The girl thought she could see a silhouette at the far end of the stable, but a sound came from behind her before she could make out the shape of the Luperci woman who patted one of the horses. Her ears perked and swiveled as the man approached from behind, and she turned around swiftly, not in trepidation, but in excitement.
“Hi there!” her high voice trilled with enthusiasm, and the grin that was so often present on her muzzle stretched onto her features once more. “Here, have my pigeon.” The sentence amused her, and she giggled at the absurdity of the statement, but all the same held the bird out by its feet in offering while she glanced over her shoulder at the almond-furred woman that approached from within the stables. She gave the woman the same welcoming grin she had bestowed upon her brother.
“Oh . . . I see. I don’t really know anything about horses. I’ve read about them in stories, and I think I have a scientific book on them but I haven’t gotten to it yet. I’ve never even seen one up close before.” Her eyes flicked to peer at one of the great creatures as it stared back at her, and she wondered for a moment if smiling at this animal that was so like a prey beast was unwise. Her attention quickly turned back to Ayita, and she offered a hand in greeting, and then did the same with Zafier. “And it's a pleasure to meet you! I’m Orin.”
It suddenly occurred to her that she really had kept herself cooped up in her room, hunched over manuscript after tome, for too long. It was only proper, only polite, to have at least introduced herself to all of her packmates by now, and suddenly she felt a small wave of embarrassment wash over her. The heroines of her novels would never have been so rude to such a welcoming family. She glanced down for a brief second as she forced the shame to subside, and then regarded the two as pleasantly as before.
Her golden eyes surveyed both Ayita and Zafier, carefully cataloging their features before her curious mind began to wander with thrilling questions. Who are they? How long have they been in the pack? They look quite regal -- or is that just in comparison to the thugs in the Southern lands? Do they have a story? Are they heroes like Jac?! It was a funny thing how quickly her mind looped back to the King that she had been so devoted to since before she even knew Cour des Miracles existed.
“I hope it’s not too gamey,” she said, a little disjointedly. Blinking at her own awkward comment, she motioned to the bird. “The pigeon, I mean. If you’re really going to eat it. Did you know some places used to think those things were some kind of delicacy? Heck, I guess sometimes they were when I was down in the Southern lands. . . something fresher than scavenged food or vermin that wandered the city. Wow. . . I. . . don't think I meant to say that out loud.”
Oh lord! She moaned internally. She knew that sometimes her enthusiasm made for some socially awkward situations, but did she really just say that out loud? Feeling foolish, she ran through her little speech in her mind and realized that, yes, she did in fact just imply to these strangers that she used to commonly consume some less than desirable meals. She grew quiet and looked at the couple, trying to hide her indignity with her usual bubbly smile. Suddenly, she dearly began to wish Niro was here.