Kaliban had watched her closely, and that meant he had noticed her caution. Rather than deter him, it had in fact made him even more tempted to get closer to her. She was rgiht, after all, to be cautious. Caution, in the right doses, was a sign of a well-rounded, capable wolf. At least, that's what Kaliban had come to learn. Even his mother used caution, even if he doubted she'd admit it, but why else did she walk on such quiet paws? Even predators had to be cautious. That's why Kaliban had been cautious, too. That's why he had been so quiet and diligent in keeping his distance until the right moment.

When she turned slightly and their eyes met, Kaliban's heart lurched forward and then settled into a fast pitter-patter beat. Her eyes were so dark, like a starless night, and they drove through him like teeth. He stared back, his eyes wide and intense as he drank her in. Yes, she was special. He couldn't pinpoint the exact why, but he knew she was. Even if he had wanted to turn around and leave, he doubted that he could. For whatever reason, his body simply refused to humor the thought.

"You think?" He asked flatly, but he wasn't going to entertain the idea at all. As cold as her words might have been, he hadn't been offended at all. No, she was being smart. Yes, smart. Of course, it made sense he had wanted to follow a wolf like that. "I find myself disagreeing." He shrugged, and chose to follow her despite her having moved to leave.

"I'm Kaliban," he said, trailing behind her at what he considered a respectful distance, though he so wished he'd been able to get up beside her. "I'm not so much a stranger now, right?" That made sense to him. She had his name, and if she took another moment to investigate him, she'd quickly find out where he was from. Depending on who she'd met before...Well, she might even know his kin. He doubted it, though. Or rather, he hoped not. If Terra had met his sister, Menhkhet, or either of his parents...and she was not an Asteraian wolf...Well, he didn't think she'd associate his kin with much good news. Kaliban didn't hold that against them - he loved his family, after all - but he was realistic. His brief time with Niyol had taught him a hard lesson about his family's interests.

He'd been lost in that thought for a moment, but he quickly turned his attention back to Terra. He tried to speed up...just enough to be a bit closer to her. He grinned the friendliest grin he could muster. How could he convince her? She was cautious...She was smart. As much as he appreciated that, he couldn't help but think it could be a problem too. It didn't feel like himself to think that, but some part of him - his mother's blood, perhaps? - made him wish she'd just stick to him like a burr. Cautious wolves didn't do that though. You had to earn their trust, which is something Kaliban had never consciously had to do.