Moonspear the zeppo

It should have been easy for Stingray to fall asleep. The nights he had spent with his parents on the way to Moonspear had afforded him little rest, and what sleep he did get was disturbed by images of his brother and a great, terrible bear. He was safe here at Moonspear, but no matter how tightly he squeezed his eyes, sleep simply wouldn't come.

He was already sitting up with a defeated sigh when Sialuk came prowling. The sound of footfalls made his ears stand tall and his neck stiffen, but only long enough to recognize them. Not the lumbering tread of a bear or the prowling of another predator, just the steady step of a wolf.

Hello, Sialuk, he greeted when he saw the familiar peppered coat in the moonlight. He swept his tongue over his lips and ducked his head deferentially, the tip of his tail giving an eager wiggle.