The golden glow of summer waned against the ushering of fall. Called up river by some strong, internal song, the salmon rushed in droves from the expansive lake. Stragglers remained, their pink flashing bodies streamlined and ever-moving beneath the clear waters. 

Artemisia sat on the shore, her tail tucked primly over her paws. The new day brought the hinting chill of changing seasons, and she turned her muzzle towards the gentle breeze. From her place on the pebbled beach, she watched the masterpiece theater of ecosystem, audience and actor alike.

Artemisia angled an ear towards the bark before she turned her head. She remained seated, but kept alert, assessing the stranger with a pale blue gaze. 

A shock of sienna adorned his face, as vibrant as the leaves that had just started to turn. Sia barked a greeting of her own, her tail thumping against her feet. "Beautiful day, is it not?"

She'd never been pessimistic of spirit. Naive, perhaps, but Artemisia was one to see good until she had a reason not to. Strangers were possibilities, and she regarded the other wolf with a kind, almost diminutive stare. 

"Those too busy to notice the world around them are often preoccupied with something." Her eyes met the other wolf's, inquisitive bordering on nosy. "Are you?"