Whitebark Stream into the fray

A cacophony of sound could be heard from overhead. The pup turned his attention to the aspen trees that quivered with the touch of feathers. A small group of birds seemed to have been quarreling above.
 
Kiyoshi watched quietly. His blue eyes were trained to the movement in the branches and then to the rare sight of the pale brown on the bird itself. He could hear the noisy chirping and calling. For a moment, he wondered if the creatures were in pain or distress. Unable to understand the feathered creatures, the child watched with a stoic sort of expression on his face.

the boy was one of the dark woman's brood, the she-wolf he hadn't properly met yet. the lack of introduction had kept him away from her whelping den, but today, surya strayed closer, noticing the gray child outside his usual haunt. he was watching a bird. the yearling stopped dead in his tracks.

to come closer might mean startling the pup's entertainment, and he certainly didn't want to do that. instead, he slowly, gently lowered himself to his belly, blinking rapidly in the boy's direction. perhaps the twinkling of emerald would catch his attention; surya knew he couldn't call out in this circumstance.

For some time, the child was unaware that another shape had come into the picture. He had trained his sights on the bustling birds until their wings beat together and they flew from the tree and into the blue beyond. Almost within the same instant, that glimmer of emerald caught his eye. The boy turned his head and latched his sights on the agouti figure who was not far away.
 
A small fluttering of his tail was issued in greeting to the stranger. A stranger, but Kiyoshi had seen this male before, in passing. He had spent a great deal of time watching the comings and goings of the other wolves within the pack. Their names remained unknown to the child. The young Draconid rose to his chunky legs and approached the golden male confidently. His eyes glimmered as he looked up into the green gaze of the man. “Hello,” the boy spoke.

his eyes, too, followed the bird in its departure upward—and then locked onto the boy, who had noticed him and was coming closer. hello, surya responded, heartened and slightly amused by his courage. he was around the same age as the timid, emotional chhotu, right? perhaps even a little younger?

my name is surya, he introduced himself, tail beating softly behind him in greeting. what's yours?

maybe he would have to resort to a nickname which would be eventually butchered. . .he snorted softly as he thought of 'chubu.' but his eyes were sincere as he stared at the pup, a gentle smile upon his face.

The greeting was returned to him. This pleased the young puppy considerably, warming him to this new wolf.
 
’My name is Surya.’
 
This was the first time that the young puppy had heard an introduction of only one name. He looked up at the wolf called Surya with intense blue eyes, turning his head to the side once to show this confusion. The young Draconid lacked many of the words needed to inquire about such a thing. He reached up with his paws, wobbling on his thick hind legs.
 
“One name?” the boy inquired. Knowing that it was rude to ignore the question of the other, the large pup lowered his paws and made a better presentation of himself. “Kiyoshi Draconid,” was his answer, and he did so with a firm nod of his large head. The more that he had gotten to say his name, the better he had gotten at it.

one name? surya cocked his head in confusion, though realized a beat later what the boy meant when his introduction came with a surname. ah, yes, he answered, grinning. one name. his family was not in the business of giving out multiple monikers; why this was, he didn't know.

nice to meet you, kiyoshi draconid, surya added, impressed at how regal it sounded. the pup could have been a prince—was his mother some kind of queen? only those of royalty had such a stately pair of names. i hope i didn't disturb your bird-watching.

he sort of did, but that was past them now. he wondered whether kiyoshi draconid knew the birds for prey and not pals.

The fellow called Surya was a polite wolf. This was pleasing for the young puppy, as he had not had many experiences with adults who would speak to him regularly. Though his vocabulary was limited, something in him could recognize that the golden-cloaked wolf was respectful in his nature and it made their interaction easier.
 
“No disturb,” Kiyoshi assured him with a small shake of his large puppy head.
 
“Birds good snack,” the pup then remarked in a simple tone to the adult figure. His head swung around so that he could gaze up at Surya. He wondered if his new friend would agree to such a sentiment. Kiyoshi had only had a few tastes of bird from the bits his mother had provided. He believed it to be a delicate treat.

so sorry for the wait on this <3

surya felt better about the situation once he knew he wasn't being intrusive. he nodded sagely at the boy's remark, sharing that opinion. i agree, he replied. not a very big snack, but very tasty. very different from larger prey—even from the squirrels or rabbits.

and birds could fly. birds were just. . .different.

have you caught one, yet? he asked to make conversation. kiyoshi was a young talent, indeed, if he had caught one of the flighty creatures at his age. but you never did know; he might have gotten lucky. surya had never had much luck with the birds, himself.

No worries I never mind waiting for replies. You can take any time you need.

The statements that Surya made were ones that Kiyoshi agreed with. He appreciated the flash of satisfaction - a joyous feeling that originated in his gut and rose to his chest. For a moment there was a lift of his lips. 

'Have you caught one yet?' 

It fell and his features flat-lined. The boy looked at Surya with a faraway expression. He blinked a few times, hoping to digest the possibility that he might catch one of those faraway birds with his own body. 

"No. I am small right now."

He stated this plainly, hoping it would convey an adequate answer. 

"Can you?"