Northstar Vale (o,..,o)

He was staring at his damp paw when the stranger came upon him. It might've spooked the boy on any other day, being spoken to out of the blue like that, but the vale's numbers had fluctuated a lot in the past few weeks. It wasn't so strange that someone could've found him, or that they'd try to talk to him. The voice wasn't aggressive, and the words themselves - albeit a bit intrusive according to Titmouse's psyche - meant no harm. He shook his paw off and as he planted it upon the soil, turned his head to regard the stranger.

They seemed concerned. Titmouse couldn't fathom why. Maybe they had intended to fish within the big puddle? But he hadn't seen anything worthwhile - and it likely wasn't deep enough. This wasn't a family member, but he looked her over, took a breath, and knew somehow she was a vale wolf - and that was enough to relax him, give him a moment to murmur, I'm fine, but his gravel-voice sounded extra dull today, as he could not hide how truly terrible he was feeling.