carefully pour

Oh, me? I’m just here to witness and ensure the awkward.

She’d had it in mind to encounter each of her pack mates — either purposely or haphazardly — throughout the initial stage of acquainting herself with the caldera. There was one wolf, though, whose name appeared on that half-formed list a second time: Elwood. He’d accepted her, but it stood to reason that she might have a better chance of pinning down his personality without necessary formalities hanging over their heads.

Remembering the vague details of his scent, she spent the afternoon tracking him down with a single brief hunting break when the opportunity happened to strike. An hour or so later when she finally spotted the monochrome male up ahead, she bounded forth to greet him with a gently waving tail and a chipper little grin.

“Hey! I—” she blurted enthusiastically as she advanced, stopping herself short both verbally and physically as she abruptly noticed Elwood’s creeping movements. She made to swing her head around to face the direction in which he was headed to check that nothing was amiss, but her keen eyes darted instead to a dark, snoring shape with a curiously white sock lying upside down behind him. She then looked back to Elwood, quirking one brow questioningly.