Hushed Willows [YULE] maybe just a half a drink more

Rue would not have to wait long to sate her curiosity; Soltero's agreement with her statement came in the past tense, indicating that his mother was no longer living. Sympathy pulled at Rue's expression. Losing a parent was not easy, of course, but to lose the one and only wolf he had ever relied upon... Rue couldn't imagine. 

Soltero spoke again, which came as a surprise to Rue. It very well could have been the first time Soltero had offered her any conversation without first being prompted. Was it possible that he was opening up, maybe just a little? Even this tiny indication of progress was exciting to Rue, and her hopeful heart beat a little faster.  

Her companion's actual words registered, and Rue simply shook her head incredulously with a small smile of admiration. She had no doubt now that Soltero's mother had been some kind of superwoman. Interestingly, she seemed uncannily similar the three-legged Liri Tonrar, Rue's beloved and indomitable alpha. Rue had no doubt she would have liked Soltero's mother quite a bit... it was such a shame they would not have the chance to meet. 

Soltero's gaze lingered on her face as she spoke, and Rue's cheeks grew warm in response to such attention. If Soltero had been anyone else, she might have cast her gaze aside to obscure her features, but quite oddly... Rue found only pleasure in the notion that something about her countenance might have caught the young man's eye. Even odder was the realization that she dearly wished to remain the captor of his gaze, his attention... for the first time in her life perhaps, she didn't want to fade into the background. 

Even just this small tidbit of Soltero's history provided Rue with a much clearer understanding of the man beside her. He had spent the majority of his life in the company of just one other... likely Soltero and his mother had not needed speech for the majority of their communication. Rue had never enjoyed such a close companion herself, but she had noticed from afar how deeply-bonded wolves seemed to simply understand each other just.. innately, no words necessary. It made sense now that Soltero seemed quite unpracticed in the art of conversation. It was not a skill he had ever needed before. 

And yet, the man appeared to be to be a quick learner-- he was catching on to the back-and-forth of conversational discourse, once again adding to their dialogue without a direct question from Rue. The young lady's eyes brightened in delight. Progress, indeed. Her companion mentioned the privilege of being able to "focus on the things he enjoyed," and Rue tilted her head in curiosity. "What things are those, Soltero?" she inquired gently, enjoying the feel of his name on her tongue.