I watch her sleep just like an angel

:D

Malachi felt relieved when the sun finally lighted the forest at the Glacier's base. He'd found sleep difficult to come by that night, for once not due to thoughts of their resident lynx. Tuwawi had approached him the evening prior, just before he tucked in for the night as the last of the flames licked their way off the Glacier's face. A new scent lingered lightly on her fur, and he'd felt curious toward it. Tuwawi soon revealed its source. Duskfire had a new member, a yearling by the name of Arabella, and Tuwawi wanted Malachi to be her guide.

Now he felt the nervous energy return as he picked his way through the dense trees near the territory's heart. The chorus of dawn still laced the air, though the sun already hung a ways up in the sky. He felt his attention divided that morning, split between his patrol and the thought of the responsibility he'd accepted to bear. The load felt heavy on his shoulders, and though he'd always felt confident in his abilities, a worry nagged the back of his mind that he would prove an inadequate leader to Arabella. Tuwawi trusted he could help integrate Arabella into the pack, but he wondered how much he shared in her confidence.

The thoughts frustrated him, and as the morning ebbed away, his desire to meet the yearling increased. He did not know much about her, and all he could use to identify her was her scent and name. He did not know if the girl was kind or cruel, but he trusted Tuwawi in her judgment of character and quickly searched out the newcomer's scent. He found it easily enough, primarily because it hung concentrated near the territory's heart, and he followed at a brisk trot. He caught movement up ahead and he slowed to catch a fresh wave of her scent on the air. He could not see her clearly through the trees, but she seemed a small thing, and frail. He felt his brows knit and he waved his tail as he approached, making known his presence from afar so as not to startle the young wolf. "Are you Arabella?"