Delta only stopped his nervous shuffling once he felt the cool water of the bank pooling around his paws. It was at least a small relief to know that deeper water stood only a leap away from him now, and the damp fur which spiked along his spine eased seeing that the stranger made no move to intercept him (yet). Instead, she began to dust her pelt free of the same petals Delta has been previously eating. Was it common then for animals like them to visit these rolling hills? The little cat had only seen the shapes of large herbivores from his view in the water, but it made sense that smaller creatures would be obstructed by the tall grass.
How much can't I see? Are there more of her? Delta nervously tasted the air, but all he could sense was the thick aroma of flowers. He jumped again when the stranger spoke, though made no further retreat into the water as he hesitantly followed her gaze towards the nearby muddy river. The breeze around there had always carried the scent of wolf, but Delta had never stepped a paw on land there to investigate. Did this pack--Verdantis, own the river itself? Had he been trespassing?
Delta was a poor liar, so elected to say nothing yet as a fresh wave of guilt and fear crashed in his belly. Instead, his recollection wandered back to another pack he'd heard mentioned, and his eyes lit with surprise at the sudden realization.
"Urna, of Verdantis," he awkwardly tested the new kingdom's name, "you are a different pack?" The fish-wolf he'd spoken to at the cove, Loch, had said he was from a pack named Dusknora. This same river lead to where they'd previously spoken, were the two packs close in more than just location? Allies, perhaps? Or were there so many groups here that their territories bordered? Delta shuddered at the thought of all the animals it would take to fill this land with packs, more than there had been of his family in the ocean, certainly. Of all the times he'd been beneath the water and not bothering to surface, had he been making enemies of countless organizations by trespassing?
"I am from the ocean," he answered simply, gesturing with his stumpy muzzle towards the opposite direction of the muddy river. He kept his frightened gaze firmly affixed to Urna; her words had been less of a question and more of a statement, but it had been a correct one.
"We did not have packs," he awkwardly continued. "How many are...how much of you are there here?"
How much can't I see? Are there more of her? Delta nervously tasted the air, but all he could sense was the thick aroma of flowers. He jumped again when the stranger spoke, though made no further retreat into the water as he hesitantly followed her gaze towards the nearby muddy river. The breeze around there had always carried the scent of wolf, but Delta had never stepped a paw on land there to investigate. Did this pack--Verdantis, own the river itself? Had he been trespassing?
Delta was a poor liar, so elected to say nothing yet as a fresh wave of guilt and fear crashed in his belly. Instead, his recollection wandered back to another pack he'd heard mentioned, and his eyes lit with surprise at the sudden realization.
"Urna, of Verdantis," he awkwardly tested the new kingdom's name, "you are a different pack?" The fish-wolf he'd spoken to at the cove, Loch, had said he was from a pack named Dusknora. This same river lead to where they'd previously spoken, were the two packs close in more than just location? Allies, perhaps? Or were there so many groups here that their territories bordered? Delta shuddered at the thought of all the animals it would take to fill this land with packs, more than there had been of his family in the ocean, certainly. Of all the times he'd been beneath the water and not bothering to surface, had he been making enemies of countless organizations by trespassing?
"I am from the ocean," he answered simply, gesturing with his stumpy muzzle towards the opposite direction of the muddy river. He kept his frightened gaze firmly affixed to Urna; her words had been less of a question and more of a statement, but it had been a correct one.
"We did not have packs," he awkwardly continued. "How many are...how much of you are there here?"