The world grew a little brighter as she offered him a genuine smile. Something about her softened when he spoke and he could not find complaint for that. He saw, in her eyes, that his words had soothed whatever itching irritation there had been, but there was something more... Perhaps appreciation? It seemed as if something he had said stirred a little extra happiness within her and, for that, he was satisfied with himself. She should be happy. She was a bright, beautiful, chaste young wolfess; her energy and purity seemed to light the very world around her.

Rio, as he chose to call her in his mind, did not seem bothered by him being close and the thought of such only encouraged his strange need of her. He wanted to touch her, to lean through the foot of space between them and rest his face against her perfect white fur. Ra's ran the top his tongue against the sharp ridge of his molars, doing all he could to contain himself. Her gravity pulled him forward, but he had to resist, no matter that it hurt to. Things between him and this perfect, beautiful stranger were going so well but he felt as if these feelings inside him might overwhelm her. They were overwhelming him! Am I going mad? It was a good question. Certainly, a sane person did not feel driven to bury their face in a complete stranger's fur and breathe of them until no other scent existed. Witchery.

His angel laughed when he told her, in a roundabout way, that she was useful, but something in her soft features suggested an unpleasant thought. Rio was grateful for his insight; that he could clearly see, and so he did not understand his acknowledgment of hurt in her expression. It was brief and bare, perhaps not directly related to what he had said, but it was there and he did not like it.

The girl's statement dislocated him from his worry suddenly and he perked his ears forward at her speak of gypsy-kind. This girl, she could not be more perfect, with the way she spoke of his kind without the slightest hint of prejudice. There were many that did not like gypsies, who falsified twisted rumors and stereotypes or feared them for their "wanton" lifestyle. Of course, his people generally did nothing to disprove such opinions.

"I do," Ra's answered back, a broad smile crossing his face. "Actually, I parted with my family last night. I thought it might be time to follow my own path, to find myself."

He had found something better. This girl, the way the universe seemed to revolve at her center... Finding her, seeing her for the first time, it felt like his life had truly begun. "I had been walking since last night, following the trail of another gypsy band, before you found me resting in the stream. Do you know much of gypsies?" His question was toned with a great deal of curiosity and his spring green jewels searched her face for a moment. She had spoken of them without derogation and as if she might know more than a common pack wolf, and that was most interesting. Those who tolerated his kind often still held an aversion toward them.

and I've been doing just fine