WC: 422
The slender werewolf blinked in surprise at the youth's reaction; she seemed more perplexed than anything. Was Zana too young to understand? Or did it simply not faze her? Coli wasn't sure what to think. She reached out to poke the piece of seaweed that Zana was pawing, marveling at the slippery texture. Yes, she had been on a beach before, but she honestly couldn't remember what happened... Probably just another day playing with Cercelee, she decided, setting the half-forgotten recollection aside. The small coyote sniffled again, teetering on the brink of tears as she reviewed her little slingshot and peashooter. Why didn't Ly and Siobhan help look after the girl themselves, then, instead of passing her tools she couldn't use and leaving her alone? Coli felt a rare bout of protectiveness, wondering how she could help the lonely child.
Coli stiffened with surprise as Zana panicked, both girls with eyes as wide as saucers. Colibri was already shaky with the concept of initiating physical contact - now she was certain she had done something wrong, and her heart hammered wildly in her chest, her hands clammy with fear. "S-s-sorry, I'm so s-sorry, Zana, t'will never happen again, I swear, I swear I wasn't going to hurt you," she stammered, mistakenly believing that the little Lykoi was afraid of her specifically. She scrabbled backwards several paces, leaving Zana's precious treasures on the sand between them. What... could she do now? Were the differences between wolves and coyotes so great that she could not forge a simple friendship with a child? Would it be better if she just turned tail and ran now, leaving the girl to figure out what had almost happened? No, she shouldn't give up, not for a simple misunderstanding! Just because she did not know the proper way to hug someone did not mean she could not make things better.
"There... are other ways to deal with birds, even before you learn to use those weapons," she said slowly, her mind racing. She did not want to kill the gulls for no reason, but with the right dosage of poison, they would only get sick... and then maybe they would associate Zana with the poison, and leave her alone for good... Oak leaves, nightshade, foxglove, none of those would be fatal to a bird as big as a gull. Granted, they could be fatal to wolves, so they'd have to be extra careful handling it, but... Poison was certainly a valid way for a small female to protect herself.
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