it was awfully quiet out here.
no talking, no footsteps, not even music. she had been so used to steady stream of noisy sounds that the wilderness had taken its toll on her, but she was determined.
dirty snow slush stained the lighter parts of her paws and underbelly. something she should work to clean off when she found a place to rest.
for now, she followed the creek.
softly hummed a mindless tune to herself.
she did not slow when she saw the other, even though she was aware they weren't the same. this woman seemed to align more with some of the...wilder beasts, nala had seen.
still. there were no slobbering jowls opening to snap teeth at her or even bad posturing.
instead the woman seemed friendly.
nala's tail became a wispy flag of returned friendliness. oh! hello!
called out with all the eagerness of somebody who had not seen a friendly face in such a long time.
oh, something like that.
she answered as she rolled her head to coyly look away from the woman. it felt like that was all she did. stroll.
this woman came bearing great titles though. fancy words that nala did not understand.
what is a...sesh and physician of akash...akashingo?
none of these words were she familiar with.
she looked to the herbs. still clueless on what akashingo even was, but that was okay. maybe she'd find out later.
oh! no, not really. i'd actually...really like the company. if you don't have to go yet, of course.
she laughed, perhaps a bit too loud and bubbly for the soft company of tavina.
i'm nala — of...not akashingo, i don't think.
yes! well, i think yes? i don't actually know what teekons is but i guess it is here?
she bubbled with laughter at herself. how foolish she felt! perhaps the wild doctor woman would take pity on her.
i'm sorry.
a little bit more laughter, softer this time. i'm adjusting and i find myself...confused a lot. everything is so different and i'm so different!
she gestured with her muzzle from her own chest towards the other woman.
look at the two of them!
a coyote. she was certain she had heard about them before, though had she met one? well, she could not say!
i don't think so. although it's not often i'm greeted with a friendly face at all!
all of this still spoken with bright, bubbliness as opposed to any sort of disdain. she supposed if a strange creature showed up on her doorstep she'd too be alarmed by its arrival. it was the way of the world it seemed.
perhaps this teekons place will be a nice change.
oh!
her face grew hot beneath her salt and peppered fur. she knew she was...well, nala was aware that she not the ugliest creature out there even if she was far off from most of the beasts she encountered. however she had not grown used to such compliments. especially from the stronger wolves who lurked in the wilderness.
she was thankful for the chance to not fumble with the compliment and instead talk about where this woman was from, her work.
what's it like where you're at?
maybe they were all like tavina, kind and warm.
nala had never considered herself a prude but...whoever he wanted? despite the fact that he had a queen and...
her gut churned some, silent thought. this place was not at all like the woman before her was. proven by the fact that the physician seemed disinterested in it as well. relief, perhaps, radiated off of nala at this revelation.
why can't you just go be a phys-phy-doctor,
she finally squeezed out. elsewhere? if you just wander and have to look for conversations you actually want.
none of it worded rudely! more mild curiosity than anything else.
nala would not pretend to understand, but she also would not judge! if this woman was happy then all was well, she supposed.
good ones.
she laughed with bubbly humor. i used to share songs and stories. i'd like to find somewhere to do that again with kind faces — like you.
a soft tease in her tone as her feathery tail whipped behind her with friendly eagerness.
we'll get there soon.
she teased with warmth.
now let's see...oh! well, the queen-turned-duck unexpectedly laid eggs that hatched into three ducklings. and the witch hated this. so she sought to, well...kill the ducklings. so she did just that at night when they slept soundly.
morbidly awful, but thankfully the story did not end there.
the queen duck obviously mourned over the lost of her ducklings and she cried — quacked, really — over it for some time. even when the king returned. the witch who posed as his queen still tried to convince him that it was nothing more than just a duck quacking, but the king wished for the duck to be captured so he might see. however nobody that he sent to do it could manage to snag her.
some curl of her lips as she happily trailed after tavina.
do you know who could catch the queen duck?