the smell of the salt in her fur became vial really quickly. what seemed like a scent wafted in his nostrils that brought back bittersweet memories of the past had suddenly awoken the many recollections Juris used to be so good at stowing away. The memories that made him - him. A sinking feeling abruptly shot through his veins, the ocean was a place of both peace and chaos for him and he was only strong enough to put on a fascade throughout his life everytime he thought about it. It was true, he had no idea what Oceanfur Zafira was talking about, imprints - what the hell is that do you suppose? Whatever it was, it didn't feel like a warning. So it was ok to continue with her on this note.
He snorted and stepped back, trying to hide his sudden and possibly bi-polar displeasure for the salt aersols that stung his nose. He sighed in relief, "You are not the wolves that seek me to slay me. That is good to know, I doubted they were able to follow my trail." he said so with a cocky flare to his tone, he was proud of what others saw in him as a thief in the night and a sly shadow amongst a tree. Getting away from your problems was a lot easier than dealing with them. But Juris was always a trouble maker, so trouble was never far from trailing him somewhere. It was all bound to keep up with him one day.
He watched her every move. Every slight twitch to her lip and whatever each small flick of a neural que that made her react. Juris studied his friends, his creatures. The shy smile told him everything, he drank it like a river and read it like an ancient scripture. She was beautiful, gorgeous really. Not because of how she looked but how she acted. naive and willing, maybe the skiddish girl was trained to react this way from some sort of wicked melodrama in her past. But this was just an assumption based on the reactions of all of his other friends and creatures. Theyre all trained to react a certain way based on how things have gone for them thus so far. She spoke of imprinting, curiousity and confusion - ingredients for a good concotion stirred from deep rooted mistrust and a naive hope to find something better. Well, at least thats what it all seemed like from his perspective. He had no strength nor very much visual brawn to his form - therefore relying on being observant and assumptious about things served as a greater "strength". Being a thief was his only super power, what was he going to steal from Zafira then?
He could use a friendship like this. Steal it even. He felt like he had to, because of course, he already knew nobody really liked him. They were all the same, using him, too. Juris would steal her away into the shadows. He stared into her eyes the whole time, shamelessly, but it all had meaning to it.
Barking and yipping in the distance broke his concentration. A pack hunt had commenced and a herd of deer were scattering across the woods. Wait, nobody could see him yet. None of them needed to know he existed. Just Zafira for now. It was a perfect time to escape and immerse themselves into the shadows again, descend to the depths of this unfathomable ocean. his tail rose with his eyes, his concerned eyes broke the gaze he had used to seemingly stare right through to her soul. "Come, we must retreat, or we will be revealed to many wolves at once." Without having to say it, it was obvious that neither of them were equipped genetically to handle even a single foe. Juris didn't know if Zafira was apt to trust him, however, it was a choice between staying in the light and possibly being slaughtered by a hungry pack, or take her chances and follow the shadey ocean creature back into the depths.
"Come on. Lets go. I have something to show you..." Would she go for it? Was she scared, or could she see right through him? Maybe too, she was destined to be a creature of the shadows.