Sly Fox Sand Dunes primera

her ears flicked forwards when she heard the stranger speak, then back, and seemed undecided about where they should rest. she shook her head. s'ari surprised me, she answered, using the stranger's name so that she could remember it better.

mercedes had a strong accent of her own, having grown up with her Spanish-speaking grandmother; but her common was pretty good regardless of that. me being... mercedes. sure, she could have given another name, or made something up on the spot, but the novelty of introducing herself at all was not lost on her. until now mercedes had been a very lonely girl.

i've never done that before, she explained, feeling her cheeks go warm.