Sleeping Dragon Unpredictable

The news of Gavriel's and Gyda's union settled some of the fire recently stoked in the Bandrona's breast. She couldn't really be sure but she chose to believe that it was the reason he had rejected her request, rather than a personal slight or a political statement. Perhaps he had already been planning to ask for Gyda's hand in marriage at the time. She hadn't, after all, given him any time or opportunity to explain. Although she still felt vaguely threatened by the former queen, Wildfire felt calmer than she had in days.

Taking advantage of her good spirits, the young leader set out early to enjoy a morning stroll. Wildfire tried to keep her mind clear, yet she couldn't help but start contemplating other possible donors. Dio was at the top of the list, then there were a few other eligible bachelors in the ranks. She wished she knew them better but with Gavriel's rejection, that had ceased to be of much import. She didn't know anyone, even the Wocha, as well as she knew and trusted the guardian.

Maybe, she thought to herself as she approached the edge of the geyser field, I should just tell Thur to choose for me. She could no longer make an informed decision and the commander knew better than anyone who was best suited to the role, especially culturally. The idea of letting the decision rest entirely in the Heda's hands made Wildfire feel even more at peace. She paused and took a deep breath of the slightly sulfuric air.

The geyser fields became a popular refuge for the hybrid as the cold set in. He had joined at the tail end of the cold season; he had yet to experience a full winter in the Wilds. He expected that his time in Yellowstone would prepare him for this; he might be wrong for all he knew, but he came to the geysers to burn off the frost, chase away the cold from his bones especially after a rigorous morning patrol.

He tentatively dipped a toe in the boiling water, unsure if it would be like a hot spring. His foot jolted out at the stark heat; he shook it vigorously, his baby blue eyes briefly catching a glimpse of Wildfire nearby. He let out a soft, slightly pained whine, but his tail shook in greeting.

The next time Wildfire saw her, she vowed she would ask the commander to take point on the matter. Feeling the heaviness of the mental and emotional burden lift from her shoulders, the Bandrona began to walk into the geyser fields. She didn't get far before noticing a shape moving among the spouts of steam. She didn't know Hush very well and found herself feeling awkward in his silent presence at times. Nonetheless, she moved closer. It was never a bad idea to get to know a pack mate better (as much as she could, what with his being mute), especially those that might be in the running to father her children.

That thought sent a wave of apprehension sweeping over her, yet she pushed it aside as she ranged nearer and greeted, "Morning, Hush. How're you?"

He smiled sheepishly, shaking his still burning paw and lapping it in an attempt to relieve himself of the pain. He gestured with his singed paw to the hot springs, shrugging with an embarrassed smile on his face; he should have figured that it would hurt. This was a volcano after all. There were no good springs to relax in, at least that he had found. He cocked his head, inclining it towards her, inviting her to answer his silent question: "And you?"

Hush was alternating between wringing and licking one of his paws. Wildfire's brow furrowed, wondering if he'd hurt it somehow. He only looked at her with a sheepish smile and a tip of his head, which she summarily ignored. Scooting closer, the Bandrona tried to get a better look at his foot.

"Is it injured?" she asked. "Did you burn yourself?" she guessed, shooting him a concerned look. Their faces were quite close now. "Would you like me to call for Portia?"

The sting in his paw began to fade, slowly as burns did. It could have been worse, he thought, but Wildfire seemed worried. She leaned in close, their faces almost touched. Hush's mouth opened, the ghost of an embarrassed and flustered yelp fading through as he jumped back. Had he been human, he might have blushed fiercely, but for now his sheepish grin morphed into a nervous smile. He shook his paw: It's alright! He hoped Wildfire would understand and not get that close to him again.

His yelp was so unexpected that Wildfire reeled back herself. She goggled at him, surprised to have heard a noise come from him and concerned about what had prompted it. Wildfire's eyes dropped to the paw he was shaking. She hadn't touched it and it hadn't looked badly hurt, so what was the matter? Hush's nervous smile only added to her confusion.

"Is it okay? Are you okay?" she couldn't help but ask, point blank.

He was a mess of conflicting signals, it seemed. Every attempt he made to explain his predicament fell flat in front of Wildfire's face. She interpreted his messages wrong, but he couldn't tell if he was being too subtle or she simply was not being observant. He settled for furiously nodding his head: YES! He wanted to scream. It was bad enough that he had singed his paw, but here she was, so close to him. It made him flustered.

Actions spoke louder than words, especially when you were a mute. Hush nodded emphatically but there was something still amiss. It slowly dawned on her that perhaps he objected to her closeness or maybe even just Wildfire herself. With a swallow, the Bandrona backpedaled out of his space, momentarily at a loss.

With nothing else for it, the yearling eventually said, "I'm sorry, I'll leave you be," and then slunk away. The encounter would rankle for a little while—and now Wildfire wasn't sure she could ever face Hush again without extreme awkwardness—but she tried to focus on her upcoming conversation with Thuringwethil to keep herself distracted.

Their encounter ended predictably: awkward. It would have been much easier to decipher had wolves been able to blush — Hush would have been completely red — but what body language he had to use in place of vocabulary and grammar was enough. He skitted backwards from Wildfire, she doing the same. He refrained from moving at first, only because she was Heda's wife, the Bandrona. But now she understood, and she excused herself. Hush whined in apology, watching her go. He nibbled on his paw for a brief moment before headed further inland, away from the scorching pools.