table © Alaine
ooc:
wc: 511
The beast was watching him warily, and Caillen remained respectfully crouched, wondering despite thoughts of danger how it was that such a creature, so large and mythical-looking, could still exist. Perhaps this was, indeed, the spirit of the forest? It was the color of worn pine-truck, oak-wood, branches and sticks; And so much fur! So much MEAT! But not prey, of this he was now deadly certain. There was no way such a beast, with its ginormous incisors, could be anything less than a predator itself. Seemingly, the beast had come to some hard-pressed decision - To the ground now came its mighty forepaws, making earth and limb tremble alike with the contact. Surely, this was a creature of immense power, as it was a natural abomination. Caillen's sky-blue eyes widened nervously.
At his offer of the hare, the creature seemed momentarily appeased. Having backed away, it came forth again, with an eagerness that showed the wolfdog youth something of mortality and hunger. Deities craved not the filling of stomach, as earthenly creatures did, and thus sure as he was the beast was living and breathing flesh. Rather than diminish, Caillen's curiosity doubled - A bone and blood creature that bore no canine blood, speaking the high-speech? His brain struggled to comprehend! Having gradually straightened to his full stature again, the youth was once more taller than his acquaintance, although compared naught in weight. As such, he remained vigilante for further signs of aggression.
Words came from the creature (he, surely, for that was a masculine tone, Caillen thought) and he froze once again, enthralled by the novelty of such an occasion. Listening carefully, the vagabond soaked up the bear's strange manner of speaking, his abnormal and fascinating self-description. Bear, indeed! A critical eye turned inwards, upon Caillen's own memory; Although alike in appearance, the bear did not fully resemble the nightmare-creatures that he had seen in the human picture-books. Strange, indeed, but the two-legs had always been a peculiar and abstract race. It would not surprise him to think that they had been enemies of the bear species, also.
This time, it was Caillen's turn to step forward, gradually closing the gap between them to a meter or two. His blue eyes looked to the beast's nose, which was similar in appearance to his own ebony sniffer. Wincing empathetically, the youth made a nonchalant shrugging gesture, his lanky limbs shifting with the smooth movement of fast-growing muscles. "Perhaps, bear, I might... I might be able tae help ye. My Ma is a healer, see, and I hae seen her treat things such as this. If it would please ye, I could give it a try?" Belligerent of the dangers of this unknown creature, the Merle pelted wolfdog boy smiled at Ciel's second question. "Yes, er... half. In sooth, my Pa was a wolf, and Ma, she is the prettiest dog in the world. I dinnae get my looks from her, you see." Pleasing himself with the little joke, the male chuckled slightly, his face shining with naive mirth.
Speak think walk
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