Bright sunlight was trickling down through the leaves and needles, creating curious patterns on the underbrush. The painting of light and shadow, dancing across the bushes and dry needles had caught the interest of a small creature, resting on the ground in front of the wide opening to a dark den. Her ears waved back and forth as she tried to make sense of the rolling light, now and then shaking her head against the strange feeling; she still wasn't quite used to them stiff and maneuverable like this. Her baby blue eyes were squinting against the light, but her smooth, stubby tail waved contentedly behind her, a small, bemused smile on her face.

The clearing between the many dens of her new pack was pleasantly quiet today, the other inhabitants either sleeping within their cool, dim hollows, or out somewhere in the surrounding lands, doing god knew what. Nalda was rather happy with that though, still not used to being surrounded by so many other wolves, let alone other pups. She enjoyed her solitude, able to study the peculiar light display in peace, free of noise and other disturbance from the strangers that now lived so close by. The little Zamora was still getting accustomed to pack life, or rather, she was doing her best to not, attempting to remain alone or with her parents at all times, pretending that nothing had changed. She wasn't excited about having age mates to play with, she wasn't happy to be within the safety of maintained borders and surrounded by adults who worked together to keep her fed and healthy. She wasn't old enough to understand the luck and advantages of having joined a pack yet, she just wanted things to stay the way they had been.

Right now it was easy to pretend. She was on her own, both of her parents out for the time being on duties for the pack, and whoever was charged with watching over the pups having retreaded to one of the dens, creating the illusion of solitude. Nalda did not mind being alone at all, it was nice, though she was beginning to miss her parents, they had been gone for a while now. What where they doing anyway? What was this pack-life all about and why did it mean they had to leave her so often? Of course they were never gone for long, but the young girl still liked it better back when one of them was always with her. Suddenly the sunlight had lost its charm, and the russet marked up shifted her weight, lying down on one side with her head on her paws, gazing into the surrounding forest. She couldn't see why this place was so much better than her old home, she didn't like it one bit!

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”Speech”

Starna @DA & Dawnthieves.de