It was all she could do to not roll her eyes at his comment; she doubted he knew the origin of her name or what it meant. She’d been named for a tree, yes, but a hardy one. It suited her, she thought. Though she lacked the height and bulk to defend herself excellently, she was swift and much sturdier than she looked. Her mother had done quite well in naming Elowen.

She stood even as he sat. Her guard would not be let down so easily, though she forced herself to relax her muscles despite still refusing to trust a stranger. At the mention of being forced to leave his home, one ear flicked briefly in his direction. It surprised her that a family would drive away one of their own, though she had to admit to herself that she knew little of other cultures. In place of a verbal response, she let out the smallest of whines and gave a tiny nod of her head to acknowledge his predicament.

Staring unabashedly, she watched him look her over in a similar way, likely assessing her appearance. Whether it was beauty or strength he was looking for, he would be hard pressed to find overt signs of either.

Sure enough, momentarily he spoke again, this time to express surprise at her lack of companion. The word lovely did not strike her suspicion nearly as much as beautiful. On her journey here, only one had ever remarked on her looks, as few had come close enough to see the intricacies of her splotched fur. The memory of that male’s drawl nearly made her shudder.

Rather than showing her suspicion again, she simply responded to him in a wry voice. “You must not have seen many in your lifetime, Loki, for those I grew up with made it quite clear they thought little of my looks.” It was true: the other pups in her pack, even in her own litter, outshone her in appearance. White markings were valued at home, and even her father often told her she was plain; this was especially shocking to her, for she was the spitting image of her mother. Of course, he could not be blamed given the circumstances that had arisen shortly after the birth of Elowen and her sisters.

Addressing the main implication of his recent statements, that it was surprising she was alone, she pulled her lips back in a slight grin. “Unlike you, I prefer to be alone most of the time. I find admirers and other large groups of company tiresome, though once in awhile I will seek out a conversation as I am now. Tell me, why do you not join a pack if you do not want to be alone?”

elowen

four | female | no mate | no pack | ali