Ravensblood Forest in a cave on a failed bit of terraforming

He snapped at one fluttering leaf, then another, and then turned when he heard more crackling so as to grab at the falling leaves he predicted would be there - and instead there was an angry face. A stranger's face. The boy stutter-stepped and reared back a bit, eyes wide and ears pivoting forwards, then backwards, in quick succession. The ruddy red of his scruff had spiked when he heard the voice, and it took a second before Nassim understood what was happening. He breathed deeply; releasing the tension and anxiety caused by the sudden appearance, and finding the scent of the forest quite soothing.

Dude! I'm so sorry, he blurted as he backed up, looking more like a startled colt than a wolf (he would've been rewarded greatly in a dressage ring for his ability to reign back). When his butt bumped a tree trunk, he stopped. That good? The last thing Nassim wanted was to make anyone angry, especially at himself. In an effort to appease the stranger, Nassim boldly declared: You chose an amazing place to make your home!