hold onto me...

They were a strange brood of children, and he cast his gaze upon them with an obvious interest and slight wariness. One didn't seem to notice him, too caught up in his own whining, while the other two looked a bit startled and even a bit afraid of him. Áki would keep his distance, peering at the strange-colored wolves through the thick darkness, their pelts shining like something from another world, glimmering from beneath the moonlight. Upon further inspection, he noted the woman's horns as she tilted her head to the ground, as though revealing them to him. A faint smile would dance over his lips, amusement shimmering in his eyes.

"I can assure you that I am no monster," he spoke again, his voice deep and laced with kindness, despite the natural hardness of his tones. It was strange to see another so strange; he'd always thought himself one in a million. His parents had not been tusked, nor had he ever seen another wolf with tusks, and though this woman's were on her head and looked a bit different they were far too similar for him to ignore. "What a beautiful family," the brute would comment sincerely as he took a step closer. They were all quite unique, far from normal -- and he found his smile widening slightly.

What brought him here? He was a wanderer; a roamer by nature, not one accustomed to settling in one place for long, and the strangeness of this forest had enticed him to explore it. "I am but a wanderer," he would explain briefly, finding no need to dwell on what had brought him here -- he was significantly more interested in the group before him. "My name is Áki. What are you called?"