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Word Count: 597
<3
★ ★ ★
"But Taj, I just got here. I don't want to visit home yet." Ever since the topic of Grace's family and traditions had been brought up, and she had promised him that she would take him to meet her tribe sometime, the crow had done little more than ask her impatiently, "When go?" No matter what answer or explanation she gave him, she received the same reply: "Why?!" It was like having a flying, cawing, pecking puppy around. "See, Taj, this is why we're not going. You would teach the younger litter bad habits! If I had a pup nearly as lippy – beaky?" Her stream of consciousness ranting cut off with this ponderance, and they lapsed into silence for a few short minutes. All too soon, Grace heard those dreaded words: "When go?" She groaned and walked faster; the crow matched pace long enough to land on her head. He leaned over and stuck his beak in her face. "When go?!" The luperci stopped dead in her tracks and pulled her lip back just enough to reveal sharp teeth. Count of one, and she snapped her jaw, not hard, but loud.
The crow was off of her head before she could have counted two, and she burst into merry laughter. "Oh, Taj! Now that was excellent acting, wouldn't you say?" Her avian companion was cawing his disdain in what sounded to be highly colourful language, if only she'd been able to speak crow. She continued to chuckle as they traversed the forest, Taj flying a little bit away from her... just in case. She flopped down on the forest floor and looked up into the trees. After a couple of minutes, the crow ventured toward her. Just as he was settling down, looking smug and comfortable, a bit of snow dropped onto her face, causing her to jump. Taj startled and flew off at top speed, with Grace calling after him, "Taj! It was snow, I wasn't going to eat you! I promise!" After a long moment, he didn't return, and she sighed and rubbed her face. He'd calm down and come back, probably, or she'd look for him in a bit. Probably just needed to calm down and get his bearings back about him... and speaking of...
She took out a small draw-string pouch, containing her smoking paraphernalia. Just as she was getting ready to pack a bowl, she heard a familiar voice say, "What do?" With a grin, Grace got up, putting the pipe and the pouch back into her pocket, and wandered toward the voice. It was coming from a shallow cave; it echoed when the crow spoke, and when his talons scraped. She sneaked around slowly, barely even looking into the dark as she listened for movement. When she heard him again, she lunged, grabbing for him, and landed on something... something oddly... furry... a canine...
She leapt up as fast as she could manage, Taj grabbing onto her mane and clinging. "I am so sorry!" she cried, stifling laughter at this odd turn of events. "I didn't even imagine... Taj doesn't usually speak to anyone besides me!" She looked her victim over; young, a wolf, oddly delicate and rather pretty... and questionably scented. She paused for a second, then shrugged it off and smiled. "I'm Grace, and the crow is Taj. He's just learning to use our language — he's mostly harmless, really." She offered a hand to help the stranger up, still grinning, and trying desperately hard not to think of what had just happened and burst into laughter. "Who are you?"