A Great, Wide World of Wonder

His comment about craning his neck to talk to her brought one of those shy half smiles to the girl’s features as she gazed down at him. “You do have to look way up, huh?”

She glanced up, craning her own head to peer at Aelloshir, but the cat feigned oblivion, mutely refusing to help her get down to ground level within reach of the wolf he still deemed a stranger and not worthy of sharing his charge with.

She clicked her tongue against her teeth slightly before lowering to her belly on the stones, as though that might help her new friend’s neck craning issue a little. Her head cocked as he spoke of how his father had only been allowed to give him a surname, but she didn’t pressure him for information.

Her ears took in the admission that he’d never officially met a pack wolf, and she smiled, glad they were at least similar in this respect—neither had met a pack wolf, and she’d never met a loner. Until now, of course. “I’m not disappointed at all. You’re nice. I know not everyone is, though…” Why else would her family warn her so firmly to be wary of strangers?

Her intense eyes darted aside at his astute observation, and she shook her head. “I’m scared, but a strong wolf admits fear, and faces it. That’s what my Da says, and he’s the best leader in the world.” Childish certainty filled her features. Of course, given her short life, she’d not been given the chance to see others leading packs, so she had nothing to go off of or compare to. She simply viewed her father’s pronouncements that he needed to be a better leader as modesty on his part.

In a softer voice, she added, “I have big paw prints to fill. That’s all.”

She listened, worry again dashed aside, enthralled at his stories of where he’d been born and grown up. She’d never seen a fruit before, and determined that she would have to go to the Orchard and see these trees for herself once she was old enough. She smiled, offering, “My twin brother and I were born in our parents’ alcove in the family Seat. It’s a cave that goes waaay back into a hill with lots of trees on it. There are a bunch of chambers and alcoves. It’s really quite pretty. The walls are black, and yellow sparkles flow through it like… tree branches. Da says it’s black marble and veins of gold.”

Her head cocked as she studied him with that childhood wisdom before she asked, quite honestly, “Is it hard? Being alone?”

Leave it to a child to ask those tough questions.

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think