The closer I got to the stranger, the stronger her smell became. There was only one pack in Moladion whose scent was that potent. The sea salt had clung to her fur and announced to all she was a wolf of Glorall. I hesitated a moment, remembering a time when my old home had been at odds with the ocean dwellers. Then, I remembered I was no longer part of Asteraia. Their rules no longer applied to me. I was free to do as I wanted.

So, I continued until I was standing a comfortable distance away. My stance was purely neutral to show I was no threat. She seemed to understand and smiled pleasantly at me before answering my question. Learn about all the places? For her father? Oh, maybe she was doing a task to earn a rank in her pack. I remembered when Uncle Halcyon had sent Fenyang off to do that. He had been so eager to see the world. I hadn't seen him since then… I wondered if he was okay.

For a moment, thoughts of my dead brother came haunting back and I closed my eyes to rid myself of his memory. It was still too painful. Realizing I might look odd to the stranger, I opened my white eyes again and smiled awkwardly. "That sounds like fun. Who's your father? Are you trying for a rank in your pack?" Doing my best to keep the conversation focused on her, I moved to sit into a more comfortable position. Suddenly, my father's voice came filtering into my mind, reminding me of my manners. "Oh, my name is Tikal, by the way. What's yours?" There, formal introductions completed. Dad would be proud.