Rising Sun Valley Dear Fellow Traveller

Blinking, Louis gave his shoulder one last lick and heaved a sigh. Let his head rest on his paws. Tried to accept the silence.

He'd never been all that good at ignoring distress. Even if talking hadn't been an option, at home there had still been the comfort of family to curl up beside. The certainty that mistakes weren't permanent. Affections weren't damaged - not forever.

With Tauris distanced so, it was easy to feel the chill of storms inside and out. This was different. A whirlwind. The girl was a storm herself.

He breathed another sigh, heavy.

Then, wide-eyed, tilted his head to watch her. A new impulse inspired him. It was childsih, puplike even, but he grinned. And crept toward her a couple of inches before stopping, with a playful whine bordering on a growl. His tail thump thump thumped against the packed dirt behind him.

Maybe if he acted thus, she wouldn't be so frightened, and the air between them would be easy to breathe again.