Staring up at Akito, waiting for his response. She couldn’t help but peer deeper into those grey eyes. They reminded her of the moon- a solitary celestial pearl, suspended in a cosmic tapestry. One that was often hidden away behind a wall of clouds, emerging in the night when peering eyes were fast asleep- and yet, the moon had the power to control the tides of the ocean. Stoical and powerful. It was fitting, seeing that his face was adorned in darker hues. A celestial pattern adorning his pelt, making him look like the nighttime sky. And Clove loved the stars.
Her gift seemed to have caught him off guard- perhaps he wasn’t expecting her to show up, let alone bring him something. For a second, she feels like it might have been a silly thing to do. But then, Akito actually laughs. It's short and airy, but a show of emotion nonetheless. And that brings a smile to her face too. “Of course I remembered. It was a really fun day.” She says, motioning towards the bag again. “There are red, purple, and green ones in there. I thought you’d like a variety.” Is what she follows with, when he says I am sure they will be delicious.
Peering out at the expanse of bamboo, she’s sure he will pick up on her eagerness to explore the maze. But there is an obvious hesitation in Akito- his brow knitting together, as he sighs and glances around. Was he not allowed to have visitors? The wagging of her tail slowed to a stop, but she continued to look up at him.
Oh, so he couldn’t show her the actual maze. Admittedly, she was disappointed. And she wanted to question him on why, but didn’t want to be pushy. If there was a reason he couldn’t take her inside, it must have been an important one. Maybe he’d talk about it later. “Oh... okay. Well, maybe next time?” She said softly, voice trailing off. She was expecting him to suggest they leave the bamboo all together and hang out somewhere else. But the michevioms gleam in his eye, preluded something else. And it excited her.
So when he told her to follow, she didn’t hesitate to do so. Falling in place beside him, close enough where she could feel the warmth radiating off his pelt. She was so small compared to him, a mere shadow in his wake. And yet, she didn’t feel intimidated. It was… comforting, in an odd way. And it made the fire in her belly grow warmer. Tall boys were so cute.
Walking along the wall of the bamboo, Clove kept surveying their surroundings. Enjoying the last bit of warmth autumn provided, and the soft breeze that rattled the stalks of bamboo. Here and there she would look up at him. Surveying his face for any hints of his plan. And finally, she broke the silence. “My sister hosted a ball in the castle not long ago- we had dancing, singing, food, games… It was a really great time.” Trying to make conversation, she kept talking. “She sent invitations to yearlings from all over- did your pack get one?” Truthfully, she hadn’t seen Akito at the ball- even though he’d been there, somewhere in the crowd. It was quite surprising that she hadn’t seen him at all that night- but there had been so many wolves, it was hard to keep track of everyone.
Already her mind was filling with thoughts of what could have happened if she invited Akito directly instead of Wilder, who disappeared after dancing with her one time.
"Speech"
