Otter Creek songbird

maeve watched the boy, her gaze sharp but not unkind as it lingered on his tense posture. young. impulsive, maybe, but not reckless enough to let his guard down entirely. she huffed a soft breath, amused by the subtle shift in his confidence once she stood.

“not lost,” she replied, her voice smooth, the edge of a smile tugging at her lips. “just sunbathing.” she tilted her head slightly, eyes gleaming with interest—“Sí, hablo un poquito. enough.”

her tail swayed lazily behind her, a stark contrast to the boy’s more eager movements. she stepped closer to the water’s edge, the cold creek licking at her toes. “not from here?” she observed, both a statement and a question, switching easily between tongues. “¿estás solo?”