Blacktail Deer Plateau Hold Fast to the Break of Daylight

She accepted the compliment as a passing remark and did not dwell on it long. Instead she lingered on the ever-so-tiny head tilt her packmate gave in response to her next inquiry. Kaihra kept her face straight. Had the grey wolf noticed her suspicion? A heartbeat passed, but in a moment Finley had leapt back to her bubbly self as if all had gone unnoticed. Kaihra sighed inwardly, relieved at both the female’s unassuming tone and her satisfying response. She didn’t doubt the honesty of Finley’s answer: that the girl was the restless type didn’t surprise her in the least, though she did wonder why one would be so keen on exploring foreign territories so soon after coming to a new pack.

A trickle of guilt ran down her neck for approaching this girl with such unwarranted suspicion, but she had no time to dwell on the thought. Finley’s return of her inquiry came as little surprise, but that didn’t stop Kaihra from inwardly cursing herself for not having an answer to give. She knew very well why she had come to the ledge, and it wasn’t because of adventure or beauty. All her mind saw were the memories, or at least those she hadn’t had the courage to forget. And since she felt those thoughts trite and unnecessary to share, Kaihra realized she hadn’t a solid reason to be here at all. So Kaihra bit her tongue and stayed silent, not because she was planning her words, but because she had nothing to say.

But she had to say something or risk careening them both into a session of uncomfortable silence, so she ruffled her fur and said the next thing that came to mind. ”It is a good place to keep watch.” And it was true, a part of her was watching, just as she had done with her brothers back home day after day after day. She flicked the thought aside and, not waiting to see if her reply would satisfy, turned the focus back on her cheery packmate. ”Exploring sounds much more exciting. Tell me, where have you set your eyes today?”