So much of the world had been lost on him - if it were possible to lose those things one had never discovered, at least. He had learnt only the basics of life; to eat, to drink, to speak and to listen but never of the vastness of it all. Friends, history, future... so much had not been taught to him, the concepts as foreign as a far off land to him. Yet, he had felt a need to seek out something more than what he had been shown and told. He had sought it out into the open world, following the bizarre scents and the unusual sounds that resonated in the air. The crashing of waves had become more than a muffled sound and now, he had a living creature at the nip of his nose, digging away from him and yet intriguing him all the same. He knew not of its name - he simply knew it scents. Furry, musty, dirt covered fur with ears that always entertained him with their length. He knew it was down there and though he hadn't any clue what to do with it, he wanted it all the same.

Yet, such desperation and curiosity had him somewhat stuck. Perhaps he could have backed out if he so desired and yet, it ached each time he set his back left paw upon the earth to pull him back out of the snug hole. He had learnt to try to cover up his pain, you see, a learned thing forced upon him by the snide eyes of his family. And with the sound of paws behind him, he did not want any other to know of such an obvious weakness (he had never considered the leg itself was quite visibly twisted; a fact that had also escaped him, it seemed.) Instead, he waved his tail though he could not see his company, wiggling out just enough so that his ears might stick out from the warren.

When he heard the voice, his entire body paused for a moment, his breath ceasing half way up his throat. He had not heard it before. It was... new and though he had thought himself prepared, he hadn't a clue on what to do. Was it safe? Was it even a wolf like him? It seemed he would need to do something to find out other than hope for the best. He swallowed hard, remaining silent and yet, he pushed his back paws down and pulled himself back; he seemed to 'pop' out of the hole, his teeth gritting in pain as his ankle buckled under the pressure. Though his ears slid back in response to the sudden burst of pain, he did his best to remain silent, biting down on his teeth with refusal to wince. He had to hope the other did not notice it so much - another child, it seemed, had come to him and he did not wish for his weakness to scare them away.

Perhaps he had been quiet for too long, the effort of his movement having taken some moments and yet, it took him another moment to put his thoughts into words. He had been taught his mother's tongue, after all, and his exposure to the words of others had been limited. Whatcha'. It made him frown ever so slightly in thought.

"What am I... doing?"

He figured that is what the other had meant and so, he spoke it to confirm, his eyes moving to meet the other boy's with an innocent curiosity. Then, he grinned (small and sweet) and turned towards the hole he had backed out of from, his tail waving behind him once more as he stabilized on his three good limbs.

"Something down there. Smells good. Whatcha' think?"

He tested the word for himself, awkwardly stumbling over its nuances but grinning proudly all the same. He'd never been told about friends yet, he seemed to crave them naturally. He just hoped the other child would not fault him for his gnarled, horrid leg.