tonight the foxes hunt the hounds

Arivae stopped in her tracks when her eyes got glimpse of a cloud that was very familiar. Hmm...she knew the name, but how did one pronounce it? She turned her eyes downward, pulling her lips in and groaning softly. It was a cloud that was centered in the middle of the sky...not too high, and not too low. It looked like scattered puffs of cotton, or, from where she stood...steps to heaven. Arivae smiled weakly. She could recall the cumulus cloud, and the massive one, called the cumulonimbus. But she just couldn't remember this one! What strategy had she used to remember it...? There was wind, altitu- alto! Altocumulus! Feeling so accomplished, Arivae jumped to her paws, grinning.

But a foreign voice to her left had shattered her joy. Startled, Arivae spun around and lowered into a sloppy-looking defensive stance, her tail swishing back and forth behind her. Her knees trembled, but her eyes narrowed fiercely. Which, turned out to be all for nothing. Standing there was a moderately-sized girl, with russet fur and black ears. Even a little white located on her muzzle, circular-shaped. Her voice seemed friendly enough, once she thought about it. The dark girl slowly rose from her stance and giggled nervously. "Er, hi there!" She greeted her, tilting her head and grinning crookedly. Arivae lowered herself onto her hindquarters, her tail thumping against the ground frantically.