Blackfoot Forest Fireworks that went off too soon

"Pretty good, how goes yours?" he asked. Starting off with small talk was almost always necessary, but that didn't mean he liked it all the time. Getting to know a wolf was exciting, each one so complex, but he always wanted to know more beyond just a name to match the face.

He matched her pace and smiled at her, tail involuntarily swaying with hers. "How'd you come by this glorious grotto we call home?" he questioned, head gesturing dramatically around at the forest at an effort to humor.