Two Eyes Cenote [m] hard odds to beat when you're on all fours

When she apologized, it struck Talisman dumb. He swallowed his own “sorry,” trying to make sense of what he was seeing. She looked like a coyote, though she was a little taller, with some wolfish features. He had never shared The Tribe’s aversion to their larger cousins, so her species didn’t matter to him. But he had expected anger and she just seemed as confused as he felt.

No, he said hastily as soon as he found his voice again, I didn’t mean to trespass. I’m sorry, Talis repeated.

The fact that she wasn’t about to chase him down and tear off his face made him relax ever so slightly. He drew in a steadying breath, rolled some tension out of his shoulders and blinked his baby blues a few times. He couldn’t help but be a little spellbound by her own lavender eyes, though Talisman quickly averted his gaze.

I mean no harm, he said a bit more calmly now, collecting his thoughts. My name’s Talisman. I’m from The Tribe. I’d heard about this… gathering from them but I was under the impression it was, like, a temporary encampment. That’s my bad, though. Are you all here to stay, then?