Nary a moment passed between them than the male settled his hackles and wave his tail in what was surely meant to be a display of good nature. He even went so far as to avert his eyes, and Tauriel understood his meaning in this. And yet her frame remained tense and alert, even if the spiked fur along her neck smoothed back into its non-defensive state. Duo-toned eyes remained fixed on him as he offered a smile and a casual remark about the night. The past couple years of solitude had hardened the girl, and though she had met wolves who proved trust-worthy - like Ame - she had met more who weren't. Still, in the very base of her heart she wanted to give wolves the benefit of the doubt. It was the pit of her stomach and the back of her mind that bade her remain on guard with those she did not know well. It was a somewhat conflicting way to look at life, a thing she was still trying to work out for herself.

As he lifted his eyes to the sky, Tauriel lowered her head towards the earth. She deposited the rabbit between her paws so that she could speak with the male. As her head rose once more, his words permeated the night air once more, confirming what she had already surmised from his shifts in body language. He introduced himself as Halcyon, and spoke formally and with honor. Though such speech was not often used in her own den growing up - Everlyse of a bit hotter temperament than that, and Reich a silent but stoic presence - it was not unfamiliar. There were those upon the mountain who spoke in such a manner. "I am Tauriel," she answered, her voice even and conveying an underlying strength. Where he was well spoken and generous with his words, she remained observant of him. Adrenaline still coursed through her veins from the swift and successful hunt, and she breathed slowly through her nostrils to calm the racing beat of her heart so that she may focus more entirely upon Halcyon.

The more than he spoke, the more he put her reservations at ease. Though wolves from her past had done much the same, only for her to later find out they spoke untruths, harming her heart in a way she did not wish to allow ever again. Yet there were wolves like Ame in the world, and she had to at least try to give this Halcyon the chance to prove himself similarly. "I do not mind your company," she responded, finally allowing her pure white banner to relax and wave slowly behind her. The tenseness began to dissipate from her limbs, and she shifted her weight before glancing out at the moonlit landscape that surrounded them. He had said so much, and she felt obligated to carry on the conversation. "The summer's fires have changed this place so much, and yet it is somehow still the same," she mused, bringing her gaze back to Halcyon. She was unsure if she should bury her catch to consume later so that they were not forced to stay in this one spot, if he wanted to walk. Or perhaps he was content to simply soak up the night, and one another's company, from this very spot.