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456 words. Writing this at work >_>; Hope you don't mind the slight pp near the end? Lemme know ^^
The lumbering creature watched tentatively as the pup approached as soon as Mala rolled onto her back. She had a feeling it would work - it usually did with the tribe's pups. If you were bigger and towered over a young one, they were less likely to listen. Mala, having been a sitter for pups for most of her life, still felt the need to connect with pups in the lands she lived in now. She still feared them, of course, especially in play. Who could imagine a great, shaggy beast like her afraid of a miniature wolf who still had their soft, downy hair? Hah! But fear crept through her even moreso when the young ones were alone - that could mean that someone was looking for them.
When excitement replaced fear in the young, squeaky voice before her, Mala felt her own muscles relax in her half-laying position. Her nose wriggled, nearly feeling a sneeze come on, but she did her best to suppress it. The large female laughed into the cold air, which would only grow colder in the next few days, when climbing was mentioned. "Well, almost anywhere! Not trees, though. Some Luperci I know could do it. I'm one, too, but I never did learn how to climb those." Then, a small thought crossed her mind, and words spilled from her salmon pink tongue. "Are you a Luperci, young one?" Mala was merely curious, staring up at the pup.
Suddenly the young pup ventured forward herself, so she and the large female were eye to eye. Unfortunately, the sneeze Mala was holding back finally drove forward again, and she huffed into Maggie's face before turning to the side and bellowing out a large 'ACHOO!'. A great big paw came up to wipe her snout, before looking at the pup sideways again. "Are those the names of your siblings?" She was sure they were, pups almost always had relatives around the same age.
"Maggie.. funny. That doesn't sound like the name of a flower," Malachi mused, recalling the other two names that the young female mentioned. But suddenly, Maggie suggested an adventure and took off into the leafy forest, darting before Mala could even roll herself back up on four legs. "Woah, hold up!" The shaggy female shook herself of snow as fast as she could, large balls of white flying in all directions. Then she willed herself as fast as she could forward, lumbering at her fastest speed. It didn't take long to find the pup, however, even when Mala's entire body slowed due to hibernation. Instinctively, Malachi bent down to grab the pup gently by the scruff. "Whurr dfu fink yoor goinf?" She said through a small mouthful of fur.