Sunbeam Lair and he, of his high comrade sorrow dreaming

The stranger's studying gaze sends a chill down his spine, hackles prickling imperceptibly. Silence settles between them for several moments. It feels like an impossibly stretching length of time, confined as they are in the quiet solitude of the cavern. When the silence finally breaks, it almost startles him. His head tilts slightly at the hi, ears pulling forward expectantly — but nothing follows. Are you looking for something? It slips from him without thought, and he realizes a beat later that he's not sure why he asked; perhaps he's searching for some hint of himself in this unknown wolf. He takes a slow breath and watches the man, ignoring the tiny voice in his head that says he shouldn't ask such questions.