Swiftcurrent Creek from the kiri tree

@Danica

Ever since her encounter with the big, black wolf, Leaf had changed. It was a subtle change--as such were the nature of all animals--but one nonetheless, and she returned home to her pack lands with a renewed sense of purpose. Though she would continue her feeble attempts to gather food for the pack as Bazi had wished, she was also more determined to--well, to tell have truth spoken. The miscommunication between her and the big, black wolf, and all the mistakes he had made grated on her soul. While it was true it was mostly because she was emotionally invested in the male wolf, she dismissed it as mere foolishness on his part that needed to be corrected. Or at the very least, he needed to obtain better counsel. Frowning like a bitter, old woman, the little red wolf paced about Women's Glade. Though she did not know the glade was named such, it did seem an appropriate place to brood or even to gossip. A spring was nearby, and she drank the fresh waters with relish before rolling onto her back, where she played with the dappled light with both eyes and paws. "Won't you come and see" she began to recite in verses, "loneliness? Just one leaf--" Her voice grew faint among the afternoon breeze.

Danica wasn't in the toppest of moods today. Not that this was too unusual for her, but today moreso than most. As such, she was wandering with a bit more ire than usual, on a hunt for the sheer pleasure of getting to sink her teeth into something. What that something was she had little care. She knew she could always find a good fight by wandering in the direction of those peaks, but her heart wasn't in it like usual. Her apathy and frustration would only spoil what could be a rather fun experience.

She was stalking a trail when she heard a voice, and rather than continue, she gravitated towards the sound. To her surprise, she found she was not in the mood to be alone. Normally when others approached her it was a nuisance; now, she intended to impose on another.

To her surprise, the words belonged to one who at first glance appeared almost as Fox... but no, not the leader. Definitely fox-like in appearance. Yet she didn't make a jest as she normally would. Perhaps another time when she didn't care about the other's presence.

"Poetry?" she asked, not bothering to announce her presence or give the usual formalities. She hadn't heard the like in a long time and thought perhaps she was mistaken. But it made her a bit more glad all the same. Rough and blunt she may be but she did have an appreciation for well-spoken words.

Though given to the usual formalities, the little red wolf was also something of a conformist. As such, she followed the older and higher-ranked wolf's lead without hesitation: "Haiku." Remaining on the ground where she was, figuring that this was as submissive as could be anyways, she once more repeated her poetry, this time in its entirety: "Won't you come and see / Loneliness? Just one leaf / from the Kiri tree." Finally turning her gaze onto the other wolf, she realized it was the same one whom Galileo had greeted with a smile. For a moment, she felt a prick of protectiveness but realized it was misplaced. After all, if Galileo had liked this female wolf, then she should, too. "Your turn," she said with a small smile as she slowly rolled onto her stomach and sat up. Aside from first impressions, the little wolf had even littler reason to judge Danica as unapproachable. Yes, her stance was a bit formal, maybe stiff, but it came with her rank.

An unusual thing in these parts and a surprising one to hear here. Danica listened with appreciation to the entirety of it. When the little wolf said it was her turn, she laughed. "Sorry, little fox, I don't do poetry. Love to listen, though." Danica wasn't introspective enough nor flowery enough for that pastime. Art critique and appreciation were more her forte.

"So, is the leaf lonely because it sits alone spouting words to the wind," she asked wryly. She didn't know if the poem was literal or not but it did pose a funny picture.

Leaf could not help but frown in disappointment. How she would have loved to spout poetry together! She had yet to find another wolf who enjoyed the pastime. Shrugging her shoulders as if to say "it cannot be helped," she listened carefully to her pack mate's words and shook her head. "No, her poetry is merely a symptom of her condition. She's always been lonely, you see." Offering a small smile, which did not reveal much of what she understood, she cocked her head. "But you could not relate, yes?" In truth, the little red wolf was more lonely than she usually was. Her mind slowly drifted to the big, black wolf she had become enamored with at the Sunspire. But it suddenly blanked hot red. Feeling her face flush, she quickly forced herself to maintain composure. Hopefully her face had not revealed any more than her words already had.

Danica took note of the disappointment but could do nothing for it; she hadn't the creativity nor the desire. She was gracious in it, however. As to her response, it caught Danica off guard. She wasn't used to such frank accusations and she wasn't sure how to respond. The other wolf wasn't wrong.

She wasn't accustomed to sharing such things, but her current attitude was a lot of 'what the hell?' So why not? "Perhaps I understand," she responded, somewhat wary. The thing she didn't undwrstand was why, for she had many here that she would consider friends. Anytime she thought about the looks between Scim and Bazi, however, she knew that, while great, it would never be enough. She had no way of knowing that her current companions thoughts traversed a similar subject.

"So how does the leaf fix this?" She asked, unable to help herself.