Grouse Thicket 'cause i'm a dragonslayer, girl

Her head tilted ever so slightly at his, “Aye.” In the beat of awkward silence that ensued, Masque realized that he’d said another curious word (“didnae”). She caught herself wondering if he came from some faraway land, where they spoke in unfamiliar tongues.

But, no, he lived nearby. When he indicated the direction of his pack, she glanced in that direction and fought the scowl that wanted to overtake her expression. Her marigold gaze flicked back to his flaxen face, wondering if the she-wolf she’d caught was one and the same as his ma.

Instead of answering any of his questions, she posed one of her own: Is your mother black with orange and white markings? I might actually know her.