

down comes the large woman after the final blow, a dramatic fall to her peaceful end that only brings out a hearty chuckle from shikoba. inutsuk would surely have to hear about this later. she already likes this woman a lot, not just for her skill, but for her willingness to be a team player. oftentimes, shikoba feels a bit isolated from others with the language barrier. unknown to her, this would make it a little easier for her and towhee to communicate with each other with her simplified language.

when she speaks from beyond the grave and offers a wink, shikoba now lets herself fall beside the woman in battle, an exasperated sigh as a tongue lolls out to the side. she looks back to her with a smile, tail happily thumping against the ground. "towhee knows lots, shikoba needs to learn more."

while shikoba sports her knowledge of primal fighting from home, there is always much to learn from those around her. towhee brought about something new, and anything that is new and interesting usually captures the woman's attention for a long time. now, she clamors to her feet, trying to find a bit of stability in her legs. "how long has towhee been a warrior?"

Soon Shikoba joined her on the ground to lounge and recover from the spar. Towhee maneuvered herself so she could better see the other woman's face and at least partly free her limbs to sign as she spoke.

-"About five years, give or take?"- she guessed, still oblivious that today was actually her birthday. -"Pretty much since the day I was born. I was born feisty."- Towhee mulled over what her younger self would think of her today, her lips twitching at the thought.

Looking to the sivullik again, she added, -"There's always more to learn. We can teach each other."- Perhaps this was the start of a long and beautiful friendship, Towhee thought. She hoped so, though she knew so few tended to hit the first mark in these Teekon Wilds.

-"Anyway, what about you? Where did you learn?"- In other words, where did Shikoba come from and what was her story?

her history story is brief but colorful, and honestly shikoba did not feel any reason to dig for now. towhee was trustworthy thus far, she'll have more chances to talk with her and learn more of the place she called home. but when the question is turned to her, shikoba offers a smile as she thinks back.

"in the desert, far from here," she looks towards her as she speaks, "shikoba was warrior for family; had to protect from invaders and coyotes. also had to fight for water. " thankfully, shikoba had never really encountered too many things she was not able to handle as a chieftain-in-training during her youth. though, she thought back to the difficult days where there were fights for rights to the watering holes, wherevever they popped up in her homeland. "the wilds are very different from home. what was home for towhee?"

"Fight for water"? Towhee mouthed. It wasn't disbelief so much as an inability to comprehend such a thing. Aloud, she said, "Remind me never to visit a desert..." She huffed a laugh, shaking her head a bit. -"Bet you're real scrappy when it comes to a real fight, with stakes like that..."-

Shikoba wanted to know more about Towhee's home. The Redhawk remained quiet a moment, letting the question gnaw at her. -"Well, I was born in and on Redhawk Caldera. The pack shared the name of its territory,"- she explained. -"We moved around a bit but I lived with the Redhawks up until a few months ago, most of that time spent in a leadership role. I don't really miss the place—well, I do, but—I really miss my family. I just hope they're happy and safe, wherever they are."-

Feeling a bit like she was talking too much, Towhee cleared her throat and pressed to all fours. -"I think I'll do another patrol. You're welcome to join me."-

in a way, shikoba felt like she could disagree with the larger woman. she, to her own belief at least, thought that she always fought with honor in terms of avoiding unfair moves that call for shame upon the battlefield. cheap moves were never a choice for her.

at least, that would be if the stakes were not truly life threatening. perhaps like any other wolf when given a choice of survival, they would do what it takes to survive. with water being the giver of life to all who walk the earth, it would be no surprise that shikoba would be feral over protecting the watering holes that she found in the desert.

she shakes her head for a moment, "wouldn't towhee?" she asks with a head tilt, though she quiets down after the brief explanation of her history. a caldera, now that sounds like a pretty landmark. perhaps she could convince the woman to take a trip to her back home, if able. but until then, she simply would rather take the invitation to join her for a patrol. "happily." and with that, she would fall into stride with the woman as they depart.

ready to fade here if you are! <3