The stranger's sudden shout made Delta flinch, nearly pushing himself back into the water on reflex before his mind worked to process what she'd said. He couldn't recognize the words, but their defensiveness was clear even through the language barrier. Moreso than that, she sounded terrified, and young, much younger than he'd initially thought. She was a kit, even if she was much larger than the ones he'd seen before. Pity swelled in his chest at the realization, and his gaze softened.
"Oh dear," he said softly, though uncertainty still tinged his words. He hadn't...this wasn't--if this were a trap, a child wouldn't be involved, would they? Where would they have gotten so much blood? And the fear in her voiced sounded so genuine. If this were a test, he might just fail it; Delta couldn't risk just leaving her here cowering in the undergrowth. He gnawed anxiously at the inside of his cheek, once again looking up and down the banks and tasting the weak breeze to affirm nothing else seemed to be lurking in the darkness for him. At this point, he'd done all he could to make sure nothing was waiting to snap him up. If something was out there, well then, Tsillah's trials had honed it to a more deserving creature than he, hadn't it?
The kit's voice trembled out from the bush again, and despite the unfamiliarity of the language, her tone suggested it was a question.
"I can't understand you, Wolf," came his sad reply. Still, there had to be some way of helping her...getting all that blood off, to start? Getting her something to eat? To drink? Their languages were different, but maybe if he kept trying, he could find words both shared.
"Wait here," Delta called, pushing himself backwards into the stream. He was gone then, vanishing beneath the waves as if he were a part of the water itself. He couldn't afford to spend too long away from her, lest she take the opportunity to flee further into the forest and die someplace else. Thankfully, what he was looking for could be found easily at the bottom of the shallow stream, and he unsheathed his claws to grasp and tug chunks of cold, slimy moss free of smooth rocks and gravel bedding before snapping them up between his jaws. The stream had no proper fish to offer, but land animals had to drink like he did even if they lived outside the water.
Delta surfaced again and sprayed water from his nostrils, looking back and forth along the banks with a bundle of dripping moss hanging from his mouth. This time, he dragged more than just his front half onto the bank, heavy fins scraping awkwardly against the gravel as he stumbled his way fully out onto solid land with a grunt of exertion. Slowly and hesitantly he moved towards the bush, slinking low and nervous against the earth as he inched further from his safety in the water. He paused around halfway, keeping his gaze locked forward as he dropped the sopping bundle of moss and stumbled quickly backwards to the gravel. He didn't return to the water, not yet, but the anxiety squeezing at his chest loosened somewhat knowing he stood on the border to its safety.
"Um--got water. Water there." he spoke in broken, simple terms in hopes the child could find similarities between it and her own tongue. He gestured meekly with a paw towards the soaked moss halfway between them. "Water. Thirsty? Help you?"
"Oh dear," he said softly, though uncertainty still tinged his words. He hadn't...this wasn't--if this were a trap, a child wouldn't be involved, would they? Where would they have gotten so much blood? And the fear in her voiced sounded so genuine. If this were a test, he might just fail it; Delta couldn't risk just leaving her here cowering in the undergrowth. He gnawed anxiously at the inside of his cheek, once again looking up and down the banks and tasting the weak breeze to affirm nothing else seemed to be lurking in the darkness for him. At this point, he'd done all he could to make sure nothing was waiting to snap him up. If something was out there, well then, Tsillah's trials had honed it to a more deserving creature than he, hadn't it?
The kit's voice trembled out from the bush again, and despite the unfamiliarity of the language, her tone suggested it was a question.
"I can't understand you, Wolf," came his sad reply. Still, there had to be some way of helping her...getting all that blood off, to start? Getting her something to eat? To drink? Their languages were different, but maybe if he kept trying, he could find words both shared.
"Wait here," Delta called, pushing himself backwards into the stream. He was gone then, vanishing beneath the waves as if he were a part of the water itself. He couldn't afford to spend too long away from her, lest she take the opportunity to flee further into the forest and die someplace else. Thankfully, what he was looking for could be found easily at the bottom of the shallow stream, and he unsheathed his claws to grasp and tug chunks of cold, slimy moss free of smooth rocks and gravel bedding before snapping them up between his jaws. The stream had no proper fish to offer, but land animals had to drink like he did even if they lived outside the water.
Delta surfaced again and sprayed water from his nostrils, looking back and forth along the banks with a bundle of dripping moss hanging from his mouth. This time, he dragged more than just his front half onto the bank, heavy fins scraping awkwardly against the gravel as he stumbled his way fully out onto solid land with a grunt of exertion. Slowly and hesitantly he moved towards the bush, slinking low and nervous against the earth as he inched further from his safety in the water. He paused around halfway, keeping his gaze locked forward as he dropped the sopping bundle of moss and stumbled quickly backwards to the gravel. He didn't return to the water, not yet, but the anxiety squeezing at his chest loosened somewhat knowing he stood on the border to its safety.
"Um--got water. Water there." he spoke in broken, simple terms in hopes the child could find similarities between it and her own tongue. He gestured meekly with a paw towards the soaked moss halfway between them. "Water. Thirsty? Help you?"