SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE

Though he was more than a year and a half old, Talon was very much a child still. He was painfully naive and withdrawn, and rather undersized for his age, it was not apparent he was much more than a yearling -- if that. It was not common for him to wander in the darkness of night, but he felt particularly bold this night. The shimmering stars overhead cast pretty shadows down on the ground, and he crept quietly from the enclosure in which he slept,

After a fair bit of wandering, he found himself growing confused and afraid. In the distance he heard the chatter of wolves, and he continuously looked over his shoulder -- part of him was certain Isardis would be waiting there, scolding him for wandering at such an hour. His heart raced wildly, pounding incessantly inside his fragile chest. His pace increased, vision clouding as he pressed onward, struggling to regain his sense of direction and head back to his den.

He hadn't expected to run into another, but he hadn't been paying attention ... and he ran straight into a pretty white lady. Immediately he wondered if it was his Euph, but he blinked and backed up, realizing it was nobody he knew. "I'm so sorry," he stammered, his eyes wide as he watched her, taking a few steps backward. His tail curled between his legs, and he looked utterly terrified for a long moment."I-I didn't mean to!"