Stavanger Bay fury and reason

Both males continued to calculate one another quietly, Floki while wading slowly through the shallows. There was no need to talk, and he imagined that they could probably move on from this interaction without verbally communicating at all. They would be like two ships passing in the night, occupying the same space but without any commitment.

But when the stranger suddenly reeled backward, almost as if off balance, Floki paused and bristled instinctively. One paw was suspended over the waves, droplets of water dripping from his toes as he watched the other wolf warily. Despite this abrupt and unexplained behavior, he still did not feel as though his safety was compromised. From a distance, he called out, "Are you okay?"