Soft ears twitched at the hurried crunch of paws. The quiet of the morning broken, Taika lept to her feet and spun to face the noise. She realized it was Edrick the moment he jumped onto her. There was a soft yelp of surprise and she squirmed under his weight when he nipped at her belly. She batted at his face even as he buried his nose into her fur. There was something about his words and actions that concerned her. It was not the usual playfulness they had enjoyed when they first met. There was now something deeper between them, a true fear of loss or abandonment. Her own seriousness overtook her for a moment and she nuzzled him comfortingly, hoping to sooth the fear his pace and actions had indicated. She wished she could feel him like Neverland did, or like Los did her. At the same time, she felt as though the mystery and unknowing was what would make them real.

Her nuzzles turned to gentle licks to his ears and she too buried her face in his rough, breathing him in and letting it envelope her. Don’t worry. I’m here. She assured him in her sweet, soft tones. With her face in his fur, he could not see the ever playful grin that came back to her face and shined in her eyes. Besides, I did not run. I walked! No other warning at all she struggled out from under him and pranced a few feet away. Grinning all over, she lowered her body, shaking with the force of her wagging tail. Do you honeslty believe I can stay in one place long enough to not ‘run off like that’...again? She asked with a raised eyebrow while she was habitually poised for a playful tussle. It was a well known fact that Taika could not possibly be in onto place for too long. Since birth her mother had been chasing the girl all over in an attempt to keep track of her. Long before most mothers even considered it, Taika’s command had changed from, “don’t go too far.” to simply, “just make sure you come back.”.