Perhaps she would've felt a bit less cold toward her family if someone had come looking for her. Perhaps she would've even gone home. Though she was quickly nearing two years of age, she still subconsciously yearned for her family; she wanted to belong somewhere, and she had never quite felt that way, even when she'd lived among the Destructions back in Sawtooth. Was it because Descant had died at such a young age that she felt something was missing? Or perhaps it was because of her mother's abandonment, even though the rest of her family considered it justified? She felt no more at home here in Secretua than she had anywhere else. She felt on edge being approached suddenly, even by a face she considered friendly, and she bristled silently on the inside as he began to speak to her.
Eirik was honestly her only friend -- unless she considered Requiem and Dutiron her friends. The small girl searched his face, watching something like happiness appear and dance across his pleasant features. With some effort she would mirror the expression, her own tail flicking restlessly behind her. "Hi," she would greet him finally. There was part of her that was certain he might have come to punish her, for not showing up at the last pack meeting, and for keeping to herself far more often than was necessary. But his demeanor was nonthreatening and pleasant and he continued talking, no hint of irritation in his deep tones. "I'm okay," she replied, her tone slightly guarded. "How are you?" Though she considered Eirik a friend, she didn't really know a lot about him, other than that a good part of Secretua's population was his family. "I'm sorry I'm not around more."
Would her apology suffice? He seemed genuinely happy to see her -- why, she didn't entirely know -- and it made her feel guilty for hiding so often. Quietly she would watch him, assessing his reaction to her presence as though it might suddenly change, as though he might be done talking to her so soon after finding her.
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