The Bracken Woods The difference between here and there

His feathered ears drifted downward, pressing nearer to his scalp but still turned outward in piqued curiosity and alertness. The forest's hush pressed in on him and his nameless companion, giving Prophet plenty of reason to remain wary, even if Depp's own behaviour seemed mirthful. There was even a sound, a puff of air accompanied by a grin, that caused Prophet to tilt his jawline curiously, if only because he didn't see what was so funny about it all. Two dark-haired wolves squaring off in a forest seemed more like a struggle for survival than a joke, at least from where he was standing.

What was a bit of a joke was Depp's straightforwardness, which elicited a mirthful snort from Prophet in turn. "We've never even met," pointed out Prophet, "so that would be unwise." For a variety of reasons, he silently tacked on, not least of all the fact that he believed himself to be a logical individual, and blind faith in others was simply not something he possessed. Depp could've been anything, from a crooked murderer to a spineless coward. While the offer was certainly gracious and unexpectedly flattering, it wasn't one that Prophet would accept.