Redsand Canyon Bonfire and rumbling.

On the fourth morning waking up in Mereo, Towhee’s eyes opened to snow flurries. She stepped outside her quarters and tiredly watched the snowfall. It didn’t seem to stick to the canyon floor, melting on impact. Perhaps there wouldn’t be much accumulation down here.

She began making her way toward the sparring pit when she decided to venture beyond it, to the stretch of woods spanning the corner of the territory. They made her think of Mamatukk Coppice back at the spine. There was no lake here, though she paused beside the creek to take a drink.

Soon, she would need to call for @Kallik. First, she splashed cold water on her face to really wake herself up.

Kallik had been up for hours already; there was a lot of canyon to patrol, and he wouldn't waste time sleeping all morning. 

His favorite place to patrol was the forest that covered the southeast edge of the territory; it felt colder there, and he liked it. The air was icy in his nose even as the sun rose to warm things up a bit. It was nothing he wasn't used to.

The auxillary still hadn't spoken to Towhee. In fact, he had avoided the soldiers' dens completely since her arrival. He had started sleeping outside them some nights, but not since Towhee had claimed quarters for herself. He knew he would have to face her eventually, but he wouldn't go out of his way to talk to her before that.

But the cold, winter air and the quiet patrol had pushed her from his thoughts. His mind wandered to Aquene briefly before he tucked that away. He was attempting to clear his mind completely, but it was proving to be quite difficult.

The shock of the icy water was more effective than a slap. Towhee sucked in a couple deep breaths, then shook the droplets from her face before the snowflakes could start sticking to them and turn her into a bearded lady.

She thought she smelled Kallik’s scent on the snowy air. Towhee tracked it toward the edge of the trees, then proceeded to walk into the forest. It was peaceful here, especially with the snowflakes drifting everywhere.

Eventually, she spotted the other Auxillary up ahead, through the trees. She woofed to announce herself, then moved closer. He hadn’t said a single word—at least that she’d caught—during her interview. But his body language had said quite a bit, particularly when he’d outright ignored her direct address.

The Redhawk didn’t think it was personal, at least less than Arsenio’s distaste, which had some justifiable cause. Kallik didn’t know the first thing about her and that was the rub. Towhee assumed he resented Germanicus’s task and she understood that, just like she understood she could demonstrate her merits if given a chance.

Yo, Kallik, she greeted. If you had to pick which one you liked the best, which would you choose: warrior, guardian or tactician? And then which one would you pick, if you had to choose the one you thought you were currently best at?

The auxillary visibly tensed when Towhee's voice broke through the silence of the forest. 

He wanted to continue to be annoyed by her presence but he was intrigued by her questions. He liked to think about things from different angles, and she had somehow tapped into that. 

Kallik slowed and allowed her to catch up to him. Which one I like best? he said first. Probably warrior. He was fiercely protective of those he cared about, and he liked the idea of specializing his skills in the area that would allow him the most battle. 

But I think I am a better guardian than anything, he told Towhee next. I spend a lot of time on the borders and just outside of them, making sure no strangers get too close. And I like be there as back up whenever the imperator is called to the borders. 

The auxillary paused and peeked at her with a sideways glance. What about you? he asked, curious despite is previous irritation with the new soldier. Which do you like and which are you best at?

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.

Towhee liked both and was good at both. It was impressive as long as it was the truth. She could claim these things all she wanted, but it would mean nothing until he actually saw her in action. 

She told him it was important to do what he was passionate about, and although that sounded nice, the auxillary didn't necessarily place the same importance on what he wanted to do. He thought it more important to be what would best serve Mereo, and that would be using his natural skills. 

He was silent as he considered all that she had said. His face was blank as he looked to her. I think I will stick to what I'm good at, he told her. It was safe, and it guaranteed success. He was learning more and more than being a soldier often meant he had to consider what was best for Mereo. He was not always the best at following through, but he would not let the imperator down here. I would like to pursue guardian, he told her, his tone implying there was no room for argument, although she wouldn't be able to pick up on that. It was habit.

Kallik expressed a firm interest in guardianship instead. Rather than feel disappointed about this, she waved her tail approvingly. This was exactly what she had wanted to suss out of him. She didn’t know how Germanicus felt, though she believed it was important that the Auxillia made the choice for themselves. They knew their own strengths better than anyone else and they were much more likely to succeed if it was something they wanted to do.

Then that’s what we’ll do, Towhee replied, then revealed, I’ve been an Alpha for the past five years, so I spent a fuckload of my time patrolling and defending the borders. It’s my passion too. I don’t doubt you’re already good, though I’d love to make you even better. We could do a spar right now but I have another idea. What if I planned an ambush?

She told him that she had been an alpha for the past five years, and he was secretly impressed by that. He had no doubt that gave her plenty of guardian experience. His face remained blank, though, as usual. 

She mentioned a spar, and he would have accepted; it was something he did so much, it was becoming routine. But she switched it up and suggested she try and ambush him. He was very observant, so she would have to be really good to truly ambush him. The idea was exciting, though. Alright, he told her, pairing the word with a curt nod. 

Right now? he asked

His face gave away nothing about his inner thoughts, which was a little tough on her, considering how much she relied on expressions and whatnot. Towhee had no idea what to expect, though she was happy enough with the simple, “Alright.”

Nah, you’re on alert right now. I want to really ambush you, like come flying out of nowhere when you least expect it. I won’t use teeth or anything, but I won’t hold it against if you do, at least at first. The point is to test your reflexes and how you cope with being completely bushwhacked. Still onboard?

The auxillary agreed with her reasoning: now wouldn't work because he was too aware of where she would be. It would be better to really take him by surprise.

Yes, he answered when she asked if he was still on board. Then he was quiet for a few moments, unsure what to say or do.

Did you want to patrol with me now? he asked. What else would they do? He needed to get this patrol done, and she was here, so why not.

He gave his final assent and she nodded. Towhee was glad he’d gone along with her idea, not only because she thought it would be a useful exercise but because, heck, it was going to be fun for her to launch a surprise attack on someone.

Yes please, she replied simply when invited to patrol. She’d done several circuits by herself by now but, I still have a lot to learn about the perimeters of this place. Towhee lapsed into silence after that, figuring he wasn’t the type for conversation, but eager to benefit from his expertise in this field.

He was quiet as she spoke, inspecting tree trunk and underbrush to ensure the scent of Mereo was strong. His eyes searched for anymore foxes or signs that anyone had been here.

Towhee explained that she still had much to learn. Kallik thought this was a good sign; so far, she hadn't barged in and acted like she knew everything. 

I know Mereo well, he told her. I spend a lot of time patrolling. He stopped to mark a tree before continuing. His words were meant to imply that he could show her around. I like this forest best, he offered.

It surprised her a little, when she noticed him talking. Towhee quickly turned her face toward him to catch what he was saying. None of the words themselves came as a surprise, except that Kallik seemed to be making small talk. Her lips twitched. He shouldn’t feel the need to carry on conversation, though she appreciated that he was open to it.

I like it here too, she concurred, gazing around at the bare-branched forest. Bet it’ll be even nicer in the spring and summer. How long have you been part of Mereo? Where did you live before?

He disagreed that it would be nicer in the spring and summer, but he liked the winter more than most. 

Her questions was met with nothing at first; it was a basic enough question, but his answers were complicated. Kallik's jaw tightened for a moment before he finally spoke. I found the imperator before Mereo was established. For a while, it was just the imperator, Glaukos, and myself. 

His tone would get colder as he continued, although she would not be able to tell. His face was blank as usual. Before that I was alone. It was all he would offer. 

ugh sorry he's like talking to a wall

It’s all good, Kallik, bb!

It was interesting to hear that it had been the three of them in the beginning. Then a thought hit her upside the head and she blurted, What about Crowfeather? Sorry, that came out of left field. I just remember Rue mentioning that he and Germanicus were ‘a package deal’ back in the day and I literally just realized nobody’s mentioned him since I got here.

Kallik looked to the other auxillary with confusion. Who is Crowfeather? the soldier asked. The imperator had never mentioned anyone with that name, and there was certainly no one in Mereo called that. 

She said they were a packaged deal, so then where was he now? He wasn't surprised the imperator had said nothing about it; he was a private man. But maybe Towhee would enlighten him.

Well, she hadn’t expected that response. Towhee blinked, lips twisting into a thoughtful moue. Had she misremembered Rue’s words? It was totally possible. She thought back to her own meeting with the man and shook her head. No, he had definitely mentioned traveling with Germanicus, late last summer.

Cue the Unsolved Mysteries theme music, Towhee muttered under her breath. Louder, she said to Kallik, I met him once myself, way before I ever met Germanicus. He said they were traveling together. And then Rue said they were ‘a package deal’ not long before the caldera disbanded… um, all that to say, he’s some guy who was, at least at one point in time, important to the Imperator. Now the real question is: where is Crowfeather?

She would have to ask Rue about it sometime. In the meantime, she wondered if Kallik would ask about the caldera or anything else she’d said. She doubted it, since he didn’t seem very conversational. She didn’t really mind. Towhee was now eager to wrap this dual patrol so she could go pester the Matrona, among other things.

Towhee murmured something under her breath that Kallik didn't catch. 

She went on to explain that Crowfeather was someone who was important to the imperator. If that was the case, then why wasn't the man here in the canyon? Was he another soldier? Or maybe he was a civilian and that's why he hadn't been here at first; but then why not now? The other soldier was right: where was Crowfeather?

Kallik shrugged despite his interest in the subject. I'm sure there is an explanation. Whatever it was, it sounded like the imperator's business. Kallik certainly wouldn't be asking him about it.

Kallik didn’t have any more answers than Towhee, but somebody did, as he pointed out. She nodded at him, saying nothing. She was certain Rue would know, though it occurred to her that maybe there was some reason nobody had so much as mentioned Crowfeather’s name…

Anyway, I think you’ve got this area covered, so I’m gonna peel off and patrol elsewhere, she decided a few minutes later. The tip of her tail twitched and she bobbed her head at Kallik. Ambush ya later, she quipped in parting.