((We're just gonna wave our hands at the Valta challenge and then not think about it in this post lol))

It seemed her mother and father chose to spend a decent amount of time outside the place that they smelled so much like. But as far as the little girl was aware she was allowed to go into those places. Not that Hag was particularly concerned about allowed or not. She didn't really understand it. Hag just wanted to go so she did. The biggest thing that kept her close was how long it took her to get places, hard to move super far when you're as close to the ground as she was. At least for now at least, she had only just mastered not falling over the moment her balance went away, still fell over more than not though. That said these caverns were nice, her eyes hurt a lot less here! The big ball in the sky, which she had learned was called the sun, was pretty painful for the tiny girl. Her skin was already sore from the blisters it gave her when she went out in the light. But no matter how much her parents might have warned her Hag wasn't likely to be stopped in doing so any time soon. Once she was older maybe. But for now she liked being in the dark and the damp. How long the girl had been sat there, watching water drip from the roof to a pool of water she did not know. Totally normal young kid stuff y'know... Watching water slowly drip onto the ground. "Speech"

Lineart by Silvered.foxx and coloured by Nacho!

Redrum padded silently through the dimly lit caverns, seeking out a challenge in the form of a hunt. He always did better in the dark, on account of his bright fur. The shadows embraced him like an old friend, offering him more camouflage than the sun ever had. As he navigated the passages, Redrum caught sight of a small figure huddled by a pool of water, her pelt a stark contrast to the murky terrain around her. The young girl, whom he recognized as one of the younger members of the pack, seemed lost in her own world, oblivious to the dangers that lurked within the gorge. It reminded him of his first outing, and the scar at the base of his skull began to throb painfully.

With a little bit of haste, Redrum approached her, his steps careful so as not to startle her. She was so small. He didn’t even think he had ever been that small. "Hello." He called softly, his boyish voice cutting through the silence in the cavern. "Redrum wonders – what little fish – is doing." He asked, his tone a mixture of concern and genuine curiosity. That was her name right? He thought his mother had pointed her out as such once before. Something about fish. He crouched down beside her, his golden eyes reflecting the faint glow of the cavern walls as he waited for a response.

""

Hag realized she wasn't alone pretty quickly, a quick glance barely even a real look was all the confirmation she needed but the small girl didn't even really react her attention immediately returning to the falling water. She didn't even physically react when the red boy got closer. Her first reaction was to his words, the barest hint of a smile cracking her face and a strange, short, stilted giggle leaving her lungs. She still did not look at him. "I am not a fish. I'm a wolf." Her voice barely held any inflection and his meaning clearly had gone straight over her head. But of this Hag was sure, she'd seen fish. Dad often brought them fish, because her mom liked them. She looked nothing like a fish! "I'm watching the water." Came the simple answer to his question. He was looking at her, crouched close by but Hag was used to not really understanding boundaries and she didn't seem to notice much either way. "See, it's falling." The words were usually used as an indication to observe but her tone remained flat. "I'm watching the water."

Lineart by Silvered.foxx and coloured by Nacho!

Her reaction was somewhat different from other children he had met. Where their attention was immediately focused on him and asking questions, this girl’s distant gaze remained fixed on the cascading water, seemingly lost in her own world. His attempt at a nickname for her had elicited a faint smile and an odd giggle, a response that caused his own twitchy to spread rapidly across his maw. Funny thing, she was. But her words, devoid of inflection, emphasized her detachment from the moment. Really though, who was he to complain?

Redrum studied Hag for a moment. Then, he chose to sit in silence, offering his quiet presence as a form of understanding to the girl. And for a few moments, he could only hear the sound of the water dripping.

But they couldn’t really watch water all day, could they? “Yes– It’s falling. Do– you like– it?” He questioned, wondering if she liked other things, or if it was in fact only water. Like a fish.

""

Hag liked other wolves. She liked them very much, she just... Never seemed to show it. A twitch of her tail, was the response his decision to sit down would elicit. Aside from when she occasionally played with her siblings, played being use loosely, that was probably the next closest thing to her tail properly wagging she'd yet to do. It was probably only her family who knew her well enough right now who would have been able to tell she was happy to have company. The red boy spoke again, asking if she liked the water and for the first time Hag properly turned to look at him, cherry gaze impossibly wide. Not because she was curious but because she kinda just looked like that. "I don't know." Which was probably not the answer he was expecting. "I like momma and daddy, and Coho and Goo," whose full name she had yet to really manage to say, "and Molly, and Muskie." Hag was really more musing aloud, sort of at the boy rather than explaining to him. "But I do not feel the same things about the water." Nevermind that she did in fact have other hobbies, she'd yet to really grasp the idea of enjoyment as a concrete thing. She was drawn to playing with the small rodents her dad sometimes brought back, sought out watching the crows when they went to pick apart a body but she didn't know she liked them yet. "I probably want to like you." She added, turning her attention back to the rivulets of water dripping from the ceiling. Hag wasn't sure if she did like him yet, wasn't sure if she was allowed to. "Speech"

Lineart by Silvered.foxx and coloured by Nacho!

Redrum listened intently as Hag responded, her words revealing a bit of her inner world, a world where affection wasn’t expressed and words didn’t mean… what they meant. It wasn’t too hard to grasp for him, what with Medusa as his mother. He observed her face for any subtle change, searching for any signs that his presence might not be welcomed.

Her cherry gaze, wide and bright, met his own, and he stared back. She didn't know if she liked the water, just as she didn't know if she liked him. As she listed off the names of those she liked, Redrum grinned at the simplicity of her affection. Her mention of wanting to like him stirred something within him, and he thought it wouldn’t be so bad if he made that list too. “Red– probably wants—- to like –you too.” It was a simple declaration, his words soft but sincere, unsure if they would resonate with her.

""