Stone Circle The toxicity of our city

Most nights if Banner felt restless she'd get up and wander for a while in an overly-polite gesture to her brother - wouldn't want to interrupt his beauty sleep, after all.  But she found today that morning had been the issue instead.  It was strange, she thought as she peered up at the still-dark sky, to be up before the rest of the world.  Well, maybe not the whole rest of the world.  That damned robin seemed awfully chipper this morning!  Glaring at the cheerful creature, she huffed and moved across the frozen ground to do what she did when all else failed: patrol the borders.

It seemed she wasn't the only one with work on the brain at this insane hour.  Slowing her previous trot to a leisurely walk, Banner called out in her low voice as she neared: Hello.  Simple enough.  She remembered this wolf from the incident at the borders several days earlier, though unfortunately they hadn't properly met yet.  Her social circle had been expanding at a glacial pace and she couldn't recall for the life of her if she'd ever even heard the light-colored male's name.  Er.. not a night owl, I take it..? she asked, eyes widening as her features morphed into a look that was half mortified and half apologetic.  It wasn't even necessarily that she'd said something idiotic (she did) but more that her delivery was so damn awkward (it definitely was)!