Along the borderline

After a bit of time looking at the water and looking past the border into the pack's land Nico started to think it was a bad idea.  This wasn’t a forest or a grassy area he could find a hiding spot if need be.  If a wolf wanted to chase him down there was nowhere for Nico to go.  Not that he was scared of a wolf!  Pride surfaced to debate with sound logic.

“We should go,” the boy finally acknowledged to Echo.

The black and white magpie snapped his beak at Nico’s scruff, it was a great show of agitation yet all it did was move some of the fuzz around.  Echo had no intention of hurting the pup it was traveling with.  To the bird's mind, they made beautiful music together and were grand traveling companions.  Also, not that he would tell Nico but the bird knew the pup was far too young to be alone, and Echo increased the chances of him surviving most likely more than the boy realized.

“Let's go.” The bird responded back.

Even as Nico started to turn, chest and shoulders twisting to face around the boy heard a voice.  He almost ran but then realized how young the voice was.  Glancing back over his shoulder the boy spotted a wolf pup.  Well, that didn’t seem to dangerous nor did he seem to want to eat Nico by the expression.  Well, if he had Nico would show him real fast who the stronger of the two was.

Nico turned about to head toward the other kid.  “I was walkin in the water.  It feels funny with the sand underneath.”  Was this news to the kid or had he already figured out the strangeness of the beach?  “Boy aren’t you a buncha colors,” Nico added on, seeing as the kid wasn’t a coyote eater.  “Bet ya gonna have a hard time sneaking up on your food huh.”

“Let’s go.” Echo tugged on Nico’s ear in a reminder this wasn’t part of the plan.

“Ah Echo, you worry too much.”

This earned Nico a slightly harder tug at the ear.  This time Nico just ignored the bird, more curious about the other pup.

"Niko"