I kept watching her, always watching- because she was strange. At least- different to most others I knew and I could respect that, just as I could respect her space. I wasn’t ready to die for a mission, I wanted to impress Mistress Jaidah, I wanted to be made an official spy for my new pack while I searched for the flat land but I wasn’t going to die trying- at least not yet. I think it takes a while to become that loyal to something. She seemed to wander closer every now and then as I spoke, I didn’t mind, earthen and gold pelt fluffed up against the chill of the air as the black and grey female lingered about. I wonder if her face ever hurt her- all marked like that, all torn and injured. Maybe it just stopped after a while, I don’t know. My questions seemed to upset her again, her body language seeming to grow a little sharper, more irritable as her ears lay back before her answer came in a snarl- announcing she wasn’t afraid of anything as my head tilted in a manner almost puppy like. Not afraid? Not of anything? For a moment I almost forgot my task as the gold and black of my gaze rested upon her, unsure of the answer she gave, generally curious now, question no longer holding the agenda behind it all others had done.

“Then you a damn fool.”

I didn’t mean it to sound so harsh, my own eyes widening slightly in surprise at such words having been forced from my lips- almost as if by another force, almost as if they were not my own, the words erupting from within before I could catch them- regretting them almost instantly. I was trying to keep the situation calm, not make her mad. I needed something from her, I needed her to say the words, to admit what I suspected was true and yet she wouldn’t if she was trying to eat me. I frowned again, surprised, words suddenly rising within my throat once more as if to attempt to explain myself before the dark female could lunge at me.

“If you have never known fear then you have never known courage either- because you have never had to overcome anything, so by your own admission- you’re a coward.”

Why……was I still talking? Were did I get those words from? No one had ever told me that….I am sure and yet, maybe once, in a dream I had heard them whispered. It was like I remembered them from a long time ago, a very long time ago. I shook the thought away, not caring to try and continue to talk, determined to stay quite for now and hope that perhaps she may not have heard my misspoken words as I continued to rest atop my boulder, golden black eyes following her motion once more as her tail lifted in dominance and I allowed my ears to flatten back slightly in an effort to appease her. For now at least she seemed content to keep talking, ears pricking forward once more if I asked if she was worried she would be eaten like that last imprint Tobias had. Alright- I was guessing, I have no idea if he had an imprint before her- I knew he had a mate, an Angel girl that never came home, or so Father says- as for all the imprint talk, well- I was lying. Like I said I had no idea if he had an imprint before, or not really, I suppose he did, some other wolves whisper about it- I just needed to get a conformation out of her- I needed her to say the right words and she was starting to get difficult. Just a little more, just a little pushing. Her next words were mostly ignored, not because they were not important but because she was starting to circle around my rock, drawing closer and closer, eyes following her all the same as I made an effort to keep looking at least a little bit relaxed.

Her next words however brought a ready grin to my features, simper dancing across my lips as the words I had been waiting for were finally uttered and I had true information to bring back to Jaidah. I didn’t feel….until he came along. Alright, maybe I had cheated to get what I wanted from her, but like I said to Mistress Jaidah- I was very good at getting others to talk to me. I was skinny and scruffy and young and they spoke because they saw a child, a foolish child, a boy with lots of questions and silly thoughts. They saw what I wanted them to see and they didn’t believe I would ever be anything more. I had seen her in Asteraia that day, lots of us had, I had seen her with Tobias, so had a lot of us. That she had imprinted on him though……no one could know. You cannot see an imprint, you cannot feel it unless it happens to you. She might have been Tobias’ friend, or mate or companion or just decided to follow him about, I had no idea until now. They had reacted oddly with each other, sure, but Tobias is odd by any standards. She had admitted her imprint, her bond and her evident weakness. The only proof I needed to take back to Jaidah. I had found the soul of the Black Prince himself and this is a precious treasure indeed! I had simply presumed she was his imprint, spoken as if I knew and she had willingly taken such bait. I had suspected and I had been right, head lifted slightly in pride before the wolfess took me by surprise- leaping suddenly up and onto my boulder, crashing against me in the same moment as I made to leap- landing neatly atop my earthen paws before spinning to face her, jumping neatly back a few more steps all the same- just to be safe, placing enough space between us that should would have to land and take another step before being able to chase me, should she desire it.

I forced my heckles flat, tail flicking a little in disdain and no more, not ready to run just yet, even though I now had the proof I needed and something of an idea on how to make it work. She was an impatient creature too. Wolves give away a lot- when they think you’re a fool or a silly child. Maybe this trick won’t work when I get older and less….cute, ears sliding forward once more, forcing my own aggression down, refusing to rile her more then I may already have done.

“Because everyone asks a lot of questions about him, I wanted to find some answers. He came to my pack I was curious, that was all and I thought you might know him, or that he might speak to you. Can he actually speak?”

A few minutes more and I’d find away to excuse myself from her company- I think I have pushed my luck long enough today…