Stone Circle Let's be

@Dahlia

Sven was a yearling. And his back was itchy as new fur grew. So he found himself midday rolling around like some sort of creature possessed.

Ears splayed back and upside down. Belly facing the sun. Wiggling and most assuredly talking to himself.

she watches him some time from the shadows, the careless way in which he enjoys his afternoon. 

it’s only when he starts to speak that she realizes that spying is inappropriate. embarrassed, she walks closer to share the sunlight. 

she didn’t know what to say. a rarity. so she breaks the ice with the smallest of small talk. it’s nice outside today. lame.

Reaching near Nirvana with his absolutely breathtaking back scratching sesh. He was oblivious to being watched. It was what it was.

He blinked as the sun was suddenly blocked and saw the she wolf Dahlia he was certain was this one's name. A small smile as he tilted his head still in his prone position. Though he did shift his tail. After all she was a lady, she didn't need to see him just all out there.

He smiled then. That it is. Dahlia right? I was itchy and a good back scratching sometimes is so worth it.

He shifted. Rolled again and slowly got to his feet stretching as he did so. And then stood happily. A small smile and a happy pant.

dahlia had not realized that he was exposed until he moved his tail to cover himself. a blush crept to her cheeks as she averted her eyes to the ground, where she watched a line of worker ants march mindlessly on. 

she didn’t understand him. she didn’t like being dirty. even since her earliest days, dahlia had abhorred filth in all its forms. whether it was vile words spilled from another’s mouth or the dirt itself, she could not stand for any of it. 

therefore, she had nothing polite to say. little ladies did not open their mouths when they couldn’t be nice. 

yes, my name is dahlia. she turned back to him now that he stood waiting. i didn’t know that mama had family here, she says. not until they were sent on their way.

Sven hadn't meant to draw her attention to himself. He had merely been trying to be polite and he had stood fairly quickly. Simply because gentleman didn't lay prone upon their back for genteel ladies to see things untoward. Or something along those lines. Manners, politeness, be good.

He tried not to shake the dirt from his pelt. Because she didn't seem to be of the same thought process as him. 

Yea. Our fadir or uh dad as is called in common. He was one of those fadir's that accepted anyone that needed it. If they needed a fadir or a brodir or some sort of family. He stepped up. I hope I can be even half the wolf he was. That would be nice. I miss him.

he sighed softly.

fadir sounded close though to father that she understood what he meant, but she appreciated the clarification.

she is surprised to hear how sven describes the man. a paragon of morality and masculine virtues. she finds herself intrigued, but sven’s use of the past tense compels dahlia to draw him under her metaphorical wing.

i am sorry for your loss. what was his name?

Fadir was a lotlike father. But mother was different. So many different words for different things. sometimes they got all jumbled in his head and he spoke in icelandic when he meant to speak in english and vice versa. But that was okay. It happened. His education had not been formal. 

His name was Gunnar.

A small smile. Thank you. I am sorry we lost him too, but life has a way of sneaking up on you.

she made the proper noises of condolence, made sure she wore the proper face, too. it was genuine, but she did not know what to do with this loss. not when her own was so fresh and so uncertain. 

she drew a breath. 

i hope this is not too forward, she said, eyes flickering back to the dirt before she could look him in the eyes again, but gunnar would be proud of the man you’ve become. you stepped up, sven. for me and my sisters. i will never forget that.

She was genuine in her care. But Sven also knew. No one could ever truly know how another felt. It was a simple truth. Everyone felt things differently.

A blooming smile that lit up the steel of his eyes. His fre kles dancing as he smiled.

Not forward at all. But hey. I unloaded on you. Do you need to talk about anything? Or do you want a snack?

A wave of his tail, an eager expression on his face to please and take care of. He looked a lot like a puppy in a grown adults body. Eager to do what he could.