Redhawk Caldera shadow walking

Maia. Don’t worry too much about the formalities. We’re all family here. Maia replied with an easy wave of her tail, smiling at him. He seemed polite and well-spoken, but there was something about him that felt a bit sad. She couldn’t tell yet if that was just the way his demeanor was all the time (some wolves were) or if the move had been particularly hard on him.

She was intensely curious about his decision to come here and the reasons behind it. Maia hasn’t wanted to outright ask - it felt rude - but he fortunately opened the door for her by mentioning it.

You came from Moonglow, right? Like Chickadee and Kivaluk? I hadn’t expected anyone to follow them, though I am really glad to have you. She hesitated a beat, then continued. If I’m being entirely honest, I was surprised when they came home too. Moonglow seems like a tightly knit pack.

She shouldn’t gossip. And she especially shouldn’t gossip about her daughter. But Maia didn’t need to know why Chickadee and Kivaluk came home, at least not completely. She could guess a dozen different reasons. This man was different. He hadn’t come to follow close family (that she knew of) or to start a family of his own. She couldn’t keep herself from digging for any hint that maybe their neighbors weren’t as perfect, or as cohesive, as they made it seem. And any hint, from this, that maybe her criticisms and biases weren’t entirely wrong.