Word Count: 600+
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She was not startled when the blond wolf loped into view. She had grown used to having a presence always by her, and the appearance of another was no cause for concern. If he tried to attack her, well then she’d have a problem, but for now she regarded him with blank curiosity. Firstly, she had never seen a wolf of such a bright colour. The yellow shone in the last of the light, and she found herself wondering how he had come to look that way. Surely such a vivid shade could not be com by naturally. Finn knew that her own pelt was rather odd as well. In the right light, or when soaked through, the darker shade along her back looked almost blue! Apparently she had inherited this from the patriarch of the Fidh clan, Fergus.
”Hello…” She said, put off balance by his forthright greeting and pleasant demeanor. A few weeks ago, that had been her. She greeted any she met with such a mien, happy to add another face to the crowd that grew in her mind. Now, not so much. She had even been avoiding her pack members, most especially her king. ”I’m Finn Fidh. And I do not have a mate… not really.” She said, a small amount of bitterness growing in her voice. The man responsible for her pups was yet unknown, and she had not spoken to either candidate. As for Sofia… Well, she was terrified of mentioning it to her close friend and possibly ruining everything. It was a tightrope act she was putting on, and she had never been very good at balancing.
Sensing the slight awkwardness due to the differences in their height, Finn shifted, morphing into her taller and more humanoid form. It took less and less time with each change, but she still did not enjoy the process. Finn doubted that she ever would. The feeling of bones reshaping themselves, lengthening and shortening and shifting with her body was unnerving to say the least. Lately, she had been more confident in this shape. She had better balance than in her wolf form, despite the lesser amount of feet on the ground, and enjoyed the dexterity awarded by having thumbs.
Finn’s eyes once more returned to Daisuke’s face, lingering over the silvery adornments in his lip and ears. ”Did those hurt?” She inquired, moving slightly closer so that she might see them better in the fading light. She had heard of wolves colouring their fur with paints and dyes, but never piercing their skin. She was a little shocked and greatly interested. Belatedly, Finn realized that Cuhlain had fallen silent. When she looked around suspiciously, his silvery form was nowhere to be found. Good riddance, indeed. Perhaps he’d been scared off by the sunshine yellow wolf. If only he would leave her alone for more than an hour at a time. It was like caring for a small, demanding and constantly insulting child. Even Finn’s legendary patience had a limit, and Cuhlain had come close to reaching it.
”And why are you alone, Daisuke Ghanjai? Surely there are plenty, pretty she-wolves to chase after, though I doubt you’d find them in these ruins.” He looked young, just starting to come into his prime. She couldn’t smell a pack on him, a fresh one at least, and thus assumed that he was a wanderer like she had been. Sometimes Finn missed the wandering days, of being beholden to no one, and going wherever she pleased, but then she remembered the winters and was not sorry at all that she had left that life behind.