Crux watched as the girl swiped at the surface of the water and when she glanced back at him he suddenly jolted into a more upright sitting position, her grin felt like it was beaming like the sun. Her question caught him off guard, more because he'd been wrapped up in his own thoughts than because it was a particularly surprising question. He rose to his paws as he spoke, moving towards the lake, he made sure he was giving her space as he moved to lay on his stomach at the lake's edge. "I came here to pick some herbs before winter. There aren't as many where I'm from." Sure they had the woods but the mountains that shielded them from the cruel northern winds also made it harder for many plants to grow... And he knew well enough nothing was growing on the beach.
"It's a bit of a trek." He was looking out at the other side of the lake, but he glanced at her as he jerked his head back towards his cuffed leg which due to the way his ankle was bent stuck out at an angle as it couldn't be tucked under him the way his other hind leg was. His tone was light, some days he hated his leg but most days it was just a part of who he was and he'd learned being bitter over it would get him no where. No all the better to worry incessantly instead. "I was just getting a drink after the trip when..." He trailed off, hoping she'd understand. He hadn't had a chance to collect anything so had nothing to show for his story.
