Snippet #969734

In the small town, near the lake, the young human-looking man was sitting beneath the shade of a tree. The small aquatic body was noiselessly placid except for a few fish that jumped in the distant shallows, catching minor insects as they buzzed near the surface. And in the shade Pike was silent, nearly sleeping next to his pack and spear. The commotion of a tinny sqeal caught his attention, a gypsy woman who was washing her clothes between the reeds was noticeably shocked at the sight of a wolf drinking from the lake. She tried to shoo it, but the creature didn't notice, so she muttered a curse in words Pike didn't know before bundling her sopping clothes and rushing away.

"Arrogant," his murmer barely audible over his own heart. And when the young wolf took to the shadows across the distance Pike stood up leaving his pack behind, and strode directly toward her. Not speaking as he traveled, but occasionally glancing to determine if they were being watched, he casually approached. But when a mother and her daughter passed he halted sharply--they think it's a dog! "What fools these mortals be! People are no better than the insects... unaware of the gaar lurking out of sight." But where there are fish there are also eagles...

"Shouldn't you know better than to stride into town like this?" he asked rhetorically, but Pike didn't speak until he'd come slightly uncomfortably close to the wolf; and joined her by sitting in the long soft grass. He didn't want to be overheard talking to a wolf, so he spoke gingerly, barely moving his mouth: "You're exposing yourself young one. These times aren't safe for our kind." And he offered her a palm to sniff--as if she *were* a dog. There in the shadows, he knew that the humans wouldn't be able to see that he was speaking, so he was keeping up necessary pretenses, to avoid drawing *further* attention to her, and himself.