Gilded Bay you pinned me with your black sphere eyes

For a moment, the air had changed from one of caution into a state of interest that seemed to take hold of the titan and grip him tightly. It was in this crucial moment that he found himself latched to her, intent and unblinking. There was no emotion in the glimmer of his gaze. He was an active seeker of understanding, and so he processed her words without motion before finally breaking face.

The titan opted to crack his features into a rugged half-smile that tugged along the right side of his face and revealed a glistening white canine. So many questions, he thought to himself. As per usual, his inward reflections were not revealed. All of the chaos that ensued beneath the tepid surface was forced to remain there. Ford knew better than to reveal the beast that resided in the very same skin as he – so deep that it scraped against the marrow of his bones.

“I am,” he took the first question with a confident response and a sure nod.

“And I do not anticipate that we would be altogether successful if I limited our numbers to only family.” A lie, of course; Ford knew that the Cairn bloodline was more than enough to sustain a single pack. No, his goal was to charm the natives so that he could pull them beneath his wing. If there was one thing that his father had taught him, it was cold diplomacy. Skellige had created bonds with nearby backs, and Ford planned on perfecting that process.

There was a fleeting moment as the girl listed her strengths where the titan recognized something familiar. Without missing a beat, he reflected a fond expression and lowered his skull closer to the sands. “You remind me of my mother in that,” Ford said. “Your skills would be more than helpful, if you're certain you wish to pledge yourself.”