Beating Heart

"Lucky you! It's impossibly difficult to look like an overgrown pup." Her eyes lit up, lips curling into a catty smile. "I apologize, I shouldn't find your strife so funny."

"Well in that case I suppose I'd have to go at it alone and valiantly take down the prey! And then share with the delicate maiden, of course. Unless she would be a suitable distraction, I'm sure anyone can herd prey. That would save me a lot of effort." She tipped her nose up, ears flipped back and then rushed forward again. "You are fortunate, I can hunt." She restrained herself from stabbing a comment at his disproportions again.

"That's right. After we moved from my homelands, we ended up in an area called Taejin in lands known as Aethelis. My parents brought our pack there, and founded a new one. My brother leads it now." She nodded, not even attempting to pronounce the name of his pack for herself. She could taste the word vomit on her tongue and knew she would butcher it if she tried.

When he spoke again his words were long and thoughtful. As he spoke of how life was short and family could not always protect you she became thoughtful too. "I'm sorry, I talk too much! To really answer your question, I guess I really don't know yet, specifically. I'm taking it day by day." She smiled, lacking effort. "No worries. Everyone always says how life is short. I prefer to look at it as 'life is for the living.'"

Azalea stood up now, stretching out her legs. "Getting out and exploring the world is the only good way to learn to stand on your own. I do the same as you only I return home." She didn't think her family really enjoyed her independence (or rather her freedom), they would much rather she stay in Valhalla learning to be good and gracious to her pack mates and how to hunt. How to become a leader.