Wheeling Gull Isle Cordelia

WC: 944

Driftwood was friendly...And Thresher had no reason not to trust him, really. She'd never been hurt by a wolf who she had trusted, and had not yet learned that wolves you trusted could sometimes be dangerous and hurtful. Thresher's insecurity came from somewhere that didn't exactly have a real reason to exist whatsoever...It wasn't from being overlooked or ignored, as her loving, doting, sweet parents had nurtured her and had chased away every fear she ever might have had. Her siblings were all quite different in personality, but they were still just as kind and compassionate toward her as she would ever need them to be. Though the boys were rambunctious, they were both her guardians, and her sister was her loving, empathetic support whenever she needed encouragement to step outside of her comfort zone. She could not have asked for a family to love her better- and her packmates had always been patient with her, even though she had been much more quiet than her siblings and somewhat reluctant to participate or speak. She'd been coming around a bit, with regards to her elected mutism, and no one had been pushing her. She was incredibly fortunate to have been born into a pack that would support her without pushing her too hard to step beyond the boundaries which she deemed to be comfortable.

So as Driftwood spoke, he engaged her curiosity, which was likely the best way to get Thresher's interest. Too much attention placed directly on her stressed the little girl out, even though she had no reason to be so sensitive. Instead, he began to tell her about a little mission he had, and that he wanted to find more treasure. Thresher had never seen buried treasure on the island before, and it had never occurred to her to dig around to try and find some. Unlike her brothers who were quite adept at getting their paws dirty, Thresher tended to stay fairly clean, simply because she didn't like the itchy feeling she got whenever sand got in her coat, or when the salt from the ocean water began to dry against her skin. But Driftwood wasn't suggesting that they get in the water, or even go too close to it. He indicated the beach, which was where he'd come from, and she did like roving along, watching the little hermit crabs scuttle away from her meandering footsteps. She liked moving in motion with the waves as she did so, side-stepping neatly as they rolled in an out, sometimes bounding gracefully to the side when a wave came up higher than she had expected. So naturally, Thresher was interested in what Driftwood was planning.

But when he asked for an assistant, her courage flagged slightly. He wanted someone to help him find treasure, and all she could think of were her siblings, who would likely be better at this sort of thing that she would be. Six and Grayling would definitely be better diggers than she would be, and more likely to enjoy getting dirty and send sand flinging in every direction. Koi too would likely excell at this task, and all Thresher wanted was for her siblings to succeed and likely surpass her. If they were happy, she was happy...But this time, she did feel a small tug of hope, as she wanted to be the one to help Driftwood search for treasure. Not that she didn't want to involve her siblings whatsoever, but she couldn't help but try and convince herself that maybe she was the right one for the job. Though the boys could dig quickly, maybe they might break whatever treasure it was that Driftwood had found. If it was more shells like the pretty one he'd presented her, theyr rough paws and claws might scratch or even break them, chipping away at the brittle edges. She couldn't have that happen- that would disappoint Driftwood, and Thresher definitely did not want to disappoint anyone.

And in the end, Driftwood wanted to take these things back for her mother, who she idolized beyond belief. If she helped Driftwood find the prettiest treasures, maybe she would get herself a little reward- a cookie maybe, which was the word that her parents often used to describe a reward of some sort. She did love it when a cookie was a reward, though she was more often not the one hanging back as her siblings vied for the prize. It would be anything from a perfectly smoothe stick- one likely tossed aside by the rugged waves of the ocean and perfect for chewing- or a small meal of sorts. She wondered what kind of cookie she might get if she brought back pretty seashells and stones to decorate the den with...But then again, she didn't need a reward as a prompt to do something for her mother. She simply wanted to see the look on her mother's face when she came back with treasures. Her mother would be so proud of her- and that in and of itself was motivation enough.

So finally, having pondered the situation quite seriously, she brightened up a bit, and nodded. She did her best to square up her shoulders which normally would have been quite easy for a wolf of her boxy build- but she wasn't the best at making herself look confident. The whispy tip of her tail still wavered from side to side between her hocks as she lifted her dark muzzle for a moment, and uttered her name as a volunteer. ”T'reasure,” She said again, looking up at him with hopeful, doleful eyes- just praying that he might not turn her down.