lay with me my dear, in the evening clear

The water flowed by, mesmerizing and sluggish, allowing his mind to wander far away from the riverbank. He wondered about the fox that lived in the dunes back home and the loner that had come by for shelter after a nasty run in with a young bear. He wondered what his parents were doing now, so many endless miles away. Faint tendrils of steam rose from the water, curling into nothing a couple feet above the current. Coast sighed quietly.

The sound of an unfamiliar voice should not, perhaps, have been so unexpected what with the abundant scents of other wolves. But when the statement reached his ears, Coast jumped as though he had been attacked. He spun around, affronted, his brow furrowed in something like anger and confusion combined. ”Sorry, didn’t mean to bother you.” It took a moment for him to actually sort out the words and make sense of them, and another for him to take in the sight of the speaker. She was small, smaller than him in any case, and her deep red coat stood out to him. Rather pretty, really.

Coast composed himself, properly facing the she-wolf. His nostrils flared, taking in her strong scent that he could just place as one of the pack lands he had bypassed on his way in. “What is this place?” He asked abruptly, and maybe a bit snappier than he had intended. Coast cleared his throat. "Sorry, I’ve just arrived. I…” Not often one to be lost for words, Coast glanced around awkwardly. Perhaps it had been his daydreaming, but he felt fuzzy and unsure. Frustrated, he huffed and looked sideways into the water once more.

i'll be dreaming in, my paper pale skin