The song of spring sang merrily throughout the lands of the lore. It's lyrics were notes of a new begining, a time to restart, and for the gloom of winter to be gone. What a happy song it was. The girl, though young and not born actually to quite witness this season before now, she did think it might be her favorite. Could she really tell? She was not even a year, and someone might tell her it was too soon to make up her mind --to be so certain. She could change her mind? Nothing was ever set in stone, not this. With her eyes wide, and bright she watched as the snow melted, and the rains began to cease at last the sun shinied waking the sleepy heads. My how the lands had awakened with life again, and she tried to wrap her mind around the concept. Why did it snow why couldn't it just be spring? When she took her time, really contemplating this change she looked to her life and decided everything needed an end to get a fresh new start. Or something like that. A deep breath she filled her lungs of the rich scents, seeming multiplied by the power of rain. She was not sure where to start her exploration for the day.


No real place in mind, her paws settled over the soft carpet of the earth in a quick trot merely pulling her along. She took her time viewing in the new landscape wondering if she'd remember her old trails by all this budding green. The landmarks were merely matched in her head with what they looked like with change. The more she padded, the more confident she became, and she knew what she wanted to see. The bad patch of forest, the haunted dark part Kiche had been to. What she could vaguely recall being at for a pack hunt. Doing her best with the map of her memory she followed along the edge of the Cedarwood Forest trying to decide directly where it was.

She was welcomed with the strong scent of her home, and almost wanted to explore it knowing she might find someting to eat. Her stride became choppy, and she pushed herself to part from the familiar forest. She did want to see what else spring had done. Instead of finding the Wildwood she came to the edge of Wildcherry Orchard. It was there she found the flocks of many birds. Right away they appealed to her. They were pretty, and making all sorts of tunes with their chirping voices. They actually did not seem to mind the company of a young wolf below their perches. A broad smile she took her time strolling along looking for different colors, or a different species when the song of a wolf rang out. First she was alarmed, and her paws stopped dead. Once she realized the wolf was singing with a bird, and no where in her view she had to find them. She'd never known another animal to be so friendly.

Quietly she tried to be sneaky, seeking out the pair with open eyes upon the lightest of movement. Then she saw a dark female beneath a cherry tree. She balked for a moment, afraid this was the wolf who had tried to harm Trisden.

Arlette's presence did not go unoticed in this part of the grove. The sparrows began twittering of her trespassing, singing for all to hear there was another wolf roaming the grounds. She only pressed her ears tighter to her skull, her tail about to curl beneath her hind limbs. Oh, no. The wolf would spot her any time now, and she hunched trying to make her gangly form disappaer into the surrounding bracken. To Arlette's horror the little bird was staring right at her, and the wolf had come to inspect what was causing the noise. When she thought she would be commanded to come forth, or maybe even pounced upon she almost believed the dark lady had not seen at all her. Suddenly, her vivid amber eyes pulled away from her, and for a moment Arlette was safe.


She craned her head, peering around her cover with wide, curious eyes as the wolf turned back to her bird singing the tune they had once before. The girl turned in turn watched the little bird, capitivated by all of this, and if he would sing once more. He again followed in to with the lady their notes blending, rising, and falling she had goosebumps from the eerie yet beautiful sound.

She gulped back, the crash of fear that had wrecked havoc upon her slowly lessened. More bravely she pulled herself out of the bracken. She did this most cautiously, and as quiet as she could manage not to disturb the little creatures again. Her paled yellow eyes large, and drawn to the female wolf she came into the open revealing herself to the accompanying crowd. Her body was not very relaxed. It was tight, and her limbs drawn close together, her white neck lowered submissively. Somewhere there was courage, even if it was not quite showing.

Keeping her backside pressed to the other trees, she slunk a little closer before shuffling her large paws together. Eyes would shift from predator to prey, and she had to raise her ears to listen to the beautiful music. When a note had quieted, she blinked before quietly saying, "That was beautiful." An many a question could part following her words, but she kept her black lips sealed not ready to speak further. Another part of her aware some strangers were not very acomidating to curious youngsters, and she would assume this one was no different. In fact Arlette was still very much prepared to run away as fast as she could at the first sign of displeasue from the dark coated lady.

She tried to keep her composure steady, but had a hard time at it. Every movement caught in her paled, yellow gaze from one bird hopping to a different branch to the small flutter of a bud. She had to try to hold herself from flinching. She didn't want to seem any more a coward, and had thought she'd grown out of her jumpiness, but new situations were finding to be the cause. She was coaxed from her hiding, noticing how the black coated lady kept herself in a neutral stance. This made Arlette less wary, and hopeful the wolf wasn't about to harm her physical or verbally. The wag of a tail only furthered her rapdily beating heart it would keep beating another day. Significantly her rigid posture, was not quite so bound in invisible knots. Catching a wide smile, the simple words of gratitude Arlette offered a half smile, almost sheepish. The smile grew at the little chirps of the bird, and she found herself staring at it's beautiful coat. How many times had she tried to make friends with other creatures and failed. Here was proof it could be done."Hello, little swallow" she quietly told him, wanting to say more, but afraid her own chittering woudl scare him.


She was perfectly happy where she was, when the lady spoke of singing. Bashfully, Arlette tipped her nose, and let her eyes settled somewhere at the ground. She did like to sing, and had much when she was little. Recently she hadn't in awhile, afraid she had no beautiful voice. Her pale brows dipped, and any could see she was thinking about it. She could try....

"Okay," she managed to finally answer, a very subtle wag of her tail. Her eyes wandered from wolf, to bird and she took in a deep breath. Here goes. She tipped her nose upward, and strumming her vocal chords she opened her mouth letting the sound free. It was a bit of a low note at first, and not very strong. She did not let her fear break her, but continued testing another higher note, letting it ring with new strength. She tried to stick to the same melody, but found herself singing something her mother oftened hummed. She did not sing long, soon letting the note fade eyeing the bird then sylph for approval.

The swallow appeared pleased by her performance, and she bashfully smiled, waiting to see what someone of her own kind thought. Birds must have good hearing, but were they the best judges of a wolf song? When he sang back her very tune, she felt her heart swell in a feeling she'd hardly felt. It made her feel overwhelmed, and lightheaded with the warmth. She was overjoyed to hear it, and had to keep from happily giggling. He sang it again, and she smiled from ear to ear. "Thank you," she murmured to him, aware her eyes might have been moist from her leaking emotions. Her yellow eyes shifted, and her pale mask became smooth. Ava laughed, but there was no hint of malicous only the joy Arlette might have expressed.


The young lady ducked her head, but was still proudly smiling. She did not think she had been better than Ava, as she was a humble creature. She knew to take an honest compliment graciously. "Th..thanks," she stammered, obviously more timid with someone of her own kind. She was trying, and hoped someone would understand how hard it was for her..how much of an effort this was. She briefly tipped her chin upward to the little fellow, and quietly hummed to the little bird. She was surprised by the mention of naming him. She blankly blinked, looking past. A name? She had no idea, she'd never really thought about things. Most were just squirrels, and chipmunks nothing special. She'd never talked to one to give them a name.

"Umm," she quietly turned her eyes back to the wolf, almost eager for suggestion. A name....hmm. She knew two names, Prosper and Theodore. Those were her brother's name, and they did not fit the bird. Her white teeth carefully dug into her black skin. She thoughtfully looked back to the bird, who looked at her with his intelligent eyes. He deserved a regal name. "How about Ruiko?" She said, half grimacing when she sounded it out, feeling it might fit the bird. Ruiko had been the first kind stranger she had met, though he was quiet compared to this bird. Maybe she shouldn't.

She was entranced by the bird, as he was her. She stared into his intelligent eyes wishing he could tell her all about himself. This was what she had always wanted to do with other animals, converse with them finding out what their lives were like. If they were alone she might have rambled about herself actually, telling him about the forest, and maybe hoping he'd visit her there. With Ava there the idea seemed silly, and she had not yet warmed up the dark coated lady to be sharing too much information. In time she could, but being wary was her best defense. She was not extremely paticular about who her friends were, but she had to know them first.

The best thing Ava did was flash a beautiful smile at her suggestion. It was almost like the youth's were sparkling, eating up the form of praise. Everyone wanted to be accepted for who they were, and their thoughts acknowledged, and Arlette was no less. It was an easy way of winning the lass over. "I guess he doesn't mind," she said with a half smile, letting her eyes meet the amber pair, before watching the little bird again. It was odd seing one so still, and she could stop looking at him. She was sure he'd get scared and fly away at some point. He almost didn't seem real.

The swallow shook himself, sleeking down what had puffed in his vigorous movement. Her ear would sharply turn in the lady's direction. Ava. Simple sounding, but beautiful name. She easiliy placed it to her memories where she would soon not forget her nor the feathered Ruiko. It couldn't hurt to tell her a name. Arlette," she said with a wave of her tail. She was almost approbate of Ava. She was not entirely sure. She actually wanted to know more about her. Her small nostrils twitched if they might tell her what she wanted. She really couldn't pick up much, just strange scents she did not know. "Do you have a home?" She put, her words slowly drawn from her mouth.