By the time he stopped drifting towards her, there was little space separating them. His larger body cast a shadow over her pelt, blocking the rays of sunshine that crept through the canopy of willow trees. Even with his proximity, she tried to keep the conversation light and airy, still naive to the intentions swarming behind those volcanic eyes of his. His voice was a deep rumble… she felt the baritones in her chest when he spoke, vibrating her very core which brought out another flare of red in her cheeks. “It was a v-very long swim,” A short pause, before she continued. “And y-yes… it’s very lonely.” She said, almost breathlessly. “But I-I’m friends with the animals there.” She added, thinking of the small woodland creatures who lived near her den. There were also sea creatures who came to the shore, like turtles and seals… which she occasionally played with.
And when he answered her question, she couldn’t help the bewildered expression that replaced her sheepish smile. He protected himself… did that mean he was alone too? The thought was quick, as it morphed into confusion when he made an obvious statement. She couldn’t protect herself. It was a fact she rarely thought about, given her home was basically a sanctuary. But now that she was so far from home, practically wallowing in the dirt at the feet of a complete stranger, the reality of her inability to protect herself was staring her right in the face. Looming over her really. “I-I know how to run from jaguars and stuff,” She explained, only perceiving danger in the form of predators larger than herself. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the concept of another wolf wanting to harm her, so it never became a thought.
Do you have a name? A few moments passed before she responded. “V-Vaia.” Her voice was soft, nearly a whisper as she answered him. Her mind was spinning, as she tried to think of what to do or say next. With each second that passed, she felt herself crawling deeper into her shell. "What i-is yours?" Her ears pinned against her head, and she dared to glance up at him, but the intensity of his gaze forced her to look away again.
"Speech"
