Burr swept across the packlands on growing limbs, noting for the first time ever that the wind was growing colder as the season progressed. His belly and his instincts both knew that autumn and winter were coming, but he'd never lived through either before. Recently he had been hungrier than ever, nearly insatiable, and that food was beginning to build his body into something thicker and taller than it had been before. It was still a few weeks before Burr's growth spurt would really kick in, but it was undeniably close. The bulk he put on now would stretch with him until he was tall and thin by winter's coming, a typical juvenile.
The forest was changing significantly as well, with leaves falling and blazing in colours he'd never seen on trees before. Burr took notice as he padded slowly through the sparse woods, having avidly avoided the part of the territory where Valette or her pups could be found, and that was how he came across the silvery she-wolf who seemed to be sleeping. Burr's steps slowed and he eyed her cautiously, but his curled tail shook twice as he spotted her freckles, so much like Nikai only dark on light, and he turned toward her. "Hi," he offered quietly. If she responded, great. If not, no skin off his back.
Burr had never before encountered or even heard of a disability, so he didn't understand Keoni in the slightest beyond what was instinctive. She rose to her paws with a wag of her dusky tail that set Burr's curled one waving as well, but instead of verbally acknowledging him, Burr was left to puzzle over an inquisitive head tilt. He unconsciously mimicked the motion himself so that his large ears flopped sideways. Perhaps she hadn't heard him? Sometimes Rowana pretended that she couldn't hear anything he said. Burr didn't think Keoni had any reason to do that, but he couldn't put the possibility aside. With a timid smile, the boy asked, "what's your name? I'm Burr."