Secluded Spring hey kid

Loneliness was really starting to do a number on Niabi. She'd never been alone for so long before. Back home, there were always caretakers around, not to mention her family. While she knew she was better than her siblings, she missed their warmth at night and their stupid games during the day. Even if she felt like she was more mature than them--she'd been molded into growing up fast--she was still young. She'd expected to stay home with her father for a good part if not all of her life. She hadn't had any serious plans for herself, and now she was paying the price.

She didn't know how to make decisions for herself! That was the problem. She needed to find someone to take her father's place, and soon. That was clear even to her.

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go

While Seri had started to consider that wandering a little farther from home was nothing to frown upon, he still returned. He didn’t want to frighten his mother by disappearing all together without a word before going off to venture. It would weigh on his young conscious if he did that. He had been returning from a small venture out into the Blackberry Fields, having learned that the berries there were not only safe to eat, but quite delicious. He still had some blackberry juice on his maw from his mid-afternoon snack.

It was then that he caught the scent, a wolf he had never smelled before somewhat close to his home. It caused his eyes to widen, the shadow moving towards the source of the small with a reserved curiosity that he uniquely exhibited from a young age. Perhaps it was because it was just he and his mom, or perhaps it was simply because he just wasn’t as rambunctious as other kids by those natures. He appeared within the wolf’s sight but he said nothing, simply tilting his head to the side in silent question. Who?

She didn't walk for much longer before scenting a strange wolf. Her face broke into a wide, unrestricted grin immediately. Maybe he'd make a good friend!

Soon, a pup entered her sight. Niabi blinked in mild surprise. She'd been so excited about meeting someone new that she hadn't taken any time to notice the finer details of the scent. Still, it probably wouldn't be bad to talk to a kid. She didn't have much practice with them, but she didn't have anything against them, either.

She kept her posture casual and nonthreatening, her tail wagging softly. He looked to be alone, and she really didn't want to scare him off or look like someone a late-arriving parent would see as a threat. "Hey," she said.

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go

She seemed friendly enough, and Seri took the opportunity to simply analyze her features, the way she reacted to things. She seemed casual and non-threatening. Her tail was even wagging. It was enough for the suspicion to subside, and the curiosity simply to replace it. The word was also relaxed, and he allowed his tail to wag in response to the tone. “Hi.” He answered simply, still a pup of few words.

“Name?” He spoke mono-syllabic, apparently that was just his style at the time. It was still better to be cautious, at least, that was what he was pretty sure he remembered his mama saying. “Seri.” He offered his own name in turn, blinking as he stared at the woman in front of him. He could tell she was younger than mama, but older than him… and that was just about all he could really tell for sure.

The boy's tail wagged as Niabi greeted him and he her in return. That was good. She relaxed a little more. She was still wondering where his parents were, but she could talk for a while anyway.

He asked for her name and gave his own, both in short, one-word sentences. Niabi wasn't an expert on the language development of puppies--she probably wouldn't go out of her way to learn even if it had been available information since she didn't like to think too much if it wouldn't be useful. She vastly preferred action to planning--but she assumed that was normal anyway. Or maybe he just didn't like to talk much. That was fine. She could talk enough for both of them if he didn't mind. "I'm Niabi Abbas." It was important back home to use both your first and last name when meeting someone for the first time, even though this kid was almost definitely not going to know who Abbas was.

"Where are your parents?" she asked.

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go

He noticed how the movement of his tail seemed to coincide with tension fading more from her shoulders, and it acted like a ripple, allowing him to relax further in turn. Perhaps while a stranger, the woman was harmless. He could hope that at least. She introduced herself as Niabi Abbas. Niabi. It was a strange name, in Seri’s opinion though he didn’t comment any further on it. From what he understood, saying something like that would be considered rude and he didn’t want to make the situation hostile.

The question fell and he frowned. Parents? Plural? As far as he knew it had always been just him and mama. He didn’t understand the concept of having a father because he’d never had one. “Mama’s nearby, in the den.” He stated simply, also not understanding why it mattered where his mom was at the moment. She was talking to him, not his mom. “She normally takes a nap right about now.” He was lying of course, the den wasn’t necessarily close by in anyone’s terms, and he couldn’t really speak for her sleeping habits, but her being close by, or at least the woman thinking she was close by, made him feel a little better.

The boy frowned and looked a bit confused when she asked where his parents were, but he answered that his mama was nearby, probably taking a nap. So she was asleep but close. "That's good." Niabi didn't have any real qualms against kidnapping, but she was just barely able to care for herself at the moment, without a pup to worry about. She had no use for Seri. She was glad that his mother was around so no one else could take him, though. She did want a friend.

"What do you like to do?" she asked curiously. Friends meant friendship activities! She liked learning about new fun things to do, too, and if it could help them become friends, that was even better.

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go

Seri had no concept of kidnapping, all he knew was that strangers could be dangerous and that he needed to be careful around those he didn’t know… specifically, those that both he and mama both didn’t know. If he knew them but mama didn’t, then they could be dangerous as well. She said that was good and he tensed just a little, not sure if it was good that she was nearby or maybe it was good that she was asleep. He really didn’t know what to make of the situation. Words of caution just swarmed around his head.

The question came and he wrinkled his nose lightly as he thought about it, his eyes lost in thought for only a moment before he was answering. “Learning.” He was a curious soul, albeit reckless on occasion, but curious to a fault. “And splorin’.” He added in, because he liked learning new places. He knew the Spring very well because it was his home, but he was starting to learn the surrounding territories now too.

A nearby creek is full to the brim with fish. +3 Health