WC: 442
The morning was peaceful thus far, tranquil enough to give her the illusion of solitude. Birds chirped and fluttered in the trees above, putting finishing touches on the nests they had been toiling on all spring. The sun felt warm to her cheeks, and she took a moment to absorb it, feeling a rare moment of relaxation. Maybe she felt calmer now, having reached the decision to go see her phantasm of a lover. Or perhaps it was simply the calm before the storm, and her neuroses would return in full force as soon as she stepped foot across the pack borders.
Coli delicately gathered her silky mane to one side, twisting it to keep it above the river, and had just submerged her muddy fingers when an unfamiliar pup bounded noisily forward. She squeaked in surprise, accidentally spraying water into her own face as her arms jerked forward, inadvertently startling herself even more. "Wh...! Haahhh...." She exhaled deeply, feeling her heart racing erratically in her chest. What a way to start her day! "I'm s-sorry if I scared you as well, little one... Have we met before? You can call me Coli... You... look a lot like Deuce and Taliesin," the werewolf stammered, confused all over again. Who was this little girl? She had a bit of an accent, not one that Coli could place. Finally, the tongue-tied girl shook her head, brushing her feathered bangs from her eyes. "S-sorry! Your fl-flower, right. That looks like... a violet... no, a periwinkle? I think so, but I'm not certain. I found one of those in - wait, did you take that from my garden?"
Realization finally dawned on her as the smudges of soil on the wispy-white fur smelled the same as the ones on her own knees. What if that had been nightshade, a very similar blossom? This little pup could have died right in front of her...! Her thoughts flicked to Willow, her baby sister of the same age, and felt a queasiness in her sensitive stomach. "D-don't... go into the garden again, okay...? Some of the flowers there are... very bad for little ones. You'll get sick if you taste them..." Still seated gracefully at the edge of the river, Coli folded her hands over one knee, biting her lip. She loved children, but things were so awkward around them. She did not want to lecture anyone, let alone someone else's daughter, but flowers weren't good for wolves. They were her creepy hobby - she never meant to get anyone else involved, but it just seemed to happen. "B-but... you can keep that one. Periwinkle. If you like it..."
